VW puts ID GTI on radar for U.S. lineup

BERLIN — Volkswagen Group of America CEO Pablo Di Si believes the ID GTI concept shown last fall has some appeal with U.S. consumers and a production version could sell in the country.

It just comes down to pricing, he said, an issue for many prospective EV buyers these days.

"It would make sense if we hit the price points," Di Si said Wednesday on the sidelines of VW Group's annual media conference here.

The ID GTI concept is based on the ID2all concept, an affordable small electric vehicle unveiled by VW in March 2023. The ID GTI pays homage to the original Golf GTI that was revealed at the 1975 Frankfurt auto show.

For Di Si, an ideal price point for the ID GTI would be $20,000 to $25,000.

That would be by far the lowest of any VW electric vehicle sold in the U.S. and would compete with the Jetta compact sedan for the lowest base price. The Jetta starts at $22,600 including shipping.

Di Si said for the ID GTI to be a volume seller, it would need to be priced at a lower entry point. A higher starting price, $35,000 for example, would make it a halo car and thus generate lower volume, he said.

"My wish is that [$25,000] price point," Di Si said. "If we cannot go to the 25, then it will be more of a niche product."

The ID2 is scheduled to launch in 2025 in small numbers, with volume production to follow in 2026. But VW has said it won't be brought to the U.S.

"Do we have a plan? Not yet," Di Si said of the ID GTI. "But it is on our radar."