We've always stated that Volkswagen treats the GTI lettering like it's made from glass. In a recent interview the brand's boss Herbert Diess kind of confirmed this by naming the Up!, Polo and Golf as the only GTI models that will ever be made.
“I think with the three [GTI models] we have now, we are set,” Diess told Autocar. “GTI for us is ‘the’ hot hatch: a sporty car, classless, with potential for everyday use and accessible for many. It should be this car – a hot hatch.”
By saying this, Diess indirectly crushed the rumors of GTI crossovers happening. But to be honest, we never expected them to give the T-Roc or Tiguan a GTI badge.
The past decade is peppered with opportunities where the hot hatch brand could have been expanded but was not. My personal favorite is the Jetta GLI, which is to all intents a GTI sedan with one letter changed.
There's also the Scirocco GTS, a lovely coupe that arrived unbelievably late in the model's life. Beetle GTI? Nope, there's that thing from 1973 with a black hood, so they called it the Beetle GSR. China also has one, the Lamando GTS four-door coupe which is as red as - you guessed it - a Golf GTI.
All the cars mentioned above basically have the same 2.0-liter TSI turbo engine. But there's also an excellent example of a popular body style that VW intentionally left out to preserve the GTI's purity, which is the Golf Variant. Bear with me for a second!
Why do you think the Octavia RS and Leon Cupra both have wagon bodies available? Why did VW make the GTD Variant? Because wagons are very popular in key European markets. Do you think people wouldn't buy a 230 horsepower load-lugger? Of course, they would.
Diess also talked quite openly about the rumored GTI ID electric car. “With any model line-ups you have electrification coming. There is broader possibility for GTE than GTI,” he explained. So basically, all the stuff about the next GTI being a hybrid is bull too.
By saying this, Diess indirectly crushed the rumors of GTI crossovers happening. But to be honest, we never expected them to give the T-Roc or Tiguan a GTI badge.
The past decade is peppered with opportunities where the hot hatch brand could have been expanded but was not. My personal favorite is the Jetta GLI, which is to all intents a GTI sedan with one letter changed.
There's also the Scirocco GTS, a lovely coupe that arrived unbelievably late in the model's life. Beetle GTI? Nope, there's that thing from 1973 with a black hood, so they called it the Beetle GSR. China also has one, the Lamando GTS four-door coupe which is as red as - you guessed it - a Golf GTI.
All the cars mentioned above basically have the same 2.0-liter TSI turbo engine. But there's also an excellent example of a popular body style that VW intentionally left out to preserve the GTI's purity, which is the Golf Variant. Bear with me for a second!
Why do you think the Octavia RS and Leon Cupra both have wagon bodies available? Why did VW make the GTD Variant? Because wagons are very popular in key European markets. Do you think people wouldn't buy a 230 horsepower load-lugger? Of course, they would.
Diess also talked quite openly about the rumored GTI ID electric car. “With any model line-ups you have electrification coming. There is broader possibility for GTE than GTI,” he explained. So basically, all the stuff about the next GTI being a hybrid is bull too.