Volkswagen shows its first electric GTI; there's no chance of US sales
Posted by NISMO1968@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 39 comments
Posted by NISMO1968@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 39 comments
FrozenUruguayBallbac@reddit
I have always felt as if EV hot hatches are an untapped market. but this is underwhelming
narwhal_breeder@reddit
Yeah - because it’s a Polo - which has never been brought here.
SRMort@reddit
Wish they would bring a real life Polo GTI stateside. It's certainly a contributing factor to me having a Fiat 500 Abarth as a former Golf GTI owner.
HazelnutPeso@reddit
And for it to not sell?
cabs84@reddit
it's sad that an existing car and platform that is already sold elsewhere is so expensive to certify in the US that they won't even bother with it, even if it would sell hundreds of thousands of vehicles over the lifetime
SRMort@reddit
What do their sales volumes have to do with my preferences as a small car enthusiast? That's a business problem. I just like what I like.
Nightmaru@reddit
It's like someone saying, "Gee I wish car manufacturers have their cars away for free? What, they can't because it makes zero sense business-wise? That's their problem."
franzn@reddit
That's not at all what they said. they can wish a car was sold here but also understand why it isn't.
SRMort@reddit
It's not like that at all, but you feel free to be as grumpy today as you like. Good day sir or madam.
ShinShinGogetsuko@reddit
I got a Polo a few years back on a Euro trip as a rental. Great city car, would’ve loved it if they brought it here.
GTIs sell well in cities, yet the Polo is even better suited for it.
bombastica@reddit
This article has come up on my feed multiple times and it’s the most clickbait bullshit headline.
The most cared about GTI is the Golf GTI. Fuck these publishers for not writing Polo GTI in their headlines. This is intentional 🙄
Geofferz@reddit
To be fair it is completely accurate as their first electric gti. And I might consider one in England... Nope, too slow.
spotforcars@reddit
Good looking Polo 👍
sersarsor@reddit
knowing that this is gonna be heavier as an EV, I think it's significantly underpowered. Does not bode well for the eventual golf gti ID version
linknewtab@reddit
The ID Golf GTI will be based on a completely different platform (800 volt SSP platform) with different motors and batteries, so this doesn't tell you anything.
sersarsor@reddit
This tells me something about VW's approach and priorities to spec'ing out and designing EV hatchbacks. Let's just say that this does makes me less optimistic for the eventual Golf GTI reveal.
linknewtab@reddit
No, it doesn't tell you anything about that.
The ID Polo is based on a platform that was specifically developed as a cheaper version of the regular MEB platform. And based on that stripped down platform they had to make the ID Polo GTI. You could argue that it was a mistake to even try making a GTI based on that platform but they think it's good enough. Time will tell.
The ID Golf on the other hand will be based on the normal SSP platform, so the GTI version can make use of all the tech and better motors it allows.
Geofferz@reddit
Yeah but... We've had 20 years of gtis that are faster. Lame.
TunerJoe@reddit
What gives more insult to injury is that it's even slower than the current Polo GTI. Not by much (0.3 seconds), but damn it, it's an electric car, if it sucks otherwise, it should at least have good acceleration.
vargemp@reddit
And they wonder why people buy Tesla lol
TunerJoe@reddit
Not like this competes with any of Tesla's models. If you want a B-segment EV, Tesla has nothing to offer you
vargemp@reddit
Price-wise Model 3 is even cheaper than that Gti.
Geofferz@reddit
That's mental. I used to own a polo and don't like teslas but I would still choose the telsa.
Feuerdrachen@reddit
Ironically enough the specs for the base version with the bigger engine are already known. The GTI is, 15 Km/h faster, accelerates 0,3s quicker to 100 Km/h, has got around 15 more HP and costs you a premium of 5,200€.
Maybe the suspension will make a bigger difference?
Besides that I just don't see how the GTi aesthetic could justify that premium price when it could by you quite a few additional options from the base version that you can also get sooner as well.
TunerJoe@reddit
The ID Polo itself seems like a pretty good car all things considered, but the GTI in this form is pointless. The current Polo GTI is almost twice as powerful as the 2nd most powerful engine. The ID Polo GTI should have at least 260 hp and do 0-100 in the mid 5s to make sense.
ItchyMcHotspot@reddit
And it's way faster than a 19th century GTI!
fernandodasilva@reddit
People on this r/horses sub would complain "this econohorse steps with the wrong feet first, not a true German horse, unlike the Bavarian horses"
xlb250@reddit
The acceleration will be lag free which is a major plus imo.
capri_stylee@reddit
Driving my wife's enyaq, the torque response and acceleration are really impressive, but I wouldn't call it fun exactly, could be the size of the car, could be the lack of drama. Either way once the novelty wore off there wasn't much appeal.The twitchy nature can also be uncomfortable as a passenger.
CatoMulligan@reddit
Dear auto aficionados: with the exception of the Golf GTI and R, VW has never brought their best stuff to the US. Ever.
UnusualLeadership408@reddit
This headline is pure clickbait. It's an electric Polo GTI, not a Golf. The Polo has never been sold in the US, so of course it's not coming here
jse000@reddit
Ugh. I like the idea of an electric Golf GTI, if they can get the power/weight right, but this doesn't instill confidence.
Especially if you lose the ability to reflash for an instant 40whp gain.
Head_Crash@reddit
These would sell like hotcakes in the US, and the US auto industry would immediately bribe the government into banning them somehow.
Major-Ant4600@reddit
$45,000 subcompact EV will not sell in the US.
Oh_ffs_seriously@reddit
It would be closer to $38k, the writer of the article was simply too lazy to deduct the VAT, even though he mentioned it. There's also a regular variant which is barely any slower than this "GTI", and it's ~$34k without VAT. Still overpriced, annoyingly so, but less outrageous.
Guessididntmakeit@reddit
I'm not from the US but for that amount of money I don't see this kind of small car sell all that well over there.
Don't most of the buyers like more space in their cars?
I can't read the article right now and I don't know what the range is supposed to be on those things, but I could see that being another issue in the States.
Just to clarify, I'm not saying it wouldn't sell at all, but it would probably be a low volume model.
SnikySquirrel@reddit
This would be a marketplace flop in the US.
narwhal_breeder@reddit
Small city EVs have never really done well here. They were all discounted to practically nothing and then discontinued.
Anyone remember the $60/month Fiat 500 EV lease deals?
Optical_reality@reddit
and if it did?