8:08 am, September 7, 2023
Volkswagen is set to ditch the ID and GTX brands for more recognisable names from the German brand’s past.
The ID name was revealed in 2016 to herald a new electric era for Volkswagen, with the first production model, the ID.3, arriving four years later.
But, despite a number of new models arriving since then wearing the ID badge such as the ID.4 and ID.5 SUVs and the forthcoming ID.7 saloon, the name is set for the chop.
Volkswagen is keen to keep familiar names from its past rather than replace them with the ID naming structure, its boss has suggested.
Speaking to Electrifying.com, VW CEO Thomas Schafer said: ‘Definitely the names we will carry in the future are Golf, Tiguan and GTI – that is given. The others we will look at on a case-by-case basis.
‘There will be new Golf and it will be a true Golf…. ID.3 will run out by then and there will be minimal overlap.
‘ID.3 was a name which was necessary to differentiate it from the ICE models. But we probably don’t need that going into the future.’
The remarks come in the same week as Volkswagen pulled the covers off the ID. GTI Concept at the Munich motor show – a sportier version of the ID.2all concept car revealed earlier this year, which previews an ID.2 GTI that’s slated for launch in 2026.
The ID.2 won’t become the next Polo, however.
‘The ID.2 is bigger than a Polo, it’s more than a Polo,’ said Schafer.
‘We taught our customers that the Polo is a car which costs between €15-25,000 and the ID.2 will start at €25,000.’
The confirmation that the GTI name will remain in VW’s product plans for electric cars will be good news to fans of the German brand’s performance cars.
VW had previously suggested the GTX name was the ‘GTI for the electric era’. But now it says ditching GTI would be ‘ludicrous’.
Current GTX models feature twin electric motors, boosted power and sportier detailing. The name has already been used on the ID.4 and ID.5 SUVs and is set to appear on the ID.Buzz.
But GTX, too, is set for the chop, said the VW boss.
‘GTI is two-wheel drive. The R is the four-wheel-drive. GTX was just an interim for the battery electric cars but we will merge it in the long run.
‘For us it has to be the traditional ones – GTI and R. We have taught the world what these names mean and it would be ludicrous to have to re-educate them.’
The first R-badged electric Volkswagen is expect to appear in 2028 when the firm launches a new electric car platform.
Schafer’s plans don’t stop there, however. He also revealed this week the Seat name will be retired for cars and a ‘new role’ will be sought for Volkswagen Group’s Spanish brand.
‘The future of Seat is Cupra,’ he said, with the German carmaker set to increase its investment in the Cupra performance brand.
The Seat name is rumoured to be retained, though, potentially for mobility solutions such as e-scooters.
