VW to drop GTX for performance electric cars: EV successors to Volkswagen Polo GTI and Golf R to keep historic nameplates - report

The Volkswagen GTX badge is a stopgap, as the German carmaker transitions to an all-electric future. 

For the moment, hot versions of the ID.3, ID.4, ID.5 and ID.Buzz will retain GTX insignia, but over time GTI and R will transition to spicy electric VWs, according to British publication Autocar.

"GTX is the performance brand of the MEB [platform], but we'll work our way back to GTI and R in the next products going forward," Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schäfer told the outlet.

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The changes are expected to start with the production version of Volkswagen’s 2023 ID GTI concept, the sporty variant of the ID.2 small car sitting on the MEB Small platform. 

Some publications have called it a Golf GTI replacement, though proportionally it more closely resembles a Polo GTI.

Schäfer admitted to Autocar that GTI badging has historically been reserved for front-wheel drive performance models, and positioning may need to be adjusted. GTX models so far have been AWD (ID.4, ID.5, ID.Buzz) or rear-wheel drive (ID.3).

Volkswagen revealed its ID GTI concept in 2023.

Meanwhile R models pack a bit more punch with all-wheel drive in Volkswagen land. The brand has previously mooted a Golf R electric follow up could emerge by 2029.

Expect GTX badges to live on for now on Volkswagen MEB-based performance products though it’s unlikely that Volkswagen will broaden its GTX offering. 

With Schäfer’s comments that GTX is for MEB only, we can expect changes to Volkswagen’s performance-oriented naming from around 2026 when the first model based on the new Scalable Systems Platform (SSP) – a successor to both MEB and PPE – is expected.