VW’s boss Herbert Diess dismissed reports that the company is planning more GTI-badged models, including an SUV.
Diess said that VW will limit their GTI offerings to the Golf, Polo and Up models.
“I think with the three [GTI models] we have now, we are set,” Diess said to 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.”
As for a potential performance version of the upcoming ID electric car, Diess said that a hot version of their upcoming electric hatchback was not included in the idea behind it. Instead VW could expand its range of sporty GTE hybrids.
“With any model line-ups you have electrification coming. There is broader possibility for GTE than GTI,” he said.
Does this mean that a Polo GTE is on the cards? Diess said that a car like that wouldn’t be viable in the immediate future due to price and market positioning but suggested that other models could follow the GTE sooner.
As for the much rumored expansion plans VW has for its R brand, Diess hinted again at the possibility of a T-Roc range-topper. When asked what a hot SUV model would be called he said “We have another sub-brand R which we are considering [for such a model].”
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