[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text module_class=”article-title-allcaps” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_font=”|800||on|||||” header_text_align=”center” header_font_size=”44px” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=”fp-introv2″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|700|||||||” text_orientation=”center” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
Want to go electric? Easy. Want to keep enjoying every journey? Not so simple. But one of these EVs could be what you’re looking for<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=”fp-byline” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_orientation=”center” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
Words<\/b><\/span> Chris Chilton<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/03\/01-Golf-first.jpg” title_text=”01 Golf first” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text module_class=”text-with-dropcap” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n The Golf GTI turns 50 this year. History buffs will tell you it wasn\u2019t the first hot hatch, and hot shoes might complain that it hasn’t always been the fastest or sharpest. But for most of the past five decades it\u2019s been a brilliant all-rounder, a lifeline for people who thought having kids would limit their fun car choices. Along the way we\u2019ve had hardcore and softcore versions as tastes and insurance panics have demanded, but there\u2019s one trend the GTI has so far failed to embrace: electrification.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n We know from 2023\u2019s ID. 2 GTI concept that those three legendary letters and some red pinstriping will find their way onto a VW EV eventually, but let\u2019s say you need to exit your GTI now and want to jump into a fully electric car. Where do you spend your \u00a340,000 if you love your GTI but want an EV?<\/p>\n Just as there\u2019s no Golf GTI EV, you won\u2019t find electric versions of most of its rivals, models like the Honda Civic Type R, Ford Focus ST and Skoda Octavia vRS. But there are a handful of cars that tick most of the same boxes, and at least one them reaches 60mph in fewer ticks than any of those petrol-powered hot hatches.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=”car-pullquote” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|800||on|||||” text_font_size=”22px” text_orientation=”center” custom_margin=”||5px||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n ‘Yes, it\u2019s quick, but the chassis is always playing catch-up’<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/03\/02-Golf-rear.jpg.jpg” title_text=”02 Golf rear.jpg” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Back in the late 1970s the original Golf GTI helped put the final nail in the coffin of creaky British sports cars like the MGB, but a half century on the now Chinese-owned MG is giving VW a major headache. We\u2019re big fans of the ordinary MG 4 hatch so a hot one with double the power for thousands less than a GTI sounds like a dream.<\/p>\n If you want maximum straight-line bang for your buck, the kind that\u2019ll make your neck feel like a newborn\u2019s every time you stomp on the right pedal, the MG 4 XPower is the clear winner in our list of energy-vegan GTI alternatives. With 429bhp, two motors and all-wheel drive, it\u2019ll hit 62mph in just 3.8 seconds. Never mind the Golf GTI, which needs almost six seconds, even the pricer Golf R is almost a second adrift, yet at \u00a336,495 the XPower massively undercuts both, plus the ID. 3 GTX. It even comes in cheaper than VW\u2019s bog-basic 201bhp ID. 3, for heaven\u2019s sake.<\/p>\n But jump into the XPower after a strop down the road in a GTI and you can see exactly where that saved money didn\u2019t go. Yes, it\u2019s quick, but the chassis is always playing catch-up. MG\u2019s XPower upgrades over the stock 4 include stiffer suspension, bigger brakes, extra steering weight and promises of brake-based torque vectoring from a drivetrain that\u2019s nominally rear-wheel drive until the traction control yells an SOS to the front axle.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/03\/05-MG_X_Power.jpg” title_text=”05 MG_X_Power” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text module_class=”car-img-caption” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-15px||||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Can the Chinese-made MG 4 XPower give VW a headache?<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n But the small-ish 18-inch front wheels still find themselves scrabbling for grip when you dig deep into the power reserves, there\u2019s more body lean than you expect in a hot hatch, and the steering\u2019s as communicative as a sulky teen. It\u2019s fun up to a point, but push too hard and it becomes a handful.<\/p>\n B roads aren’t the only weakness. The infotainment, and the interior in general, feels a little cheap, which we can forgive on the ordinary \u00a327k MG 4, but find harder to overlook here. Same with the range: it\u2019s officially rated at an already unimpressive 239 miles between charges but you can chop at least 50 miles from that if you\u2019re intent on using the performance, or if there\u2019s a cold snap (and there\u2019s no heat pump to help).<\/p>\n MG, like many Chinese car makers, learns fast, so we expect big things from the next hot 4. Right now, though, the XPower doesn\u2019t do enough to tempt us out of a GTI.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/03\/06-Mini-Aceman.jpg” title_text=”06 Mini Aceman” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text module_class=”car-img-caption” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-15px||||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Mini’s Aceman is the brand’s five-door crossover-ish hatch<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n But the MG 4 XPower isn\u2019t the only Chinese-built, Brit-badged EV that thinks it can step silently into the GTI\u2019s shoes. The Mini Aceman is a five-door crossover-ish hatch that slots between the new three-door-only Mini (now called simply Cooper) and the bigger Countryman, which has morphed into an even bigger, squarer SUV.<\/p>\n Think of the Aceman (which will be built in the UK from 2026) as a stretched Cooper. It gets the same EV platform, and the same motor and battery combinations, but an additional 80mm of steel between the axles, only the front of which propels you forward. Even with that extra real estate the Aceman\u2019s tighter on space than the petrol Golf, for passengers and their bags. But it looks funky, inside and out, with modern textiles covering a dash sprinkled with subtle classic Mini design Easter eggs, and the fancy wafer-thin circular touchscreen is crisp and responsive.<\/p>\n GTI owners thinking of defecting will want to skip the part of the Aceman brochure dealing with the \u00a328,905 entry-level E, which slums it with a 181bhp electric motor and puny 38.5kWh battery that sounds like it\u2019d be better suited to giving your phone a top-up than powering a car. The range is just 192 miles. The \u00a331,905 SE \u2013 215bhp and 251 miles \u2013 is more appealing, but for GTI cash you could afford to head straight for the \u00a336,905 John Cooper Works and still have cash left over or some of those irresistible Mini options.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=”car-pullquote” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|800||on|||||” text_font_size=”22px” text_orientation=”center” custom_margin=”||5px||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n ‘The Aceman rides Britain\u2019s bumpy, scarred roads with all the sophistication of an oil drum’<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n JCW trim brings a racier bodykit, 19-inch wheels and splashes of red in the cabin. It also gets you a bump to 255bhp, which drops the 0-62mph time from 7.1 to 6.4 seconds, though since the 49.2kWh battery is carried over from the SE, the range drops to 243 miles. That\u2019s not much better than the MG delivers, and far less useful than the 350-400 miles you\u2019ll travel on a fresh tank in the GTI.<\/p>\n We haven\u2019t driven the JCW yet, but the lesser Acemans we have tried managed to display at least a little of that trademark Mini flickability despite the wheelbase stretch over the hatch. I really didn\u2019t want to use the ‘Go-Kart’ cliche, but it\u2019s hard to avoid when that\u2019s the name of one of the driving modes, which activates with a cringy \u2018woo-hoo!\u2019<\/p>\n Maybe \u2018oh no!\u2019 would be better, given the Aceman rides Britain\u2019s bumpy, scarred roads with all the sophistication of an oil drum that\u2019s fallen off the back of lorry. The JCW is unlikely to be more compliant, though its extra muscle should answer our complaints of the other Acemans feeling a little meek.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/03\/07-GTX.jpg” title_text=”07 GTX” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text module_class=”car-img-caption” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-15px||||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n The ID. 3 hatch is available as a GTI, kind of<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Two EVs in and we\u2019re still looking for our GTI alternative. And maybe you\u2019re still waiting for us to namecheck the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. We love the N, and not only because of its simulated gearshifts and drift mode, fun as they are. Because the 641bhp N is a blast. But we have to deny the Hyundai entry to this comparison because its \u00a365,000 price makes it more than 50 per cent pricier than the GTI. It\u2019s just not a realistic comparison. If it helps dampen your disappointment, bear in mind the Hyundai’s feeble 190-mile real-world range.<\/p>\n So where does that leave us? Back at VW, or at least the VW Group. Because although the Golf GTI might not be available as an EV, the ID. 3 hatch is available as a GTI, kind of. VW took the standard 201bhp single-motor ID. 3, gave it more power, a bigger 79kWh battery and slapped on a GTX badge to remind us it\u2019s meant to be fun, and fun of the zero-emissions kind. (The revival of the GTX badge from VW’s past is intended as a temporary measure, until Wolfsburg thinks its EVs \u2013 and their potential buyers \u2013 are ready for an electric GTI.)<\/p>\n With 322bhp in its most potent Performance trim and an official range of 369 miles, the \u00a346,315 GTX is quick and usable. Zero to 62mph in 5.7 seconds puts the GTX a couple of tenths ahead of the regular 262bhp GTI, and in snap overtakes the ID.3 feels quicker every time thanks to its instant torque, if maybe not quite as urgent as you\u2019d expect.<\/p>\n Inside, it\u2019s another tie, the EV feeling almost exactly as roomy as the Golf, making the speediest ID. 3 just as easy to live with as a GTI. But the ride is harsh, despite the stock adaptive dampers, and it\u2019s simply not as much fun to hurl around, feeling competent and capable, but just a little too sensible for its own good.<\/p>\n Same goes for the styling, with GTX embellishments limited to a grille seemingly modelled on a chainlink fence designed to keep killer dogs at bay, and a different pattern for the 20-inch rims. Don\u2019t bother looking for traditional GTI upholstery, either.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/03\/08-Cupra.jpg” title_text=”08 Cupra” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text module_class=”car-img-caption” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-15px||||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Hyundai Ioniq 5 N aside, the Cupra Born VZ is our favourite electric hot hatch right now<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Which is why we\u2019d suggest taking a step sideways in the direction of your Cupra dealer and the Born VZ. The basic package is the same but with the Cupra you get some proper hot-hatch swagger, a better-quality interior and, based on our own testing, a touch more agility and fizz from the chassis. Throw in a five-year warranty \u2013 the VW only offers three \u2013 and fractionally lower \u00a344,625 list price, and we\u2019re prepared to let the mysteriously shorter range (342 plays 369 miles) slide.<\/p>\n Hyundai Ioniq 5 N aside, the Born VZ is our favourite electric hot hatch right now, but that could soon change with cars like the ID. 2 GTI on the horizon. Over to you, VW. And don\u2019t forget the plaid seats this time.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#000000″ divider_weight=”3px” module_class=”divider-thin” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||5px||false|false” custom_padding=”||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_divider][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Want to go electric? Easy. Want to keep enjoying every journey? Not so simple. But one of these EVs could be what you’re looking for<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":1850,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1848","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature"],"acf":[],"modified_by":"kschwarz","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/car\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1848","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/car\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/car\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/car\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/car\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1848"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/car\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1848\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1865,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/car\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1848\/revisions\/1865"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/car\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1850"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/car\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1848"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/car\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1848"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/car\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1848"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}