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The Volkswagen ID Polo GTI will arrive in 2027 as the German brand’s first proper attempt at an electric hot hatch, packing 223bhp.

Previewed by last year’s ID GTI concept, the sporty EV was confirmed on Wednesday as Volkswagen announced that the production version of the ID 2all concept will be named the ID Polo.

The ID Polo GTI – the first time EV to wear the GTI badge – will be based on the same electric only MEB Entry platform as the ID Polo, which is driven by a single front-mounted motor.

Volkswagen has confirmed this will pack 223bhp, 8bhp more than the ID Polo GTI's Alpine A290 rival.

Autocar has previously reported that Volkswagen is developing a hardcore Clubsport version of the ID Polo, targeting a peak output of 282bhp. 

It's also exploring whether a 400bhp four-wheel-drive R model utilising four in-wheel motors is feasible.

The prospect of an R model puts into doubt the future of the GTX name, which has so far adorned hot four-wheel-drive ID EVs.

A battery option has yet to be confirmed, but the ID Polo GTI will likely use the largest (56kWh) ID Polo pack, which in the regular car will provide a range of around 280 miles.

Like the standard ID Polo, the ID Polo GTI has been shown in near-production camouflaged guise. The pair share mostly the same design, but the GTI does sport some more aggressive cues, including slightly flared wheel arches, a small front diffuser, split boot-mounted spoilers and a pair of rear bumper cutouts (likely to mimic exhausts). It also appears to get larger alloy wheels of a bespoke design.

The regular ID Polo measures 4053mm long, 1816mm wide and 1530mm tall, which would make the ID Polo GTI only slightly larger than the A290.

The standard ID Polo is tipped to be priced at around £22,000, but we expect the hot version to start closer to £30,000. For reference, the A290 starts at £32,000 with the government's new Electric Car Grant added.

Following the ID Polo GTI, Volkswagen is preparing to expand its performance brand across multiple electric model lines. CEO Thomas Schäfer previously told Autocar the new hot EVs will be "mind-blowing" to drive.

The group that hacked Marks & Spencer earlier this year has claimed responsibility for the cyber attack on JLR that has caused production shutdowns and sales stoppages.

Scattered Spider hit the British retailer in May, causing seven weeks of disruption and costing £300 million in lost operating profit.

Along with fellow hacking group Shiny Hunters, it claims to have obtained customer data after exploiting a similar flaw in JLR’s IT system, The Telegraph reports.

The claim was made on a Telegram messenger group, where a user linked to the hackers posted a screenshot of what appeared to show JLR's internal system.

A member of the group told The Telegraph that a well known flaw in SAP Netweaver - third-party software used by JLR - was exploited to access the data.

US cyber agency CISA warned about the flaw earlier this year. An update for the software was released, but whether JLR applied it is unknown.

It's also not known what data was taken or if a ransom demand has been made. 

JLR told Autocar in a statement yesterday that “there is no evidence any customer data has been stolen”.

It refused to comment on the latest claims today (Wednesday).

The hack has caused three days of sales and production issues which have “severely disrupted” JLR's operations.

In an effort to combat the hack, JLR began “shutting down our systems” on Tuesday and is now in the process of rebuilding them.

This shutting down of systems has led to a halt of production at both Halewood and Solihull, where the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport are built. 

JLR was also unable to confirm a timescale for the fix, but it's understood that the hack could continue to cause disruption for the rest of the week.

According to The Telegraph, the hacking groups are believed to be made up of teenagers from English-speaking countries.

Autocar first reported the issues affecting JLR on Monday, when dealers couldn't register new cars on 'new plate day' (1 September), traditionally one of the year's busiest for registrations.

To combat the delays, the registering of cars is now being carried out by hand, a JLR dealer revealed to Autocar on Wednesday. 

Autocar also understands the issues are impacting parts supplies and new car handovers, although JLR wouldn't confirm this.

JLR's public-facing website appears to be fully operational, including the car configurator.