Volkswagen revealed the ID. Polo, a new electric hatchback that looks incredibly similar to the ID.2all concept from 2023.The ID. Polo produces up to 208 horsepower and can travel up to 282 miles on a charge; a sporty 223-hp GTI model will arrive next year.The ID. Polo will cost roughly $29,000 for the base model when it goes on sale in Germany, but it won’t be sold in the United States.
In 2023, Volkswagen teased an affordable electric hatchback with the ID.2all concept. Now, three years later, that vision has been realized with the ID. Polo. Looking nearly identical to the concept, the ID. Polo will serve as the entry point into VW’s European EV lineup, at least until the even smaller and less expensive hatchback based on the ID.Every1 concept reaches production.
Volkswagen
The ID. Polo is a handsome little machine, with smooth surfacing, compact proportions, and pronounced wheel arches. The front end features slim LED headlights with a light bar spanning the width of the car, echoed at the rear with full-width taillights featuring two LED rectangles on either side. The ID. Polo measures 159.6 inches long, nearly 10 inches shy of the Golf GTI. VW says the MEB+ platform allows for a spacious interior relative to the small exterior dimensions.
All ID. Polos feature a single electric motor and front-wheel drive. The motor comes in three power outputs: 114, 133, and 208 horsepower. Volkswagen also promises a sporty GTI variant next year, previewed by the ID.GTI concept from 2023, that will pack 223 ponies.
Volkswagen
The 114- and 133-hp models feature a lithium-iron-phosphate battery with a usable capacity of 37 kWh. VW claims it’s capable of being charged at up to 90 kilowatts on a DC fast-charger, providing 204 miles of range. The 208-hp ID. Polo, along with the GTI trim, features a nickel-manganese-cobalt battery with a 52-kWh capacity. This battery can be charged at up to 105 kW and provides 282 miles of range. Both range figures are VW’s estimates and presumably based on Europe’s optimistic WLTP test cycle and would likely be closer to 170 and 239 miles, respectively, if tested using the EPA’s methodology.
The interior is clean and straightforward, with a 13.0-inch touchscreen protruding from the dashboard and a 10.0-inch digital gauge cluster. Thankfully, Volkswagen seems to have learned its lesson, putting physical climate controls below the screen, a volume knob in the center console, and real buttons on the steering wheel. Cloth covers the upper door panels, seats, and dashboard, and ambient lighting glows from below the trim piece that spans the width of the dash.
Volkswagen
The ID. Polo comes standard with blind-spot monitoring and lane-keep assist; adaptive cruise control, a rearview camera, front-cross traffic assist, and front parking sensors are optional. Other available tech includes a 10-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, wireless phone charging, automatic traffic light recognition, and a vehicle-to-load function, allowing the ID. Polo to power external devices. There’s even an available massage function for the electronically adjustable 12-way front seats, a pretty fancy option for the subcompact segment.
The ID. Polo will soon go on sale in Europe, launching in Germany with a starting price that’s equivalent to about $29,000 at current exchange rates. Volkswagen is treating this electric hatchback as the seventh generation of its long-selling Polo, but it will be sold alongside the gas-powered Polo for the time being. Its diminutive size, modest power, and relatively low range mean it won’t be sold in the U.S.
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Caleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.