WOLFSBURG, Germany – Volkswagen has unveiled the ID. Polo, a new compact electric hatchback that becomes its smallest and most affordable electric model to date in many markets outside of North America.
Pre-sales in Germany are due to open at the end of April starting at €24,995 ($29,320). The ID. Polo sits below the recently updated ID.3 Neo, a facelifted version of the existing ID.3, and is aimed at providing a lower-cost entry point into the German automaker’s electric vehicle lineup.
The ID. Polo also marks a change in Volkswagen’s approach to branding. Unlike earlier electric models that relied on the “ID.” naming convention in combination with a numeric designation to signify hierarchy, the new car revives the long-standing Polo badge, which has been in use at Volkswagen for over 50 years. It is planned to be sold along with the existing sixth-generation internal combustion engine Polo launched in 2017.
Based on the Volkswagen Group’s latest MEB+ architecture, the ID. Polo adopts a front-wheel-drive layout and a more compact packaging concept designed to reduce cost and improve interior space efficiency compared to the rear-wheel-drive MEB architecture used by ID. models up to now.
The ID. Polo measures 159.6 ins. in length, with a 102.4-in. wheelbase, allowing for a five-seat interior and a cargo capacity of up to 15.6 cu. ft.
Inside, Volkswagen has focused on usability, combining newly designed physical controls with digital interfaces. The cabin features a 10-inch digital instrument cluster and a 13-inch central touchscreen, along with a simplified control layout and a limited suite of driver-assistance systems.
At launch, the ID. Polo will be offered with three power outputs: 114 hp, 133 hp and 208 hp – all driving the front wheels. A higher-performance GTI variant rated at 223 hp is planned to follow.
Two battery options will be available: a 37-kWh pack using lithium iron phosphate chemistry and a larger 52-kWh nickel manganese cobalt unit. The latter is claimed to deliver a range of up to 283 miles on the WLTP cycle.
DC fast-charging capability of up to 105 kW enables a 10% to 80% recharge in about 24 minutes under optimal charging conditions, according to Volkswagen.
The ID. Polo will also introduce features such as vehicle-to-load capability and an updated version of Volkswagen’s Travel Assist system with traffic-light recognition.
Volkswagen says it has no current plans to offer the ID. Polo in the U.S., where demand remains centered on larger models. The decision comes as the automaker reshapes its North American production strategy, recently confirming it will end ID.4 production at its Chattanooga, Tennessee, plant. The facility is set to focus on higher-volume models, including the next-generation Atlas SUV, as Volkswagen responds to slowing EV demand in the U.S.
