Volkswagen ID. Polo: The Electric City Car Reviving a Cult Name Volkswagen is breathing new life into one of its most iconic nameplates. The ID. Polo marks the brand's bold move to bring the beloved Polo name into the electric era, blending decades of small-car heritage with cutting-edge EV technology.

There are names you don't replace: you bring them back to life. With the ID. Polo, Volkswagen is reviving one of its greatest classics — the Polo, a best-seller since 1975 — but pushing it into a new era: that of all-electric power. Don't get confused, though: the ID. Polo isn't a facelifted petrol Polo, it's an entirely new battery-powered city car that borrows the name to open its electric chapter.

From concept to legacy name

The car isn't entirely a surprise: we already knew it under the code name ID.2all, the concept unveiled to show that Volkswagen, too, could deliver affordable electric cars. In late 2025, the brand made its decision: rather than a somewhat cold "ID.2" designation, it chose to reconnect with its legendary names. The ID.2all thus became the ID. Polo, just as the small SUV from the same program is now called the ID. Cross.

The symbolism is strong. The Polo represents half a century of city cars sold by the million across Europe. Entrusting it with the electric shift is a way of telling hesitant drivers: an electric car isn't some exotic object — it's simply the next Polo.

What it promises

Under the body, the ID. Polo debuts the MEB Entry platform, designed to keep costs down — and, notably for a Volkswagen EV, it drives the front wheels, just like a classic petrol-powered city car. At launch, three power levels are planned (85, 99, and 155 kW) along with two battery sizes, for a claimed range of up to 450 kilometers on the WLTP cycle. Fast charging tops out at 130 kW DC, enough to top up the battery during a quick break.

The real battleground is price. Volkswagen is announcing a starting price under €25,000, with orders open since summer 2026 and first deliveries following shortly after. At that level, the ID. Polo is set to go head-to-head with the Renault 5, the new electric Twingo, the Hyundai Inster, and even its own group cousin, the Cupra Raval, built on the same platform.

Inside, the ID. Polo claims the space and versatility of a true family-friendly city car, with a fully digital driver display and a large central touchscreen — Volkswagen's signature recipe, served in a more accessible version. The platform is shared with several group cousins, including the Cupra Raval and the upcoming Škoda Epiq: by pooling a common technical base across three brands, development costs are split, which is also what makes these prices possible. One last point to avoid any confusion: the petrol-powered Polo remains in the lineup for now. The two will coexist while the electric model finds its footing — the ID. Polo isn't burying its predecessor, it's paving the way for its succession.

A GTI goes electric

Volkswagen couldn't resist the pull of its most iconic badge. An ID. Polo GTI has been confirmed, with 226 horsepower, a limited-slip differential, and a specially tuned chassis. Born on the Golf in 1976, the GTI lineage has thrilled generations of enthusiasts; now it's making the switch to electric power. Expected at the very end of 2026, with deliveries starting in early 2027, it promises to prove that a plugged-in compact can still be fun to drive.

One piece of a bigger puzzle

The ID. Polo isn't arriving alone. It kicks off a small family of affordable electric models at Volkswagen, alongside the ID. Cross and, later, an even cheaper ID. model targeting the €20,000 mark. The stakes are high for the group: after an electric debut that leaned upmarket and drew criticism for its pricing, it's now betting on volume and accessibility — the very ground on which the brand built its reputation. For European drivers, it's yet another piece of good news in a 2026 that's seeing affordable EVs multiply.

The Polo represents fifty years of history and dozens of period brochures. On Brochure Auto, browse all the Volkswagen Polo brochures for free, from the first generation in 1975 to the most recent versions — a heritage that the ID. Polo now opens into a brand-new electric chapter.