Fifty years after the VW Polo first arrived on Britain's roads, the German car giant has turned its evergreen supermini into a full-blown EV.
Unveiled today, the ID.Polo will be the smallest electric Volkswagen when first deliveries land later this year.
VW, like many of its rival legacy car makers, has reacted to the need for cheaper, smaller EVs to kickstart sales, which are currently well below the level expected when manufacturers were first plotting their strategies a decade ago.
The recent emergence of more affordable - and well equipped - compact Chinese EVs has also forced the hand of the mainstream to pivot away from expensive electrified SUVs.
Thomas Schäfer, CEO of Volkswagen's passenger car division, says the new ID.Polo 'brings a Volkswagen bestseller into the electric age'.
He added: 'For decades, the Polo has been part of people’s everyday lives. With the ID. Polo, we are making electric mobility accessible to many more people.'
How much will it cost? And will Polo now exclusively run on electric power? Here's a whistle-stop tour of 12 things you need to know about it.
VW Polo goes electric: This is the new ID.Polo - the German marque's seventh iteration of the iconic supermini. Read 12 things we think you need to know about it...
Polo dates back to the Mk1 (pictured) in 1975. The supermini has spanned six generations over 50 years and accrued over 20 million global sales. It's VW's small powerhouse
1. A 'timeless' design
Polo is one of VW's longest living products, having gone into production in 1975, spanned six generations and accrued over 20 million global sales.
But while its transition to electric power marks a drastic shift in the nameplate's legacy, bosses have been adamant that it should still look like a Polo - and have a 'timeless' design.
Andreas Mindt has been the brains behind its styling. And he's drawn on VW trademarks, such as a C-pillar inspired by the original Golf and a revised headlight and LED signature at the front that's an update of the existing Polo.
VW's design boss says the styling is purposefully 'timeless'. And, credit to him, the electric supermini does still look like a Polo
VW trademarks have been incorporated into the shape, including the ID.Polo's C-pillar over the rear wheelarch, which is a modern take on the original VW Golf's design
2. It's only slightly bigger than the combustion Polo
Tape measure at the ready, the ID.Polo is just over 4 metres long, 1.8 metres wide and 1.5 metres tall, while the wheelbase (distance from the front wheels to the back wheels) is 2.6 metres.
What does that mean exactly?
Well, it's only marginally different to the Polo you'll find in VW dealers today. The Mk6 supermini is slightly longer (2centimetres) but is somewhat narrower (5cm) and shorter in height (almost 8cm). A 5cm longer wheelbase should also mean improved interior space, with rear passengers getting an extra 2cm of legroom.
VW says the Polo is now a genuine five-seater a 'more of an all-rounder than any of its predecessors'.
There's a choice of two battery options. The 37kWh pack offers a range of up 204 miles, while the bigger - and more expensive - 52kWh battery provides 283 miles between charges
3. Range of 'up to' 283 miles
The ID.Polo will be available with the choice of two battery sizes three power outputs in total, all of which - importantly - send power to the front wheels rather than the rear, which has been the case with VW's electrified ID models until now.
The lesser powered versions will be equipped with a 37kWh lithium iron phosphate battery. The maximum range from this pack is 204 miles and it will be capable of charging at speeds up to 90kW.
We expect customers to be more drawn to the 52kWh nickel manganese cobalt battery pack, which offers up to 283 miles between charges and speeds up to 105kW.
Charging times, from 10 to 80 per cent, are 27 and 24 minutes respectively, VW says.
As for performance, top speed is limited to 99mph.
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4. You can tow a (small) caravan
One major criticism of EVs is their lack of towing capacity.
And very few - if any - small electric superminis are capable of lugging a trailer.
However, ID.Polo can be equipped with an optional ball coupling with the provision to haul a gross weight of up to 1,200kg (on a maximum 8 per cent gradient).
That should be sufficient to pull a small caravan.
With a handy hidden compartment under the boot floor, the ID.Polo boasts a 441-litre boot. That's massive by supermini standards and 90 litres more than the petrol Polo currently offers
5. It has a massive boot
At 441 litres, the boot of the ID.Polo is genuinely huge for its size. In fact, it offers 90 litres more of carrying capacity than the existing petrol Polo and is bigger than any combustion engine model in this segment.
This is thanks to some clever under-boot storage, with a compartment under the conventional floor with enough space to stack a crate of bottles.
Fold the rear backrests down and there's 1,243 litres of flat-pack furniture space. That's 120 litres more than the Polo petrol.
While the ID.Polo comes with quite a lot of equipment as standard, it will pale in comparison to the features you get in cheaper Chinese rivals, like the BYD Dolphin Surf
VW ID.Polo: Specs at a glance
On sale: Pre-orders taken now
First UK deliveries: Q4 2026
Price: from under £25k (est)
DIMENSIONS
Length: 4,053mm
Width: 1,816mm
Height: 1,530mm
Wheelbase: 2,600mm
Kerb weight: 1,568kg - 1,576kg (depending on battery)
Boot capacity: 441 litres (up to 1,243 litres with rear backrests down)
PERFORMANCE
Battery: 2x options: 37kWh or 52 kWh
Power: 85kW (114bhp) - 115kW (154BHP)
Drive: Front wheel drive
Transmission: Single speed auto
Top speed: 99mph (electronically limited)
CHARGING
Max DC charging speed: 90kW - 105kW
10-80% recharge: 27 mins for 37kWh battery and 24 mins for 52kWh battery
6. Features you get as standard
UK specs are yet to be confirmed but there is expected to be three trim levels in total.
Standard across the range will be safety features like Side Assist and Lane Assist, which will stop you driving into the side of vehicles in your blindspot on a motorway.
LED headlights with automatic full beam, a 10-inch Digital Cockpit and 13-inch infotainment screen is standard fitment, as is automatic air conditioning.
While this is quite a lot of kit, it's nothing compared to what you get with the entry versions of Chinese rivals, like the BYD Dolphin Surf, which costs from just over £18,500 and comes with a 10.1-inch rotating touchscreen, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, adaptive cruise control, a 360-degree camera, and Vehicle to Load (V2L) capability.
For many of these features, ID.Polo customers will at least need to upgrade to the mid spec.
This provides Adaptive Cruise Control, a rear-view camera and sensors, power door mirrors and an automatic anti-dazzle interior mirror. Voice control and compatibility with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is also reserved for the middle trim, as is a smartphone charging pad.
The range topper will get the brand's LED matrix headlights and full illumination of the bonnet light strip and the VW logos front and rear. Inside, it upgrades include sport comfort seats, heated front seats and steering wheel, two-zone automatic air conditioning and a digital key you can keep on your smartphone.
The new ID.Polo will also be one of the first electric VWs models to offer the Vehicle-to-Load function, which means you can use a supplied three-pin socket adapter to plug into the battery so you can charge household items like your laptop, or power a kettle.
One of the ID.Polo's best features is its ability to not just identify traffic lights, but to automatically stop the car if the lights are red
7. It will automatically stop at a red light
One new optional feature is VW's upgraded Connected Travel Assist.
Its party piece is that it reacts to traffic lights – a first for this vehicle class.
If the system detects a red traffic light, it automatically brakes the ID.Polo to a standstill within the system limits.
VW is one brand that has faced immense criticism for deleting conventional button controls from its cars cabins as of late. But that's not the case with the ID.Polo...
ID.Polo gets a bank of hard buttons on a shelf below the central air vents for the temperature controls, as well as a rotary dial in the centre console and a mass of steering wheel buttons
8. Buttons galore
VW is one of the brands to feel the brunt of customer complaints that it has ruined the driving experience of its cars by removing conventional control buttons and throwing all the adjustment into convoluted infotainment screens.
But that's not the case with the ID.Polo cockpit, which Andreas Mindt says will 'feel like a friend from the very first encounter'.
It has a bank of hard buttons on a shelf below the main infotainment screen and central air vents, which includes the temperature controls and hazard warning light. A small rotary wheel in the centre console also allows for volume adjustments and song track and radio station skipping.
There's also an abundance of control buttons on the steering wheel to navigate both driver cluster and control the cruise control - if you buy one with this feature fitted.
One clever option is the availability of a retro display, which transforms the clocks into the same style used in the Mk1 Golf.
When travelling at speeds below 16mph, the ID.Polo emits a unique Volkswagen EV sound to alert pedestrians that it is near. This will be rolled out across future VW models
9. A new low speed sound
The ID.Polo debuts a 'new brand sound' when travelling below 16mph, which is designed to be more prominent to alert pedestrians who might usually not hear an EV approaching.
VW tells us it is an elevated electric noise, rather than replicating the thrum of a traditional petrol engine.
When drivers select the 'Sport' driving profile, a sportier soundtrack is beamed into the cockpit and adjusts to how much throttle application is being used and how quickly the Polo is travelling.
Priced from €24,994 when it goes on sale first in Germany, we can confidently say it will cost under £25k in the UK - a possibly much less if it qualifies for the Electric Car Grant
10. It will cost less than £25k
UK pricing has yet to be rubberstamped, but when it debuts in Germany it will cost from €24,994. This means we can pretty confidently say it will ring in at under £25k.
If it should qualify for the Government's Electric Car Grant, this will reduce the start price to around £23,500.
That will make it competitive against rivals like the much-loved Renault 5 E-Tech (from £21,495), Citroen e-C3 (£19,050) and Fiat's latest Grande Panda (from £20,995).
Order books for pre-sales are open right away.
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11. A GTI is coming next year
VW bosses confirm the ID.Polo will stay true to tradition and be available as a hot GTI version.
It will debut next year and use the larger of the two battery options. The electric motor will put out around 223bhp (166kW).
For non-EV converts, you'll be glad to hear that the current sixth-gen Polo remains on sale and will for years to come, meaning you can still get VW's evergreen supermini with a petrol engine
12. Don't worry, the petrol and hybrid Polo will still be available
For those who don't want to make the switch to an EV and continue to buy conventional petrol cars, you still can get a combustion-engined Polo...for now.
The sixth-generation Polo (which has been on sale since 2017) will continue to be sold in showrooms alongside the ID.Polo with both petrol and hybrid power.
A VW spokesperson tells us there is no plans for petrol production to end - and refused to confirm if the Mk6 will be the last Polo with combustion power.