New Volkswagen ID. Polo 2026 review: a seriously impressive small EV
The new all-electric Volkswagen ID. Polo is stylish, has plenty of space and is great to drive
Verdict
The Volkswagen ID. Polo offers understated style, plenty of practicality and excellent driving dynamics, making it a seriously impressive small electric car – and it’s good to see VW sticking to its promise of more ergonomic cabins. The extra cost of the larger battery model seems like a no-brainer, even if the range and charging capability are only average for the class.
“A true Volkswagen” is how the new ID. Polo was described to us before we ventured out to try VW’s all-new, all-electric supermini. At first glance, there appears to be real commitment to that statement, because after the initial batch of the brand’s ID-branded electric cars, the ID. Polo is the first to take the plunge and wear a nameplate already used by a combustion-engined model.
Of course, we’ll soon see the more spacious ID. Cross provide a pure-electric alternative to the T-Cross, and in time the Golf will be joined by the ID. Golf. However, as the first car under this new nameplate strategy, the ID. Polo carries plenty of added pressure. That’s especially so because the Polo has just celebrated its 50th year, in that time becoming a real stalwart of the VW range, much like the Golf – but in miniature.
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Expectations are rightfully high and from the off the ID. Polo looks like a step in the right direction for VW’s EV programme, because it shares the same underpinnings as the excellent Cupra Raval, winner of our 2026 Supermini of the Year award.
The development of the ID. Polo has been led by Cupra, VW’s more stylish and hip sister company, which explains why the Spanish brand got priority on launching its car. However, as we’ve seen with the Passat and its Skoda Superb sibling, VW taking the back seat for development isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
The ID. Polo rides on the same MEB+ architecture as the Raval, with the most crucial difference to older MEB cars such as the ID.3 Neo that MEB+ is primarily front-wheel drive, resulting in a different kind of driving experience. There’s a boost in overall packaging efficiency, too.
On the continent, the ID. Polo kicks off with a 37kWh battery (from £25,055 in Life trim) and 114bhp electric motor on the front axle, but we won’t get that combination in the UK because that battery only comes with a 133bhp motor here. The other option is the 52kWh battery, which combines with a much more potent 208bhp electric motor, cutting the 0-62mph sprint time from 9.5 seconds to 7.1 seconds. Both times are identical to their Cupra Raval equivalents, as are their respective 99mph top speeds.
The 208bhp ID. Polo is also nearly a second quicker than the 148bhp Renault 5 and almost two seconds faster than the 144bhp version of the Kia EV2, although it can’t quite match the 6.7-second 0-62mph sprint of the 218bhp MINI Cooper Electric.
As for the way the ID. Polo drives? Well it all feels typically VW, which is not something that we’ve said of recent all-electric cars from the brand. By this we mean that overall it’s refined, easygoing and very neutral in its handling set-up, just as you’d expect from a regular, combustion-engined Polo.
Occupying almost the same footprint as the existing Polo, while being a little taller, the ID. Polo feels no more of a chore to drive in town than its petrol counterpart, even if the turning circle is slightly larger at 10.9 metres.
All-round visibility is great, and despite being VW’s entry-level EV, the top-spec Style Launch Edition we drove comes with the brand’s self-parking ‘Park Assist Pro’ with exterior 360-degree view, which almost feels like overkill in a car that’s so easy to manoeuvre. But we found the new steering wheel, which is shared with the ID.3 Neo, a little on the bulky side, designed as such to enable better visibility of the driver’s screen.
On the move, especially on rougher urban streets, the ID. Polo’s ride is on the firm side – something we felt that went beyond our car’s 19-inch wheels, which even on the £31,495 Style Launch Edition model are a £440 option. On consistently uneven roads, the ID. Polo struggled to settle, not being able to isolate bumps and drain covers as well as a Renault 5 would.
At higher speeds, the ID. Polo feels very sure-footed, stable and never overly uncomfortable, but if you’re expecting a noticeably more compliant ride than the sportier Cupra Raval, then the VW might disappoint. On the motorway, the ID. Polo’s suspension – which is completely new for this model – calms down, and apart from a little bit of road noise creeping in from the front wheels, it is extremely refined for a supermini.
Adding to the easygoing nature of the ID. Polo are the safety assistance systems – or the seeming lack of them. It has Driver Attention and Lane Keep Assist as standard along with a suite of other tech, but we found them to be refreshingly unobtrusive.
Although VW told us there’s a GTI version coming soon, the ID. Polo already feels like a hot hatch to drive – especially with the more potent motor set-up. There’s effortless shove, with a throttle response that doesn’t feel artificially reined in if you’re in Eco or Normal modes. Switch to Sport and the pedal calibration becomes much more eager, while remaining no harder to modulate.
Head to a string of bends and you’ll quickly appreciate its hot hatch credentials. Despite a hefty 1,576kg kerbweight, which is only 6kg more than the smaller battery car, there’s little body roll to speak of. That’s thanks in part to what VW calls a “comparatively rigid anti-roll bar”, plus ID. Polo-specific suspension that features a combination of MacPherson struts at the front and a torsion beam set-up at the rear for “precise and predictable handling”.
The torque delivery on the front axle is so immediate that you can rely on it to bring the ID. Polo back in line if you’re particularly exuberant. Couple this with quick, responsive steering that never feels overactive (like the sportier Cupra’s can occasionally be) and the ID. Polo is a real joy to chuck around. In fact, perhaps the best compliment we can pay is that the GTI will have to be something special to stand out.
The brake regeneration system is well judged in its standard form, almost replicating traditional engine braking, and coming in smoothly once you’re off the throttle. There’s only one extra ‘B’ setting to give you a bit more regen – although this isn’t enough for one-pedal driving, despite VW’s claims – that you can engage via the same gear selector.
The ID. Polo’s composure on the motorway did come with a downside for us, though, as we achieved only 3.5 miles per kWh on a cruise, way down on the claimed combined 4.5 miles per kWh. Around town and on country roads, however, the figure quickly rose to over 4.0 miles per kWh – but in the real world, on a mix of roads, it seems unlikely many drivers would hit the claimed 281-mile maximum. It’s also a shame a heat pump is a £935 optional extra when the Renault 5 and the Vauxhall Corsa Electric get it as standard.
Closely following the ID.2all concept’s design inside and out, the ID. Polo is much more rounded, friendly and altogether more VW-like than its aggressive, angular Cupra sibling. That was a decision made by VW’s design boss Andy Mindt, who originally described the concept as “an homage to the Beetle, Golf and Polo”.
Step inside and you immediately notice the old-school sensibility. While there’s a clean, minimalist theme, there’s still real user-friendliness that’s been disappointingly lacking in VWs of late. That new steering wheel bids goodbye to the brand’s awful touch-sensitive buttons for some proper, tactile physical buttons. We also found out that if you tap the heated steering wheel button on lesser Life trims, you get a pop-up asking you if you want to buy that function.
The 10-inch driver’s display doesn’t really move the game on in terms of layout, but one element we enjoyed was the ‘retro’ option. Slide down on the main touchscreen and press the retro menu, and that screen transitions to a more traditional design complemented by twin dials appearing on the driver’s display mimicking a Mk1 Golf’s (although the rev counter now reflects power output).
While most of the ID. Polo’s functions are operated on the new 12.9-inch touchscreen, there’s a new bank of physical switches for climate controls below and although they look similar to the toggles in the Renault 5, they work effectively – which is not something we could say about VW’s awkward touch-sliders.
As we found with the Cupra Raval, which has a huge 441-litre boot courtesy of the electric motor mounted at the front and a compact torsion beam on the rear axle, boot space in the ID. Polo is enormous given its supermini positioning. It matches the Cupra sister car, meaning that it has 60 litres more luggage capacity than a Golf.
Interior space can’t quite match the Golf, however, and we actually found it more cramped in the rear than the Renault 5, with a high central seating position and narrow door openings – a result of those very cool, but bulky, rear wheel haunches.
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| Model: | Volkswagen ID. Polo Style Launch Edition |
| Price: | £31,495 (including ECG) |
| Powertrain: | 52kWh battery, 1x motor |
| Power/torque: | 208bhp/290Nm |
| Transmission: | Single-speed automatic, front-wheel drive |
| 0-62mph/top speed: | 7.1 seconds/99mph |
| Range: | 281 miles |
| Max charging: | 105kW (10-80% in 24 mins) |
| Size (L/W/H): | 4,053/1,816/1,530mm |
| On sale: | Now |
