2026 Volkswagen ID Polo prototype review: all-new Polo goes electric

Priced from £21,000 (est) | On sale April 2026

Statistically, most people don’t like change, so taking a household name and transforming it in almost every way seems a bit of a risk. That’s exactly what VW is doing with the new Volkswagen ID Polo, though. You see, not only has it gone electric, but it’s also the first ID product to gain a recognisable name instead of a number or sound effect and, eventually, will be the only kind of Polo on sale. 

Initially, we expected the ID Polo to be called the ID 2, following the ID 2all concept car that was unveiled a few years ago. Now renamed, this new EV marks a change in the way that VW builds its electric cars, focusing on familiarity and simplicity, rather than futuristic design and fiddly tech. 

Underneath, the ID Polo shares its new modular MEB+ underpinnings with the Cupra Raval and Skoda Epiq, helping to keep costs down across the group and should ultimately put each model among the cheapest EVs in their respective classes. 

In the case of the ID Polo, we expect prices to begin at around £21,000, making the entry-level ID Polo a very close match in price for the Fiat Grande Panda Electric and Renault 5 (R5). That entry-level version will come with a 37kWh (usable capacity) battery and a 114bhp electric motor powering its front wheels. 

You’ll also be able to have the ID Polo with a 133bhp or with 208bhp electric motor and a slightly larger 52kWh (usable capacity) battery. VW has also promised a hot GTI version later down the line. We don’t have many details about that car yet, but we do know that it’ll up the power to 223bhp. 

If VW gets this right, it certainly sounds like it could be on to a winner with the ID Polo. Ahead of its official unveiling at the start of 2026, we’ve got behind the wheel of an ID Polo prototype, to see just how things are shaping up.

What’s the VW ID Polo prototype like to drive?

With the 208bhp electric motor equipped, our ID Polo prototype got off the line without hesitation and built pace effortlessly. Indeed, even without an official 0-62mph sprint time to reference, we can confidently say that it’ll make overtaking slower traffic or getting up to motorway speeds really easy.

We suspect that, if you’re interested in the ID Polo, range is more important than outright pace, though. Our car came equipped with the 52kWh (usable capacity) battery, giving it an estimated range of up to 280 miles. That's further than any Fiat Grande Panda Electric or Renault 5 can officially travel, and more impressively, even more than an entry-level VW ID 3.

Charging times will depend on which battery you go for, with the smaller one charging at up to 90kW and taking around 27mins to go from 10-80%, and the larger charging at a maximum rate of 130kW and taking around 23mins to do the same charge. 

Every ID Polo comes with the same suspension setup and, in order to keep things simple, you won’t find adaptive dampers on the optional equipment list. Even so, the ID Polo’s fairly supple suspension strikes a good compromise between control and comfort. 

You see, at town speeds, there’s none of the fidget that you feel in the ID 3, while it also does a good job removing most of the sting from potholes and imperfections. As speeds increase, the ID Polo remains comfortable and does a great job of staying upright over undulating roads. 

It’s fair to say that the ID Polo doesn’t feel as sporty as the Alpine A290, leaning more through fast corners, but it’s still easy enough to hustle along a country road. That’s largely thanks to the steering, which is slightly heavier than in the ID 3 and adds weight more progressively, and the decent amount of front end grip. 

Better still, the ID Polo’s brakes are far better than any other Volkswagen EV, with a pedal that’s more responsive and much easier to judge. Compared with the likes of the ID 3, it’s a vast improvement and makes slowing to a stop smoothly really easy. 

The amount of brake regeneration varies depending on which drive mode you’re in, with Eco favouring coasting along and Sport mode slowing the car more aggressively as you lift off the accelerator pedal. We found that the Normal mode was really predictable, making it easy to slow down, while Sport mode felt a bit too aggressive. 

As is the case with VW’s other EVs, switching into B-mode gives you full one pedal driving, bringing the car to a gradual stop if you lift off the accelerator pedal. 

Refinement is pretty good for the most part, with no motor whine and barely any road noise. We did notice a fair amount of wind noise from around the front pillars once we were up at motorway speeds, though. 

What’s the VW ID Polo prototype like inside? 

The top-spec ID Polo that we've driven gets upgraded seats over the entry-level car, but it should be easy to get comfortable regardless of which version you’re in, because they both come with plenty of steering wheel and seat adjustment. Better still, the seats in our prototype were comfortable throughout our test drive, which lasted an hour or so, meaning they should be good for long drives. 

As you might expect, you don’t sit all that high above the road, but visibility is still more than adequate. That’s especially true out of the front, where you can easily judge the end of the bonnet, while slim windscreen pillars and large front windows give you a good view out at junctions.

The view over your shoulder is decent, largely thanks to the large rear windows, but the small rear window does restrict your view out of the back a little. Even so, parking shouldn’t be an issue, especially in the top-spec version, which comes equipped with front and rear parking sensors and a 360-degree camera.

Given the ID Polo’s price tag, you’re likely expecting its interior to be a sea of boring plastics, but that isn’t the case. Instead, the top of the dashboard and doors are all covered in recycled fabric and any hard plastics are hidden low-down. Ultimately, that gives it enough showroom appeal to feel a bit more premium than the R5 and build quality that’s a vast improvement over the Grande Panda.

Every ID Polo comes with a new 10.3in digital driver display behind the steering wheel and it’s much better than the tiny screen that you’ll find in other ID models, giving you multiple different viewing options, including a fullscreen map.

Meanwhile, infotainment is managed by the central 13in touchscreen. It uses the same operating system as the ID 7, meaning that it has sharp graphics and is laid out in a way that’s fairly easy to navigate. Most of the system requires you to tap around the touchscreen but, unlike any other ID model, you get proper physical buttons for changes to the air conditioning. A welcome change.

Despite wearing the Polo name, the ID Polo is actually quite a big car. In fact, its 2.6m wheelbase isn’t that much smaller than the current Golf, and that’s great news when it comes to practicality. The amount of space inside is actually closer to more expensive rivals including the Renault Megane, with the front and rear offering more space than you’ll find in the Grande Panda and R5.

As you might expect, sitting three adults abreast will be a bit of a squeeze when it comes to shoulder room, but it’ll be more comfortable than in those smaller rivals. Plus, you get a totally flat floor in the rear, giving everyone plenty of foot space.
Boot space is impressive, remove the boot floor and you have 435 litres of storage space, plenty more than the Grande Panda and R5. It’s five litres less than the Megane offers, and that car managed to swallow seven carry-on sized suitcases.

While that configuration makes the boot really deep and great for tall items, it does mean you have to contend with a much bigger drop down to the boot floor than in rivals. Putting the floor back in leaves you with no boot lip but cuts the space on offer.

VW ID Polo prototype verdict

There are still plenty of questions that need to be answered when it comes to the final ID Polo, but our time with the prototype has left us feeling optimistic. 

Providing VW can keep the price as low as it’s predicting, it looks like the ID Polo will be a very tempting alternative to the similarly priced but smaller Grande Panda Electric and R5. 

VW ID Polo price and specs
Price £21,000 (est) Engine 52kWh battery and electric motor Power 208bhp Torque 214lb ft Gearbox 1-spd automatic, FWD 0-62mph TBC Top speed TBC Range 280miles (est) CO2/tax 0g/km, 2%

Key rivals:
Fiat Grande Panda Electric
Renault 5

Read more: the best electric cars

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here