Pros: Pleasant to drive, good interior, massive boot
Cons: Standard equipment could be better, big price jumps between versions
The VW ID. Polo uses an old, familiar name but uses the latest technology. The five-door hatchback sits beneath the ID.3 Neo in Volkswagen’s lineup and comes with a choice of battery sizes, but can it compete with the more keenly priced competition from China?
Volkswagen ID. Polo Design
The outward appearance of the Volkswagen ID. Polo has more than an air of familiarity about it. Rather than trying to produce an edgy, contemporary design, Volkswagen kept things simple for the ID. Polo and it is in keeping with the combustion-engined model it shares its name with. At 4,053mm long, it’s a touch shorter than the regular Polo, but it gets a longer wheelbase to boost interior space and is also marginally taller and wider.
We like the clean, unfussy design, and the usual modern touches such as a light bar that links the LED headlights at the front, including an illuminated VW logo, are well integrated. The range kicks off on 17-inch steel wheels with hubcaps, but you can get alloy wheels up to 19 inches. Its rear door handles are ‘hidden’ in the window frame to create a cleaner side profile. A thin light bar wraps around the back of the car, with detailed three-dimensional lights.
Volkswagen ID. Polo Interior
A clean and simple approach to the look and layout of the ID. Polo gives it a roomy feeling inside. It features a design that has been partly shaped by customer feedback on its previous electric cars, such as a new steering wheel design with physical buttons that are easier to use by touch alone.
There’s a larger digital instrument display than on past ID. models, and to add a bit of fun, it has a retro mode that emulates the dials of a Mk1 Volkswagen Golf. A 12.9-inch touchscreen for the infotainment system feels like a good size for the car, and more positively, it is supplemented by a bank of proper buttons below to adjust climate settings and other functions.
There are some decent materials used throughout the interior, especially when you get up the trim levels, and features such as heated and massaging seats are available, though you will need to spend more to get these. A wireless charging pad is available, and most, but not all, versions get Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as standard.
Rear passenger space is reasonable given the long wheelbase. The headroom is good, and it is possible to squeeze three people into the rear, but the middle seat is narrow, so it’s best to consider it as a four-seat car most of the time. There is plenty of boot space available, including a deep underfloor storage bin that lifts capacity up to 441 litres before you consider folding the rear seats down.
Volkswagen ID. Polo Performance & Drive
From launch, there are three power options and two battery sizes available in the ID. Polo. A 37kWh LFP battery should be sufficient for most people planning to stick to urban and city driving. This pack is available with either a 116hp or a 135hp electric motor that drives the front wheels. We suspect the more powerful of the two is the sweet spot in the range, as it provides up to 328 kilometres of range.
Moving up to the 52kWh NMC battery also brings a more powerful 211hp motor and a WLTP driving range of 454 kilometres, making it the fastest ID. Polo before you get to the GTI version that’s soon to join the range.
Thus far wehave only been able to drive that 211hp model, and it proved to have plenty of power for a car of the Volkswagen’s size. It gets up to speed quickly and seems happy to cruise on the motorway for longer journeys without eating into its battery charge all that much. Wind and noise levels are fine, but it’s not the quietest electric car we have experienced. The optional Travel Assist system that aids lane keeping and adaptive cruise control is good, and worthy of consideration if you do a lot of driving in heavy traffic.
Both the steering and suspension are nicely set up and follow the typical Volkswagen traits of being neutral and predictable. The brake pedal feel is positive, and there’s a good level of energy recuperation to enhance efficiency. During our time with the car, it was quite good at managing its energy consumption, especially in urban settings.
Volkswagen ID. Polo Pricing
The ID. Polo has a competitive starting price, but that’s for the base powertrain and trim level, which is quite basic and is unlikely to find many buyers opting for it. That means you will have to look to the mid-level Life specification that carries the best part of a €6,000 jump in price. Pricing for the larger battery starts at €33,788, and the higher-grade Style version runs to €36,502, which quickly makes this compact Volkswagen a much more expensive proposition than its headline-grabbing starting price would suggest.
Carzone Verdict
There’s plenty to like about the Volkswagen ID. Polo, and it suggests that the German brand is returning to form, but it remains an upmarket choice when compared to the other offerings in the segment.