Volkswagen has officially confirmed that its new small electric hatchback, arriving in 2026, will be called the ID Polo. Priced from around £22,000, it’s the production version of the ID 2all concept and marks the start of Volkswagen using its best-known model names on EVs.
“Names like Polo or Golf are deeply ingrained,” said CEO Thomas Schäfer. “They stand for quality, accessible technology and heritage. We want to carry those qualities into the electric era.”
This also confirms that the Golf name will return as an EV, replacing the ID 3 later this decade. Meanwhile, the ID 4 and ID 7 are expected to become the ID Tiguan and ID Passat, and Volkswagen’s new £17k city car, launching in 2027, is tipped to be called the ID Up or ID Lupo.
Launch plans
The ID Polo will be revealed in full next year, but Volkswagen will show a camouflaged version at the Munich motor show next week. A concept of its crossover sibling – the ID Cross – will also debut there, with the production model due in late 2026.
Both cars sit within Volkswagen Group’s Electric Urban Car Family, alongside the Skoda Epiq and Cupra Raval. All four share the same MEB Entry platform and powertrains.
Specs and performance
- Batteries: 38kWh or 56kWh (up to 280 miles of range on the larger pack)
- Charging: Up to 125kW fast charging
- Power options: Four outputs, topping at 223bhp in the hot ID Polo GTI – the first electric GTI model
- Size: 4053mm long, 1816mm wide, 1530mm tall (slightly bigger than today’s Polo, close to the Renault 4 EV)
Interior and materials
Inside, the ID Polo will feature:
- 12.9-inch central touchscreen
- 10.9-inch digital driver display
- Physical switches for audio and climate controls
Volkswagen is also moving away from glue and hard plastics in its interiors, aiming for higher quality and lower environmental impact.
End of the numbers game
The move to names like Polo, Golf, Tiguan and Passat replaces Volkswagen’s confusing number-based ID naming system, first introduced with the ID 3 in 2020. The company admits customers often struggled to see how ID cars related to its petrol and diesel models.
Going forward, EVs and petrol models will share names but not designs or engineering – they’ll remain separate vehicles sold side by side.
