The Volkswagen ID.Polo, the brand's latest electric city car, has been unveiled with two battery options of 37 or 52 kWh and three engine power levels: 116, 135, or 211 hp. The car starts at 20,460 euros with purchase bonuses, and for the most modest households, it can be obtained for 17,850 euros. In comparison, the French electric R5 begins at a minimum of 17,920 euros. Volkswagen records 50% of its orders in electric powertrains in France, and across all brands, electric vehicles now make up 30% of the automotive market. The Volkswagen Polo, which has a 51-year history and six generations, has transformed into the ID.Polo, a fully electric vehicle adopting the ID prefix used by Volkswagen for its electric models, such as the ID.4 or ID.3 Neo. The ID.Polo has been modernized with a light band at the front incorporating an illuminated logo. In terms of dimensions, the new car reduces its length by 2 cm, now measuring 4,053 mm, while increasing in height (+8 cm to reach 1,53 m), width (+6 cm for 1,816 m), and wheelbase (+4 cm for 2,60 m). The habitability benefits with more space at the back and a pleasant boot volume of 411 liters, which can go up to 1,240 liters once the bench is folded down. However, the boot does not have a flat floor, which is a bit inconvenient for loading. The interior of the ID.Polo retains the fundamentals that have made the success of the city car over the years. The build quality is well present, with well-padded materials on the upper part of the dashboard and a pleasant-to-touch fabric on the rear doors. The clean dashboard offers a nice feeling of interior space, and Volkswagen has integrated the driver's vigilance monitoring camera into the interior rearview mirror. The car has two digital screens, 12.9" for multimedia and 10.25" for the instrument cluster, which is very readable and customizable. The steering wheel is of large diameter, contributing to readability and not hiding available information. However, the steering wheel could be a bit thicker for a better grip. The central screen was easy to use, with customizable shortcut icons allowing access to a function with a single click. The infotainment system uses the latest version of the manufacturer's software for better responsiveness and offers new features, such as the ability to directly obtain the SOH (state of health) of the battery. The navigation system maps such as Waze or Maps can now be displayed on the instrument cluster. The overall ergonomics are quite good despite the number of physical buttons on the steering wheel, which require a slight adaptation time to familiarize with their functionality. The criticism concerns the use of the speed selector, which also allows to modify the energy recovery mode at braking (mode B), which turns out to be a bit impractical when driving. The comfort of the seats is very appreciated in the front, thanks to a good lateral support provided by effective bolster on the backrests. Even in the back, the hollowed-out seats provide good comfort. However, the third occupant in the middle will be a bit less well provided for because of a very flat seat and will certainly be bounced around in the turns. The habitability is at a very good level, and the use of the new MEB+ platform allows to gain in interior and boot volume. Passengers will have 19 cm more for their legs compared to the last generation of thermal Polo marketed from 2017. The ID.Polo can receive three configurations of powertrain for as many different powers: a 116 hp (267 Nm of torque) engine with a 37 kWh battery; a 135 hp (267 Nm of torque) engine with a 37 kWh battery; and a 211 hp (290 Nm of torque) engine with a 52 kWh battery. The two small batteries use LFP (lithium-iron-phosphate) technology, while the largest is an NMC (nickel-manganese-cobalt). The LFP batteries are less expensive (about 30% cheaper), safer, and more resistant over time, while the NMC battery has a better energy capacity and offers more autonomy and performs better in low temperatures. The car offers good performance in terms of charging, whether at home or on a fast charging station. In alternating current (at home) and with a charging station delivering 11 kW (the maximum acceptable by the on-board charger), it will take 4 hours to fully charge the 37 kWh battery and 5 hours 30 for the 52 kWh battery. On a fast charging station delivering direct current, the charge is respectively limited to 88 and 105 kWh for a time of 23 and 24 minutes allowing to go from 10 to 80%. That's among the best in the segment. On the road, the car has proven to be pleasant to drive, with a precise steering offering a good feeling to the driver. The suspensions are effective and performant, providing a healthy behavior and excellent stability to the car. The damping, which well controls the body movements, has sometimes been a bit rough, but nothing really objectionable. The braking is also easy to dose with a good feeling on the pedal that allows the driver to correctly dose his effort. The "one pedal" function, which manages deceleration and energy recovery during deceleration, is adjustable on two levels and allows, in its high version, to decelerate the vehicle until a complete stop. In the city, a slightly high turning diameter (10.9 m) is noted, which is higher than that of its older sister the ID.3 Neo (10.2 m). This will require increased vigilance during maneuvers and will often require maneuvering. Fortunately, the large steering wheel and the well-managed steering assistance will not make its movements too burdensome. The 360° vision and automatic parking are reserved for the top-of-the-range Style Exclusive version (a limited series offered at the beginning of the commercialization) and are only available as an option on the Style trim by paying the amount of 1,205 euros (IQ Drive Pro driving assistance pack). The range and prices of the Volkswagen ID.Polo (September 2026) are as follows: - 116 hp, 37 kWh: 24,995 euros - 135 hp, 37 kWh: 29,290 euros - 211 hp, 52 kWh: 35,590 euros - 116 hp, 37 kWh: 29,290 euros - 135 hp, 37 kWh: 35,820 euros - 211 hp, 52 kWh: 36,590 euros - 116 hp, 37 kWh: 36,590 euros - 135 hp, 37 kWh: 39,490 euros - 211 hp, 52 kWh: 39,990 euros The advantages of the Volkswagen ID.Polo include road behavior, driving comfort, manufacturing quality, the presence of physical buttons, and boot volume. The disadvantages include an on-board charger of only 11 kW, no flat floor, and adjustment of mode B.