Volkswagen ID Polo driven: £24k EV is VW back at its best

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Electric supermini is intended as a practical, affordable and fun-to-drive alternative to the hot-cakes Renault 5

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We already know plenty about the Volkswagen ID Polo, launched at last in right-hand-drive form. Ever since the market-expanding Renault 5 appeared, buyers have been keen to know how Wolfsburg would attack the electric supermini task – an important part of the European industry’s fightback against Chinese competition.

Early critics were pleased to discover that, apart from its electric powertrain, the seventh-generation Polo is a spacious, no-surprises sort of car, with timeless, pleasantly inoffensive styling.

We've already driven the car in pre-production form and finished but on European roads, but this is our first go in the finished article in the UK.

It squares up to the hot-selling Renault with a starting price of £22,445 (Electric Car Grant included) and a promising 282-mile range, which would have been class-leading but for the very recent arrival of the 308-mile Hyundai Ioniq 3.

And while it shares its MEB+ underpinnings with the Cupra Raval, it has a Volkswagen-specific suspension set-up and a new, more analogue interior.

In more ways than one, then, this represents a new direction for electric Volkswagens. The question is: is it the right one?

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DESIGN & STYLING

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Built on the front-wheel-drive, EV-specific MEB+ platform, the ID Polo is 4053mm long and thus one of the larger superminis in its class, as its generous cabin and boot space (compared with the 5) amply show.

In the UK there are two models: entry-level Life and plusher Style (both enhanced initially in better-value Launch Editions), before an ID Polo GTI version (which we have already driven) arrives next year with 223bhp and a torque-vectoring diff.

There are two battery sizes and three power levels: for this first UK test we chose the larger 52kWh battery (promising 278 miles WLTP) and the highest-output motor, its 208bhp capable of powering this 1576kg car from 0-62mph in 7.1sec.

The car will look characteristically understated no matter the spec: only 18in and 19in wheels give away a car's rank. 

Perhaps predictably, the ID Polo blends the design languages of the ID EV family and the petrol Polo to create a handsome but not particularly bold-looking five-door.

Mind you, all the modern essentials are there. LED lighting includes illuminated badges and light bars on the front and rear, while the rear doors have handles hidden on the C-pillars. 

INTERIOR

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The interior's use of many more physical buttons than you will find in other Volkswagens of late is reason enough to welcome the ID Polo's arrival.

Gone are the slidey heater and volume controls that have frustrated Volkswagen drivers since they were introduced via the Mk8 Golf; in their place are more conventional climate control buttons. They're not all that different from the ones you find in the Renault 5, actually, and that's no bad thing. And, yes, there are four window switches on the driver's door once again. 

The digital screens retain the retro mode seen on the ID 2all concept. There's a display based on the dash of a Mk1 Golf, complete with a virtual tape deck.
James Attwood
Associate editor

The ID Polo's dashboard features a 10in driver's display and 13in infotainment touchscreen, and it even offers ChatGPT AI. This stuff is more evolution than revolution, but the big digital widgets and simple menus make using the tech on the go easy enough.

More fun is the addition of 'retro' displays for both screens, which turn the clean, modern front-end look into one emulating that of the Mk1 Golf. That means dials for not only speed and power but also an illustrated tape deck. It's a nice touch that offers something different from the competition. 

That said, while a mix of sustainably sourced fabrics and plastics add to the ID Polo's green credentials, it's a shame that there's only the option of a grey or black cabin theme, while the seats can only be wrapped in cloth, with no leather or synthetic leather options. There's also some cheap-feeling, scratchy plastic in easy reach on the top of the door trims, revealing where costs have been kept down.

The space in the back doesn't leave you feeling short-changed, however. In fact, with enough knee, foot and even head room for a six-footer to get comfortable, the ID Polo is one of the roomiest cars in the 4m-long hatchback class. The middle rear seat naturally offers less space than the outer pair but, thanks to a flat floor, will still be fine for smaller passengers on shorter journeys – which isn't something that can be said for the 5. 

Better yet, this decent rear passenger space doesn't hamper the boot. Far from it: with 441 litres of space that includes an almost flat loading lip and a large underfloor storage area, the ID Polo has 115 litres more room than the 5 and 90 litres more than the Hyundai Inster, even when the Korean car's rear bench is slid forward.

The ID Polo shames every other car in the class to a similar degree. It even has 60 litres more room than the current Golf and 90 litres more than the petrol Polo.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

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Entry-level cars get a 37kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery for a 208-mile range, while the bigger 52kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt option that we're sampling here promises 278 miles between charges.

That ranks the ID Polo 15 miles ahead of the recently enhanced 5, just ahead of the Cupra equivalent and considerably ahead of the Mini Cooper Electric and Fiat Grande Panda Electric. Only the lately launched Ioniq 3 does better in the supermini class.

The ID Polo feels nippy on the road, with punchy off-the-line and rolling performance, especially in Sport mode. Even before the GTI variant arrives, it's clear this is a front-driven supermini with a little bit of performance in reserve, and enough to deal with motorway running and overtaking with assurance when needed.

Drivability feels properly considered. Volkswagen's column-shift drive selector makes it very easy to switch in and out of a 'one-pedal' driving mode (B) as you drive, and there's also an adaptive regenerative braking mode - although proper regen paddles will be the preserve of the GTI model.

RIDE & HANDLING

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We wanted to know whether the ID Polo’s new chassis would handle challenging UK roads – and soon discovered a resoundingly positive answer.

The standard ID Polo has a comforting suppleness, but also enough body control to ride flat on lumpy back roads. Our initial UK test car wore 18in tyres (rather than the entry model’s 17s) but was still impressively quiet over ragged bitumen and coarse surfaces.

The steering feels meatier than EV rivals’ and its on-centre sensitivity definitely leaves room for a sharper GTI iteration, while the brakes are powerful and have a reassuring initial bite.

While there's less of the Raval's hot hatch-pointiness to the car's handling, the ID Polo reacts keenly enough to steering inputs with a confidence-inspiring neutral balance after the slightest hint of safety-engineered understeer, even at a higher pace.

Volkswagen has given the MacPherson-strut front suspension and rear torsion beam set-up a different tune, and it is noticeably more softly sprung, than the Raval. But body control remains decent, meaning swift progress along a B-road feels natural and easy. Certainly it gives the 5 a run for its money in this regard. 

The ride is good, too, with bigger road bumps being soaked up without fuss, even when they arrive mid-corner.

Admittedly the ID Polo's new vibration dampers and axle guide bearings can't quite prevent some of the vibrations on rougher surfaces from making their way into the cabin, but there's no denying this is a comfortable car.

The intelligent driving assistance system can steer, brake and even recognise traffic lights before reacting accordingly, with minimal driver input. First impressions suggest this tech is the best in the class.

It's not uncommon these days to find that the ownership prospects of a good car come undone with frustrating driving assistance features, but the ID Polo's lane keeping aid is subtle enough, and its speed limit alert quiet enough, that you won't want to park up and walk away after the first bong.

You can, of course, switch them off using the touchscreen, but after that your fingers can remain largely screen-free. Thanks to helpful rather than annoying tech, and that ergonomic interior, it's clear this is a Volkswagen that's going to be easy to get along with. 

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MPG & RUNNING COSTS

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It helps, of course, that the ID Polo is also only a grand more than the much less practical 5 (both cars qualify for the Electric Car Grant), and while the higher-spec Style costs £26,970, it feels like genuinely good value, aside from a few scratchy interior plastics, 

It should be efficient to run, too, given that our test car returned an indicated 4.2mpkWh after a day of driving on mixed roads, some of which were motorways. That equates to a real-world range of about 215 miles, which isn't bad going, but less in exclusive motorway running.

While that's still strong for this class of suburban-focused hatchbacks, it suggests the ID Polo won't be as much of a go-anywhere small car as the petrol Polo but usable enough. 

Charging speed is respectable, with a 105kW peak for our 52kWh-battery car ranking it top of the class once again.

The 37kWh version isn't exactly off the pace either, with a respectable 90kW peak meaning longer-distance motorway jaunts won't require especially long top-up stops at the services.

VERDICT

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The ID Polo's impressive range, fast charging and massive boot are key class advantages on paper, but it's the user-friendly interior and quality driving experience that really ensure that it makes its mark.

It has a classically Volkswagen dynamic feel of both poise and maturity and blends a pleasingly mature driving experience with decent practicality and a reassuringly solid feel.

The ID Polo – a car that didn’t start out life as a Polo and which was developed and built in Spain – feels remarkably like the petrol Polo. Switch from that car into this one and, lack of engine noise aside, you would barely notice the difference.

The supportive seats, good cabin space, plentiful performance and proper usability make for a versatile small car, as well capable of brisk inter-city journeys as frugal, short-haul stuff. 

In short, in ID form the Polo is back to its best.

 

James Attwood

James Attwood, digital editor
Title: Associate editor

James is Autocar’s associate editor, and has more than 20 years of experience of working in automotive and motorsport journalism. He has been in his current role since September 2024, and helps lead Autocar's features and new sections, while regularly interviewing some of the biggest names in the industry. Oh, and he once helped make Volkswagen currywurst. Really.

Before first joining Autocar in 2017, James spent more than a decade in motorsport journalist, working on Autosport, autosport.com, F1 Racing and Motorsport News, covering everything from club rallying to top-level international events. He also spent 18 months running Move Electric, Haymarket's e-mobility title, where he developed knowledge of the e-bike and e-scooter markets. 

Steve Cropley

Steve Cropley Autocar
Title: Editor-in-chief

Steve Cropley is the oldest of Autocar’s editorial team, or the most experienced if you want to be polite about it. He joined over 30 years ago, and has driven many cars and interviewed many people in half a century in the business. 

Cropley, who regards himself as the magazine’s “long stop”, has seen many changes since Autocar was a print-only affair, but claims that in such a fast moving environment he has little appetite for looking back. 

He has been surprised and delighted by the generous reception afforded the My Week In Cars podcast he makes with long suffering colleague Matt Prior, and calls it the most enjoyable part of his working week.