Good stuff
Good steering, nice body control and ride, excellent range and charging for a supermini, highly functional interior
Bad stuff
Safe styling, inevitably cramped back seats, rear axle can thump over bigger bumps
Overview
What is it?
VW’s smallest ‘ID’ (i.e. fully electric) product, birthed with the weight of the Polo name attached. So it’s a supermini that's vying for your attention alongside the Renault 5, Hyundai Ioniq 3, Mini Cooper Electric and closely related efforts from VW's sister brands in the shape of the Cupra Raval and Skoda Epiq. That's a lot of talent in one sentence.
Volkswagen wants this to be a product that reinforces the classic VW tropes; so styling that’s not in any way outrageous, easy to operate, decent space and a high level of perceived quality. Spoiler alert: it's nailed all of those, plus some others for good measure.
This is also just the latest iteration of the platform-shared VW bits (called MEB+) that make up the Cupra and Skoda named above, and the bigger VW ID. Cross. So aiming hard for distinct character is key.
The good news is that the ID. Polo is really appealing. It has a breadth of ability and charm to it, and virtually every feature works with you – it's very much a scaled-down version of a VW product than a ‘cheap’ one.
Sounds… kinda dull.
Aha. Yes, the ID. Polo does suffer slightly from a lack of first impression. There’s a subtlety to it that comes across as a bit visually Teflon. But it’s got some decent detail if you care to look, plus it’s the kind of boring that means it won’t go out of fashion. The Raval (essentially the same car with Cupra’s twist) goes the other way and takes more visual risks – but that’s not the VW mothership style.
What you get instead is a classic supermini monobox, just over four metres long with a front-wheel drive powertrain. Strong horizontal elements across the front and rear lights give it some width, but it’s an M&S sweater of a thing, rather than a Gucci hoodie. There’s seating for five, though it’s necessarily small-ish in the back seats, and there’s a big – if oddly deep – boot at 441-litres. Your usual petrol hatchback tends to have 60 litres less.
The interior is the same kind of vibe – straight and clear, well-thought out and useful, with the option of some retro screen set-ups that you'll fall in love with if you're a 90s kid. But also no chintzy jazz hands. Nonsense is banned in here.
What models are available?
You can have two battery sizes: a 37kWh (LFP) unit, or a bigger 52kWh (NMC) one. Ranges, er, range from 200 miles to 280; the max charging rate is 105kW for the biggest battery, and speeds vary according to the model – all of which is on par for other new cars in this price and size bracket, though unlikely to blow your socks off. There's also a triplet of power outputs: 114bhp, 133bhp and 208bhp.
Europe gets ‘Trend’, ‘Life’ and ‘Style’ as trim options, with the UK getting the latter two, plus a pair of ‘Launch Edition’ cars for the first tranche.
We’ve only driven the 208bhp, top-spec car so far, and that proved to have more than enough poke for a little inter-urban roustabout. Although the step down from over 200bhp to 133 might be very noticeable… we shall have to see when the other cars come on stream. Don’t forget that the ID. Polo GTI will arrive soon with 224bhp to play with and 0-62mph in 6.8 seconds.
What about the details?
The ID. Polo really is a car that needs a little bit of time spent to really appreciate, because first impressions really are fairly stark. Compared to the Raval there’s definitely less visual heft and interest, though that feels entirely deliberate. The ID. Polo is unfussy, clean and traditional.
Small-wheeled versions do seem to suffer from the ‘big body’ syndrome of a lot of electric cars, though 19in wheels on what is supposed to be a supermini look good but feel intellectually too big. But there’s a nicely thought-out front end with a very horizontal graphic and a glass-covered light strip, a similarly clean rear. The side profile is the ID. Polo’s weakest angle – although you can just about tell this is a VW product.
Inside is the same; good seats, an excellent relationship between the hollowed-out door cards and the dash, simple single touchscreen, real switchgear for the climate control and lots of buttons on the steering wheel. Well done VW: you've finally remembered how to make an ergonomic interior after more than a decade of abject failure.
The ID. Polo feels simple to operate and get comfy in, without the cheesy bells ’n’ whistles you sometimes get when designers try to add character. Nice, hard-wearing materials, too. Dream.
How does it drive though?
Really very well. The 208bhp feels punchy if not eye-widening. The 52kWh battery version (the only one you can have with this motor) brings kerbweight up to a not-inconsiderable 1,576kg, but it never really feels like it. With a 0-62mph time of 7.1 seconds and 214lb ft of torque from the new APP290 drive system, it’s actually pretty fast.
And the best bits are all good news for people who actually like driving; the steering is rapid and precise, the body control is excellent and the brakes strong and progressive. Yes, it’s still a torsion bar at the rear – McPherson struts on the front – and yup, it can thump a little bit on big bumps, but clever bushing and resonance damping make it feel plusher than it actually is over apocalyptic UK B-roads. It’s a big-car feel in a small-car package.
There are also generous applications of more expensive-feeling bits throughout – from the advanced driver assistance systems, to LED head and taillight set-ups, a Harman Kardon stereo and massage seats. In a Polo! What a time to be alive.
Our choice from the range
What's the verdict?
This is VW back to its best. The ID. Polo offers the kind of usability and happy harmony that will make a cracking small family car – it's not groundbreaking, just delightfully functional. And recent sources of irritation – VW's screens and lack of switchgear – have been consigned to history at last. Good riddance.
It’s a slightly conservative take on what an electric supermini could be, but there’s not much wrong with that; option it up and it'll feel like a size option rather than a budget necessity. It looks a touch too generic, but a decent colour and the correct wheels will liven it up, and you’ll soon come to appreciate a more sober outlook.
The interior is useful, the battery offerings and trim levels make sense and it’s practical, well-built and calm. Better than that, it’s also remarkably fun to drive – although we need to try the lower-powered versions to make sure that carries across the range.
