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VW ID.2all rebranded as ID. Polo
VW Polo’s 50th anniversary chosen as the moment to rename affordable ID.2all hatch in its honour
Words by: Dan Trent
Published on 8 September 2025 | 0 min read
In a move that will surprise absolutely nobody Volkswagen has confirmed its affordable new ID.2all electric hatchback will be sold as the new Polo. Or ID. Polo to give it the full name, VW teasing it will be reintroducing other classic model names from its internal combustion powered past to draw a link to its electric future.
An announcement on the ID.3 becoming the ID. Golf in 3, 2, 1… Officially still a concept, the ID. Polo as it’s now known is VW’s response to increasing competition in the small, affordable electric car sector with a promise of a 25,000 euros starting price in its home European market. In this context reviving the Polo name makes sense, given its association with generations of compact, affordable VW hatchbacks that have been especially popular with younger drivers and first-time car buyers for generations. VW badly needs to get its act together here, given the market for small, affordable city-friendly electric cars is quickly filling with attractive options from established names and Chinese newcomers alike. Favourites include the Hyundai Inster and Citroën ë-C3 while the likes of the BYD Dolphin Surf are (with apologies) making waves.
An announcement on the ID.3 becoming the ID. Golf in 3, 2, 1… Officially still a concept, the ID. Polo as it’s now known is VW’s response to increasing competition in the small, affordable electric car sector with a promise of a 25,000 euros starting price in its home European market. In this context reviving the Polo name makes sense, given its association with generations of compact, affordable VW hatchbacks that have been especially popular with younger drivers and first-time car buyers for generations. VW badly needs to get its act together here, given the market for small, affordable city-friendly electric cars is quickly filling with attractive options from established names and Chinese newcomers alike. Favourites include the Hyundai Inster and Citroën ë-C3 while the likes of the BYD Dolphin Surf are (with apologies) making waves.
To those ends VW is doing this through the economies of scale made possible by the shared electric technology underpinning everything from the ID.3 hatchback to the VW ID.Buzz MPV, along with models from other cars within the family from Skoda, Cupra and Audi. By using the same battery packs, motors and control systems across all of these brands VW has been able to bring production costs down, the ID.Polo using a new version of this same ‘platform’ underneath it with a 226 horsepower motor and range of nearly 280 miles. Unlike others in the family the ID.Polo will be front-wheel drive, the traditional format for small hatchbacks like the combustion-powered Polo and Golf we’ve grown up with over the years.
VW isn’t yet saying how large the battery is in the ID.Polo, but given this is one of the biggest costs in an electric car we’d expect it to follow the example of other ID models and be available in various different sizes so you can make your own choice by opting for a cheaper, smaller battery if you don’t need as much range. So, we’d say don’t be entirely surprised if that 25,000 euros version doesn’t necessarily have that headline 280-mile range or impressive power output.
VW isn’t yet saying how large the battery is in the ID.Polo, but given this is one of the biggest costs in an electric car we’d expect it to follow the example of other ID models and be available in various different sizes so you can make your own choice by opting for a cheaper, smaller battery if you don’t need as much range. So, we’d say don’t be entirely surprised if that 25,000 euros version doesn’t necessarily have that headline 280-mile range or impressive power output.
For a supposedly small and affordable car the technology looks impressive as well, with the familiar digital instrument cluster and large central screen we’ve seen on other ID models but a new separate module beneath for physical air-con controls. Suggesting VW has been listening to criticism that burying this in the screen as it does on its existing electric models simply isn’t user friendly.
The design also previews a new visual style influenced by the original Golf and said to be built on the three pillars of “stability, likeability and excitement”, with CEO Thomas Schaefer offering the slightly cringey promise of it transforming VW into what he calls a “Love Brand.” In practical terms the ID.Polo also looks pretty spacious inside, with a big boot and lots of luggage space. Will this be enough for VW to face down increasing competition from Chinese brands and affordable models like the ORA Funky Cat, MG4 and others like them? Time will tell, but if you thought electric cars were too expensive for you this is good news all round.
The design also previews a new visual style influenced by the original Golf and said to be built on the three pillars of “stability, likeability and excitement”, with CEO Thomas Schaefer offering the slightly cringey promise of it transforming VW into what he calls a “Love Brand.” In practical terms the ID.Polo also looks pretty spacious inside, with a big boot and lots of luggage space. Will this be enough for VW to face down increasing competition from Chinese brands and affordable models like the ORA Funky Cat, MG4 and others like them? Time will tell, but if you thought electric cars were too expensive for you this is good news all round.
