New VW ID. Polo takes to the road...

... and upcoming GTI confirmed as more powerful than an Alpine A290

By Matt Bird / Monday, 15 December 2025 / Loading comments

Volkswagen has announced some key details of the upcoming ID. Polo, ahead of what’s set to be a big year for EV VWs: six new battery powered models are coming in 2026. Whatever they turn out to be, the Polo feels like one of the most significant; as one of VW’s most recognisable and successful nameplates, of course, but also as a competitor in the small EV market that’s growing by the month.

Based on the front-wheel-drive MEB+ architecture that will also be underneath the Cupra Raval (both will be built at SEAT’s plant in Martorell), the ID. Polo will be 4,053mm long, 1,816mm wide and 1,530mm tall. So not a million miles from the existing combustion engined car, pleasingly, yet with some useful gains in interior space. The boot now measures 435 litres (up from 351), while passengers are said to benefit from extra shoulder, head and legroom. All very pragmatic Polo.

While exact specs on the GTI are to follow, VW has announced that it’ll have 226hp - just a tad more than the Alpine A290, if behind high voltage hot rods like the Mini JCW and the Stellantis machines. Still, outright power has never been the GTI USP; VW is also promising ‘first-class driving characteristics.’ The rest of the ID. Polo range will be made up of 116hp, 125hp and 211hp versions; the lower powered models will use a 37kWh lithium iron phosphate battery that can charge at up to 90kW, while the more potent Polo will use a 52kWh nickel manganese cobalt lump that can accept up to 130kW. It should also mean a range of up to 280 miles, though that’s still to be confirmed.

As for how the ID. supermini is going to look, there’s not a whole lot more to tell from these latest prototype pics against the last ones. But there are some familiar cues from the rest of the electric VW family, the rear light bar with a bit of Buzz to it and a front end almost directly descended from the ID. 7. Apparently this Polo is the first example of design boss Andreas Mindt’s ‘Pure Positive’ language, so get used to what’s seen here. Maybe the smaller, Twingo-rivalling electric city car to be a bit bolder with its design; this is just the next Polo, after all, albeit one with the power source under the floor rather than the bonnet.

VW CEO Thomas Schäfer said: “The ID. Polo marks the beginning of a new generation of Volkswagen: with fresh design, intuitive operation, top quality and first-class driving characteristics – and finally with a proper name again. With an entry-level price starting at 25,000 euros, we are making electric mobility accessible to many people in Europe.”

Volkswagen are nothing if not fully committed to the electrification of their core models. And if next year is too long to wait for a smart, stylish electric runaround with a VW badge on it, don’t forget the E-Up happened - it’s now from £6,000…