New Volkswagen ID.Polo priced from £23,945 with 281-mile range

• ID.Polo prices start at £23,945, full range on sale from 10th September

• MEB electric platform shared with VW ID.Cross, Cupra Raval and Skoda Epiq

• Two battery choices, and three power outputs, with maximum 281-mile range

• Goes head-to-head with Renault 5 E-Tech and forthcoming Hyundai Ioniq 3

Existing buyers are extremely familiar with the VW Polo’s ability to wrap up big-car features into a small family hatchback, all for a reasonable price. So calling its new EV the ID.Polo raises the bar in terms of expectations.

The electric ID.Polo is off to a strong start, using VW’s MEB toolkit of electric parts to offer 37kWh and 52kWh battery sizes and power outputs of 116PS, 135PS and 211PS. These give a maximum range of 281 miles, while prices start at £23,945, ensuring there’s a Polo to meet the needs of most buyers.

The new EV offers a fresh take on familiar Volkswagen design cues inside and out, while the promise of 441 litres of luggage space and room for five people means the ID.Polo certainly offers attributes worthy of its illustrious name.

Volkswagen ID.Polo price and release date

For those who simply had to be the first to own an ID.Polo, VW opened order books on 30th July for two limited ID.Polo Life Launch Edition and ID. Polo Style Launch Edition models. The Life model came with the option of the small battery and mid-size motor, from £25,555, or big battery and top power output, and started from £28,830, while the Style came with the big battery and 211PS only, and cost from £32,995.

However, the full range of ID.Polo models went online from 10th September, with prices starting at £23,945. Cars powered by the 52kWh battery are eligible for the £1500 government Electric Car Grant. A range-topping VW ID.Polo GTI joins the line-up at a later date.

Volkswagen ID.Polo electric motor, battery and range

The 116PS and 135PS versions of the ID.Polo use a 37kWh lithium ion phosphate battery. Performance and range figures of the 116PS model are still being signed off, but the 135PS completes the 0-62mph dash in 9.5 seconds and has a range of up to 206 miles. It'll charge at up to 90kW, which means a DC rapid charge from 10-80% takes 23 minutes.

The 211PS version is only available with the 52kWh nickel manganese cobalt battery. As the top performer in the regular range, ID.Polos with this powertrain can complete the 0-62mph sprint in 7.1 seconds, and maximum range is 281 miles. Its maximum DC charging rate is 105kW, giving a rapid charge from 10-80% time of 24 minutes.

Volkswagen ID.Polo design, interior and space

The ID.Polo has been created using VW’s new Pure Positive design language. Details include a glass-covered light bar up front to link the front headlights, giving the ID.Polo the impression of width, while wheel sizes of up to 19 inches add to the impression of stability.

VW has also been attempting to channel the likeable nature of old designs like the original Beetle, by giving the ID.Polo headlights intended to look like friendly eyes.

Inside, the dashboard is kept deliberately simple and easy to use, with some fun touches like a retro mode for the digital dials that’s based on the design of the Golf Mk 1, and play and pause logos on the accelerator and brake pedals respectively.

VW promises space for five, helped in part by the fact that the ID.Polo has been designed from the ground up as an electric car. While it might be hard to spot the extra 19mm interior room over the standard Polo, boot space is 441 litres, or 1240 litres with the seats down – 90 litres more than a current Polo seat up and 115 more seats down.

Volkswagen ID.Polo technology, equipment and infotainment

In addition to 10-inch digital dials, the ID.Polo features a 12.9-inch central touchscreen designed to be in easy reach of both driver and front passenger. The information it shows is split into three sections – top, middle and bottom – with the hierarchy designed to make the touchscreen more user friendly. It’s also supplemented by physical buttons for things like climate control and volume control.

As it’s a Polo, VW has added features you’d expect from the class above, albeit not on every model. Optional tech includes an Area View camera for ease of parking, Connected Travel Assist that takes care of lane changes and automatically stops the car at a red traffic light, massaging front seats and a high-end Harman Kardon stereo.

Lighting tech has also been upgraded, with IQ.LIGHT LED matrix headlights and illuminated VW logos on top-spec models.

Volkswagen ID.Polo trim levels

The first ID.Polo models available in the UK are the ID.Polo Life Launch Edition and ID. Polo Style Launch Edition. As Launch Edition models, these came with extra equipment as standard – Life models included two-zone air conditioning, heated front seats and a heated multi-function steering wheel as standard, and Style cars got a panoramic glass roof, massaging front seats, Area View camera and Travel Assist.

The regular range went on sale on 10th September and is split in two – Life and Style. Life models can be had with 37kWh batteries in 116PS and 135PS forms, or the 52kWh battery 211PS version. Prices start at £23,945, rising to £28,330, and equipment includes parking sensors, a rear-view camera, 12.9-inch infotainment screen, wireless phone charging and a height-adjustable boot floor.

ID.Polo Style models can be had in either £28,470 37kWh 135PS form or as a £31,745 52kWh 211PS model, and add IQ.LIGHT LED matrix headlights, 18-inch alloy wheels, sports comfort front seats and play and pause accelerator and brake pedals.

Volkswagen ID.Polo rivals and used alternatives

The ID.Polo is a style-forward small family hatchback with grown-up tech, plenty of space and a strong range of motors and batteries. That places it in the crosshairs of the popular Renault 5 E-Tech, which does have the edge on price, and is definitely the choice if you’re more into extroverted style. However, the ID.Polo does counter with more rear-seat space.

The Hyundai Ioniq 3 is also likely to be on shopping lists, as it offers style and similar space to the ID.Polo, and has a longer-range option and a bigger touchscreen, too, all for a similar price.