Volkswagen Polo going electric, GTI EV confirmed

Volkswagen has confirmed its next all-electric ID model will wear a familiar name – confirming the ID. Polo for global launch in 2026, including a go-fast ID. Polo GTI electric hot hatch.

Based on the ID. 2all concept, the 2026 Volkswagen ID. Polo will coincide with the popular nameplate’s 50th anniversary, and it will be sold alongside the existing combustion-powered Polo hatchback we already know and love.

It marks the first time one of Volkswagen’s legacy nameplates has been applied to its ID-badged electric vehicle (EV) lineup, signalling a shift in the German automaker’s strategy after it initially tried to delineate its new EVs with a largely numerical naming structure – think ID.3, ID.4, ID.5 and ID.7.

“A model like the Polo shows just how powerful a name can be: it stands for reliability, personality and history. That’s precisely why we are again giving our ID. models names that arouse emotions and are anchored in people’s everyday lives,” said Martin Sander, member of the Volkswagen brand board of management for sales, marketing and aftersales.

“Electric mobility should not only be progressive, but also accessible and personal.”

CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal.

As for the electrification of the GTI performance badge, Mr Sander said: “We are bringing one of our strongest brands, the GTI, into the electric world”.

“Also launching in 2026, the ID. GTI Concept model will go into production as the ID. Polo GTI. It will offer outstanding dynamics and plenty of driving pleasure,” Mr Sander added.

Volkswagen has previewed the new compact EVs with a pair of camouflaged prototypes that will make their public debut (still camouflaged) at the IAA Mobility show in Munich next week (September 8-14).

In addition to the ID. Polo, Volkswagen will reveal the ID. Cross Concept, previewing another compact EV due in 2026 as the electric counterpart to the Polo-based T-Cross crossover.

“For Volkswagen, the premiere of the smaller and more compact vehicles in its electric family marks the start of a new era – it will make electric driving more affordable than ever,” the company said in its media release.

“All new models show clearly, that Volkswagen is responding even more closely to customer feedback. This is evident, among other things, in the higher level of quality with soft materials, the intelligent combination of digital and physical controls such as buttons and knobs in the steering wheel and cockpit as well as the intuitive operating concept.”

Above: ID. 2all Concept versus ID. Polo

The ID. 2all concept was first revealed in March 2023, when it was said to preview a new compact EV brandishing an “inside as spacious as a Golf, but outside as cute and small as a Polo”, and an intended starting price of under €25,000 (A$44,549).

While that direct currency conversion seems expensive, the petrol-powered Polo starts at just over €20,000 (A$35,639) in Germany, and that’s for the bargain base model with much less equipment than the entry-level Polo Life in Australia, which starts at $30,790 before on-road costs.

Technical details for the production version of VW’s new entry-level EV will likely be detailed at the Munich event, though the concept boasted a 166kW electric motor on the front axle, and a projected driving range of up to 450km per charge.

No doubt there will be a couple of battery and motor variants to offer a better spread of pricing, performance and driving range.

While it’s a new compact EV with front-wheel drive, the ID. 2all – and therefore the ID. Polo – will be based on the VW Group’s existing MEB platform rather than the cheaper MEB Entry architecture that’s set to debut with the Cupra Raval.

Following the reveal of the ID. 2all, Volkswagen Passenger Vehicles Australia head of product Michelle Rowney told CarExpert that this market was “definitely going to have it [the production version], just a matter of when”.

Above: ID. GTI Concept versus ID. Polo GTI

At the 2023 Munich motor show, Volkswagen then revealed the ID. GTI concept, previewing the ID. Polo GTI that’s now been confirmed for production in 2026.

Details on the powertrain weren’t divulged, though VW did confirm the ID. GTI would be front-wheel drive like the petrol-powered Polo GTI.

Externally, the ID. GTI builds on the ID.2all concept with an aggressive lower lip up front, red recovery hooks and a prominent rear diffuser.

Inside, Volkswagen has created GTI Experience Control. This includes the ability to customise the drive experience with simulated gear shifts (similar to the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N), as well as adjusting the steering and sound system.

A physical gear shifter has been replaced with an e-shifter, while a 10.9-inch digital instrument cluster changes the game in terms of offering drivers ultimate visibility over various functions beyond your typical speed and power meter readouts.

“Given Australia is a performance focused market and GTI makes up a significant portion of Polo and Golf sales, we will have our hand up for any future production version of the ID. GTI,” said a spokesperson for Volkswagen Australia at the time.

Stay tuned to CarExpert for more ID. Polo details from IAA Mobility Munich next week.

MORE: Explore the Volkswagen Polo showroom