PoloDriver

Ever since the all-electric ID Polo’s 2026 arrival was announced back in September, we’ve had confirmation of its technical make-up, undisguised images of the interior, but no official photos of the car without its Polo Harlequin-inspired livery that has shrouded the fleet of pre-production prototypes used for dynamic testing and various motor show appearances.

However, that’s set to change on 29 April at midday (Central European Time), when the full production car’s appearance is finally unwrapped. Just this week, Volkswagen has begun to tease images of the latest member of the Polo family sans camouflage.

What we do know already, is that in Europe at least, trim levels will start with the 37kWh Trend model, and rise through Life, topping out with Style (both with 37 and 52kWh battery choices). According to the Volkswagen France website, the bigger battery cars look set to arrive first, from September 2026; the smaller-capacity models from November.

Priced from €24,990
As per Volkswagen’s aim, the entry level ID Polo Trend will be priced from €24,990, even though initial reports suggested that the cheaper models wouldn’t be available initially due to shortages of materials for the lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries. The sportier ID Polo GTI is confirmed to arrive in March 2027, if the configurator on the Volkswagen France website is correct.

Speaking of batteries, production of the battery systems is already up and running at the SEAT and Cupra factory in Martorell, Spain, where the ID Polo and its Cupra Raval cousin will be manufactured. There is precedent for Spanish-built Polos of course – the combustion-engined Polo was built at the Volkswagen Navarra facility at Pamplona for 40 years.

Following the December prototype drive of ‘covered’, lightly camouflaged models, more overtly stripped cars have been seen undergoing winter testing in colder climes, and also pounding the Nürburgring, to hone the dynamics of the GTI model, which is the first all-electric Volkswagen GTI. The timing of the newcomer’s arrival is no coincidence: the GTI nameplate celebrates its 50th birthday in 2026.

As for the looks, images of the undisguised production car seemingly leaked from the recent ‘True Volkswagen’ event, held in Hamburg at the end of March. On 26 March, websites were awash with the same three images depicting two mid or high-spec ID Polos, and a sole ID Polo GTI.

Seven colours, three wheel sizes
Confirmation came that at least three colours as listed in the covered drive workshop press release of December 2025 were correct: Python Yellow, Tornado Red, and Dolomit Silver. The other available shades being Candy White, Grenadil Black, Magnetic Tech (which looks like a very dark blue) and Celestial Blue.

The ID Polos in the leaked images also wore two different sizes of wheels, and we do know that 17, 18 and 19-inch alloy wheels will be available, presumably growing in size as the trim levels ascend. Overall, the images reveal that the production ID Polo will closely resemble the ID 2all concept car initially shown in 2023.

ID 3 Neo previews ID Polo ‘face’
This is further reinforced when you compare the leaked pictures with the official pictures of the recently unveiled ID 3 Neo. The larger car definitely previews the ‘face’ of the new ID Polo, and seems to share its interior style, too, with a fabric-covered dashboard and the return of physical buttons. This latest refresh is the second update for the ID 3 in just six years, and it’s interesting to note that VW management has admitted that it made mistakes with the launch of the original model in 2020.

And before it has even been launched, the ID Polo is winning awards, the recipient of the ‘One to Watch’ prize from News UK. ‘The mere fact the Polo name lives on into the electric era is enough to get excited about,’ said Will Dron, digital driving editor at The Times and Sunday Times. ‘But there’s more to look forward to than that: a choice of batteries offering up to 280 miles of range, the potential for very attractive pricing, and the use of more sustainable materials and construction processes have certainly whetted our appetites. The confirmation that we’ll also get an ID Polo GTI is the icing on the cake. Without doubt, ID Polo is our One to Watch.’

We’d, quite obviously, agree. With just five days until the final production version of the ID Polo is revealed, it’s an exciting time to be a Polo fan, and we’ll bring you full details of this new chapter in the Polo story when they are released. Stay tuned!