The start of the Volkswagen ID. polo has begun its final chukker, with the electric city car fully unveiled overnight.
It will be sold alongside the petrol-powered Polo in Europe and other markets. Aside from their names, the two cars have little in common, as they ride on different platforms and have unique styling inside and out.
The ID card. Polo is the first car designed under the aegis of Andreas Mindt in his Pure Positive design language. The car manufacturer is particularly proud of its friendly face and the C-pillars inspired by the first generation Golf.
While this is our first look at the exterior of the production car, Volkswagen revealed the ID. Polo’s interior in early January. In response to criticism of its first generation of electric vehicles, the ID. The Polo’s interior features physical switches for power windows, steering wheel, audio and climate controls.
A lot of fabric has also been used on the dashboard and door panels to give a more upscale feel, and there are retro-looking digital dials and controls for the sound system.
With a length of 4053 mm, a width of 1816 mm, a height of 1530 mm and a wheelbase of 2600 mm, the ID. The Polo is 27mm shorter, 65mm wider, 80mm taller and has a 36mm longer wheelbase than the petrol Polo.
The trunk volume is 441 l with the seats folded up and 1240 l with the seats folded down. That’s 90 liters more than the petrol Polo with the rear seats folded up and 115 liters more with the rear seats folded down.
In Europe the ID. The Polo will be available with a choice of three motors (85 kW, 99 kW and 155 kW) for driving the front wheels and two battery options.
A 37 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery (net) is standard on the 85 kW and 99 kW models. This battery has a maximum WLTP range of 329km, presumably with the 85kW motor, and supports DC fast charging up to 90kW.
The 52 kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery (net) is standard on vehicles with a 155 kW engine. The larger battery has a maximum WLTP range of 454 km and can be quickly charged with DC power at up to 130 kW.
Although it was not announced today, the ID. The Polo GTI will have a 166 kW engine and use the 52 kWh battery. As ID. The Polo is based on the MEB+ architecture and supports vehicle-to-load functionality, allowing it to send up to 3.6 kW to power external devices.
On the continent the ID. Polo will be available in three trim levels: Trend, Life and Style. The base Trend has LED headlights, a 10.0-inch instrument display, a 13.0-inch infotainment touchscreen, air conditioning, a leatherette steering wheel, lane departure warning and 17-inch steel wheels.
For the middle class life, the ID. Polo gets 17-inch alloy wheels, adaptive cruise control, a rearview camera, front parking sensors, front cross-traffic alert, an electrochromatic mirror, power-folding exterior mirrors with memory settings, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, wireless smartphone charging and a height-adjustable trunk floor.
In the top models in the Style category there are 18-inch alloy wheels, LED matrix headlights, a light bar between the headlights, illuminated badges at both ends, 3D LED taillights, sports comfort seats, ambient lighting and a more luxurious interior.
Options include a 425W 10-speaker Harmon Kardon sound system, a panoramic glass roof, 19-inch alloy wheels and massage front seats with 12-way power adjustment and three memory settings.
In Germany the prices apply to the ID. The starting price for the Polo is 24,995 euros (A$40,900), which is lower than the 28,000 euros (A$45,800) starting price of the similarly sized entry-level Renault 5 E-Tech 40kWh model. However, it’s €4860 (A$7900) more than the base petrol Polo.
Advance sale of the ID. Polo has started in its home country, but only one model is currently available: the €33,795 (A$55,200) Life, with a 155kW motor and 52kWh battery. Additional models will go online around the middle of the year.
MORE: Discover the Volkswagen Polo showroom
