Inovev forecasts 75,000 units per year for the new VW ID Polo
- Volkswagen has unveiled its new all-electric B-segment hatchback, initially slated to be called the ID.2, but ultimately named the ID. Polo. The rather impersonal names ID.3, ID.4, and ID.5 don't seem to have been very successful, while the ID. Polo name immediately evokes the Polo, positioning it as the direct successor to the internal combustion engine Volkswagen Polo. The ID. Polo's design also returns to the fundamentals of the Volkswagen brand, as the very geometric design of the ID.3, ID.4, and ID.5, lacking any reference to the brand's heritage, may have alienated some potential customers.
- The new Volkswagen ID. Polo, positioned as a direct rival to the Renault 5 E-Tech, Peugeot e-208, Opel e-Corsa, Citroën e-C3 , Fiat Grande Panda EV, and even the Cupra Raval, measures 4.05 meters long, 2 cm shorter than the combustion engine version, which remains in production (likely until 2030). The ID. Polo will be manufactured at the Martorell plant in Spain at an annual rate of 75,000 units, according to Inovev, while the combustion engine version has been manufactured in South Africa since last year (and exported to Europe). Production volume is not expected to be higher, as the ID. Polo, based on the MEB+ platform, will face competition from two other VW models: the ID. Cross (the SUV version of the ID. Polo) and the ID. Lupo (an A-segment hatchback), which will take away some of its customers.
- Two battery options are available for the ID. Polo: a 37 kWh LFP and a 52 kWh NMC, while the electric motor offers four power levels (85 kW, 99 kW, 155 kW, 166 kW). The manufacturer estimates a range of 329 km for the model equipped with the LFP battery according to the WLTP cycle and a range of 455 km for the one with the NMC battery.