Volkswagen revealed the production version of the all-electric ID. Polo on 29 April 2026, the first model on the new MEB+ platform and the entry point to a refreshed naming strategy that retires alphanumeric IDs in favour of legacy names. The reveal is a direct shot at the European B-segment leader, the Renault 5, and reshapes the competitive context around Tesla's smallest model in Europe, the Model 3.
Pricing and Trims
Launch pre-orders in Germany start at €33,795 for the Life trim and rise to €41,945 for the top Launch trim, both with the larger 56 kWh NMC battery and a 155 kW motor. The cheapest version, billed at €24,995, will not arrive until later in the summer of 2026 and uses a 38 kWh LFP battery with an 85 kW motor. In Spain — where the car is built at the Pamplona plant — Volkswagen has confirmed an entry price of €24,330 with national EV incentives applied.
| Trim | Battery | Motor | WLTP range | Price (DE) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry (summer) | 38 kWh LFP | 85 kW | TBC (~340 km) | €24,995 |
| Life | 56 kWh NMC | 155 kW | up to 455 km | €33,795 |
| Launch | 56 kWh NMC | 155 kW | up to 455 km | €41,945 |
What Volkswagen Built
The ID. Polo is 4.05 metres long and seats five, putting it in the same footprint as the petrol Polo it replaces. Volkswagen quotes a WLTP range of up to 455 km for the 56 kWh variant and up to 282 miles for international markets. The entry LFP variant has not been homologated yet but is expected to land closer to 340 km. DC fast-charging tops out at the mid-100 kW range, with 10–80 percent quoted in around 25 minutes for the larger battery.
Inside, Volkswagen has stripped back the touch-only ergonomics that hurt the ID.3 and ID.4 launches. Physical buttons return on the steering wheel, the climate panel adds a real volume knob, and a 12.9-inch infotainment display is standard. The brand has positioned the car as "deliberately simple" — a clear contrast with the slab-screen approach that Tesla has driven across the segment.
Why It Matters for Tesla
The Model 3 is Tesla's only sub-€45,000 European offering once incentives are stripped out, and it sits in the C-segment one tier above the ID. Polo. But the entry-level €24,995 Polo arrives at exactly the price point where Tesla has consistently said an affordable model is required, and it lands six months ahead of the Model Y refresh that European buyers have been waiting on. Volkswagen's choice of Spanish production also gives it a manufacturing-cost advantage that Tesla cannot match from Berlin without a Spanish or Portuguese complement.
Rollout
German pre-orders opened the day of the reveal. Czech, Slovak, Polish, French, Italian, Spanish and Benelux configurators went live the same week, with first deliveries scheduled for late summer 2026. The cheapest LFP-equipped trim is expected in showrooms by Q4 2026.