What's all this about?
A major development in terms of legacy nameplates over at Volkswagen. Ever since the ID range of electric vehicles (EVs) hit the roads with the ID.3 back in 2020, there's been a numerical order to the company's zero-emission models. We've had the ID.4, the ID.5, the ID.7 and the, er... the ID. Buzz. Yes.
But that last one is arguably the most telling. VW clearly didn't think 'ID.' had to always be followed by a number, and the company's outspoken CEO, Thomas Schäfer, has previously hinted that he doesn't want the firm to just junk the traditional model monikers; you know, things like Polo, Golf and Passat. Well, now we have the confirmation that the old heavyweight names are going to cross over into the new world.
In what way?
We've known for a while now that a new raft of IDs are on the way, including a supermini-sized car that has previously been known as the ID. 2all and an even smaller, city-based machine that presumably would be a direct successor to the old, defunct Up. The thinking was these would become the ID.2 and the ID.1, respectively, when they made market.
But no. The ID. 2all will henceforth be known as the ID. Polo. Yep, that's right: it's an electric Polo. But it won't kill off the existing Mk6, launched way back in 2017, because Volkswagen is planning to sell them both alongside each other from next year (when the ID. Polo is slated for release to the public), so that customers in the B-segment who are shopping in VW showrooms can still choose between ICE and EV.
Cor, this is quite big! Will the other IDs follow suit?
Almost certainly. That should mean the ID.3's follow-up will become the ID. Golf, while the ID.7 will presumably morph into the ID. Passat at some indeterminate point in the coming months and years. Indeed, at about the same time this ID. Polo will make its first (albeit camouflaged) appearance at the IAA show over in Munich, the company will reveal the ID. Cross Concept, which is being readied for a late 2026 landing in global showrooms as an electric analogue of the existing T-Cross mini-SUV. ID. T-Cross, anyone? Or, perhaps more simply, just ID. Cross and drop the 'Concept' bit? Seems that way.
Presumably, those who own an alphanumeric VW ID will now want to keep hold of them, because they're sure to be automotive curios in years to come, an evolutionary badging dead-end that didn't last. Yet the emblem-related intrigue doesn't stop there.
Eh? What are you waffling about now?
All through the ID. 2all's gestation period, there's been a performance model mooted, which VW referred to as the ID. GTI Concept. But VeeDub aficionados will know that 'GTI' is reserved for petrol performance cars, whereas go-faster Volkswagen EVs have typically been known by the 'GTX' epithet. No longer: the hot variant of the ID. Polo will, quite simply, be the ID. Polo GTI.
OK, I get the seismic shift in naming. But can we have more on the ID. Polo, please?
We know a lot about it from the ID. 2all reveals that have gone before. It sits on the Modular Electric Drive Matrix (MEB+) chassis and is, in terms of size, about the same as the existing Mk6 Polo. It's the same length, for instance, but the ID. Polo is a little broader, taller and longer in the wheelbase than its distant ICE relation. All versions of the ID. Polo will be front-wheel drive (so single-motor EVs) and fitted with five-door bodies (no three-door GTI for you, retro fans), with two battery sizes, three trim levels and four powertrains offered for it. On the latter score, the fourth powertrain will be that GTI, which'll join the ID. Polo line-up a little after the opening three offerings, but will at least provide up to 226hp from its 166kW electric motor. Punchy - the current Polo GTI delivers only 200hp (although it'll likely be lighter than the ID. Polo GTI electric).
And it won't kill off the ICE Polo, then?
Not at first, no. But this ties in with Volkswagen's decision to keep the Polo name going into the ID's era. In 2024, more than 472,000 Polos still found homes worldwide, an astonishing number for a seven-year-old design, and that figure contributes to the goliath 20 million-plus Polos that have been built since it first arrived in 1975; yes, 2025 is its 50th birthday, so it's a nice gift to the old-timer that it won't be immediately pensioned off as it heads into its sixth decade.
Explaining the decision to migrate legacy nameplates to the ID canon, Volkswagen boss Schäfer said: "Our model names are firmly anchored in people's minds. They stand for a strong brand and embody characteristics such as quality, timeless design and technologies for all. That's why we're moving our well-known names into the future. The ID. Polo is just the beginning."
And his sentiments were echoed by Martin Sander, the member of the VW brand board of management for sales, marketing and aftersales, who added: "Our cars often accompany people for many years - they shape memories and stages of life. 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. Electric mobility should not only be progressive, but also accessible and personal.
"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."
Matt Robinson - 3 Sep 2025
