Autobayng News Team
- The new Volkswagen ID. Polo’s interior is charmingly retro, in more ways than one.
- It doesn’t just pack a lot more buttons and physical controls—the compact EV also features design cues from classic Volkswagen models, like the original Polo and Golf.
- Best of all: a digital “tape deck” view when you play music.
Volkswagen loves to lean on nostalgia. But sometimes, it just doesn’t work out. The Volkswagen ID. Buzz banked on retro styling, but its limited electric range and high price kept it from being a compelling value. Volkswagen ID. Polo Interior Photo by: Volkswagen
Other times, VW nails the brief with loads of charm, and it’s looking like the new electric ID. Polo falls right into that camp. The new hatchback rewrites VW’s electric-vehicle playbook in several ways, from going with a familiar brand name and shape to ditching the clunky capacitive controls for actual, physical buttons.
But buttons aren’t the only thing that will make the ID. Polo special. The car really, really gets into the retro groove, complete with digital reproductions of gauges from the classic Golf and Polo—and even a “tape deck” display when you turn on the music.
The folks at German auto review channel Autogefühl have a deep dive video into the new ID. Polo’s interior, and they show just how delightful this EV will be for fans of VW’s modern classic cars—or really anything from the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s.
Let’s start with the digital display in front of the driver. I’m not being hyperbolic when I say this is maybe the most charming setup I’ve ever seen on any modern EV. You get an analog-looking speedometer, an LED display clock straight out of a Casio watch, retro-future battery charge and range readouts, and a “tachometer” that seems to be a kind of power gauge.
All of this pays homage to VW’s classic history, namely cars like the Mk1 Golf and GTI and the Mk1 and Mk2 Polo. That family of hatchbacks helped to move VW firmly out of the air-cooled era and into one where modern, upscale compacts could be premium and fun to drive without sacrificing value. Those throwback touches help to create the same vibe for this new EV. VW ID. Polo Display Photo by: Autogefühl
But the absolute best part—the part that was totally unnecessary, but cool anyway—is the “tape deck” display for your music player whenever the car’s Retro Mode is enabled. It even says “low noise” and indicates what “side” of the tape is playing right now, although who knows how accurate that’ll end up being. Still, how cool does that look? VW ID. Polo Tape Deck Photo by: Autogefühl
That should be a nice nod to anyone who grew up with cassette tapes, or any Gen Z folks who find themselves collecting them now. And beyond any retro vibes, the new infotainment system is much more Apple CarPlay-like, ditching the clunkier interface we see on cars like the current VW ID.4 and the rest.
Granted, VW may not have had much choice but to add physical buttons back into its cars. The capacitive switches (including a toggle between the front and rear windows) proved immensely unpopular with buyers, and the European Union is cracking down on screen dependence and mandating the return of more tactile controls.
But VW didn’t have to draw so heavily on its past here. And yet it did, knowing full well that so many buyers—especially in Europe—have such deep attachments to cars like the Golf and Polo. At a time when VW is getting rapidly outmatched by new competitors from China, why not draw on heritage in ways those brands can’t? The ID. Polo is already shaping up to have a lot more in the way of personality than its previous EVs.
Hopefully, that will give it an edge here. Ultimately, the ID. Polo needs to compete well on range and pricing too. The EV will go on sale in Europe in April and is expected to start from less than $30,000 (€25,000). With a sporty GTI model, up to 280 miles of range on Europe’s WLTP cycle and the energy that made people love VW in the first place, it could be a contender. Let’s just hope that same personality makes it to new VW electric models sold here in the U.S., too.
Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com More VW News We want your opinion! What would you like to see on Insideevs.com? – The InsideEVs team
