Volkswagen ID.2all price range performance and technology of VW’s new entry level Polo-sized EV

Volkswagen has given the first glimpse of a new affordable compact electric car due to arrive by 2025.

The ID.2all concept car hints at a Polo-sized stablemate to the Golf-equivalent ID.3 and is “far more than just a concept vehicle”, according to the German marque. It is the first of 10 new electric models being launched by the firm by 2026.

Volkswagen is aiming for a starting price of less than €25,000 (around £22,000) for the small hatchback. This is an effort to address a shortage of cheaper, smaller EVs -Volkswagen’s cheapest current model is the ID.3, which starts at £39,500.

At 4.05m long by 1.81m wide, the ID.2all is roughly the same size as the current Polo but Volkswagen says the EV platform and short overhangs allow it to be as spacious inside as a Golf but “as inexpensive as a Polo”.

The design is also reminiscent of the Polo and showcases a new design language for VW’s EVs, including a “friendly face” based on the principle of the artistic golden ratio. After more radical looks for the ID.3 and ID.4, the new design language embraces elements from VW’s past, referencing everything from the original Beetle to the Mk7 Golf with simple straight bodylines and a lower, more planted stance.

The interior also appears to be moving away from some of the unpopular elements of the current ID range. There are still large digital displays (12.9 inches for infotainment and 10.9 inches for instruments) but after massive criticism of the ID.3 and ID.4’s user interface, Volkswagen is boasting that the ID.2all will feature a “self-explanatory infotainment system” with a physical volume control. Even more welcome is a separate air conditioning control panel with illuminated physical buttons.

The new model also promises to bring new levels of “big car” tech to the compact hatchback segment including the latest version of the “partly automated” Travel Assist system, LED matrix adaptive headlights,3D LED tail lights, park assist plus with memory function and electric seats with massage function. Presumably, however, these won’t all feature on the €25,000 entry-level model.

The interior is claimed to be as spacious as a current Golf and offers a 440-litre boot, plus 50-litre underseat storage for charging cables and emergency kits, and a fold-down front passenger seat backrest to allow loads of up to 2.2m.

The ID.2all concept is Volkwagen’s first front-wheel-drive EV and uses a single 223bhp motor to deliver a 0-62mph time of less than seven seconds. Volkswagen hasn’t revealed a battery size but is targeting a WLTP range of around 280 miles as well offering rapid DC charging that will allow 10-80% charging in just 20 minutes.

Unveiling the ID.2all, Volkswagen also confirmed it was working on a sub-20,000 electric model to replace the e-Up city car as part of its 10-vehicle plan. Later this year the firm will also launch the second-generation ID.3, long-wheelbase seven-seat ID.Buzz and the ID.7 large saloon.