Does the Volkswagen ID. Polo deserve a pre-order?
This page is translated from the original post "La Volkswagen ID. Polo mérite-t-elle une pré-réservation ?" in French.
- 24/09/2025 18:26
Volkswagen is giving a collector’s treatment to its future electric city car. Is the ID. Polo really at that level?
At the Lyon Motor Show, Volkswagen is unveiling for the first time in France its future electric city car, the ID. Polo, still covered in Arlequin camouflage. Its launch is not planned until 2026, but the manufacturer is seizing the opportunity to introduce an unprecedented initiative: the “ID. Polo Access” program.
Behind this name lies a clear intention: to create an anticipated connection with future customers. Those who sign up for the program will benefit from priority access to pre-orders, €500 of charging credit on WeCharge, exclusive information, and invitations to dedicated events. An attractive package, but it raises a question: does the Polo, even in its electric version, really deserve such a presentation?
People’s car or elitist model?
Traditionally, this type of program is reserved for high-end or even iconic models, whose aura justifies a somewhat privileged relationship with early buyers. However, the Polo has always represented the popular, practical, and accessible car, far removed from the collector’s status of a sports car or luxury sedan.
That said, Volkswagen is not the first to take this path. Renault recently led the way with its “R Pass” for the future R5 and the R4 project, successfully creating strong anticipation around mass-market models. Proof that this strategy can work if it manages to reactivate a collective imagination. In the case of the ID. Polo, the Arlequin camouflage is a clever nod to the Polo from the 90s and aims to revive that emotional connection.
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Volkswagen has a lot at stake. As the heir to half a century of history, the ID. Polo must succeed in embodying the transition from thermal city cars to mass-market electric vehicles. If the manufacturer manages to transform this initiative into a genuine movement of support, then the ID. Polo Access will have fulfilled its role. Otherwise, the operation could quickly be perceived as artificial. It is up to Volkswagen to prove that its electrified “ant” truly deserves a place in the pantheon of pre-reserved models.
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