New Electric Polo From Volkswagen, Concept C From Audi – CleanTechnica

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Volkswagen started off its transition to electric cars with all new nomenclature. The thinking was that brand new technology deserved brand new models designations. There is some wisdom in that thinking, but the marketing types overlooked one thing — there are 50 years of brand equity tied up in those original names.

Lots of people have no idea what an ID.3 is, but they understand Volkswagen Golf. An ID.7 is pretty much an electric Passat. Volkswagen has been hard at work on the ID.2All, an electric car that is very similar to the long lived and much loved Polo. That car is supposed to retail for under €25,000, making it competitive with inexpensive EVs from China. Now, Volkswagen has decided that when the car debuts next year, it will be known as the ID. Polo in order to leverage the good vibes associated with that name.

In a blog post, Volkswagen said it’s all part of a new naming strategy that will see the company transfer the names of its established bestsellers to the ID. models in order to provide better orientation for customers. The electric and conventional versions of those models will be sold in parallel. Electric or gas? Your choice.

Thomas Schäfer, CEO of the Volkswagen brand, 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.”

Volkswagen will transfer more established names to the electric portfolio with each new model generation, bringing together the electric and combustion engine worlds and helping customers navigate the Volkswagen product range more easily in the future.

Martin Sander, the head of sales and marketing for the Volkswagen brand, 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.”

Volkswagen ID. Polo GTI Coming 2026

There is more good news for Volkswagen aficionados. The Polo may be primarily an entry level car, but for many years it has also been available in a sportier hot hatch known as the Polo GTI. Sander said the all new ID. Polo will also be offered in the GTI trim. “We are bringing one of our strongest brands, the GTI, into the electric world. Beginning in 2026, the ID. GTI Concept model will go into production as the ID. Polo GTI, offering outstanding vehicle dynamics and plenty of driving pleasure.”

The ID. Polo and ID. Polo GTI will debut at the Munich auto show on September 8. One day before the show opens, Volkswagen will also introduce the ID. Cross SUV concept — a battery electric compact SUV. The production version will be available near the end of next year as a counterpart to the T-Cr0ss. The company is not only dusting off tried and true model names, it is also transitioning back to actual buttons and knobs in its interiors to control audio and air conditioning systems.

Tesla started the “everything on a touchscreen” craze, but many drivers prefer the look and feel of actual controls. As a side note, as we reported this week, some appliance manufacturers are going back to actual knobs on their stoves after getting plenty of complaints from customers about digital temperature settings.

Bloomberg notes that by electrifying the Polo, Europe’s biggest automaker is signaling its intent to carry its combustion-engine clout into the battery era. The Polo is one of the company’s “most successful small cars, having sold more than 20 million units since it was introduced in 1975. Positioned as an entry point into the brand, it helped VW compete against similarly sized models such as the Ford Fiesta and the Renault Clio.”

Audi Concept C

While the ID. Polo is great news for those who want a lower cost electric car, there is more exciting news from Volkswagen Group at the high end of the market as well. Audi has taken the wraps off its Concept C electric sports car, which is meant to take the place of the Audi TT and the awesome R8, which in some cases featured a tire shredding V-10 engine. I want to own one of those when I grow up!

To some, the Concept C bears a resemblance to the new Jaguar design that has provoked such a “love it or hate it” reaction from potential buyers. Perhaps it is the matte aluminum finish and the slits in the rear, but the Concept C is better looking than the Jaguar, and thank heaven for that. From the rear with the top up, the slats where the rear window should be may remind some of the Batmobile with its shields in place.

According to Autoblog, the Concept C is meant to lead Audi’s next design phase, which the company calls “The Radical Next.” Head designer Massimo Frascella says it’s about clearing away the noise and returning to clarity — a strategy Audi hopes will resonate with future EV buyers and with fans of its sports car lineage.

The ultra clean exterior design is carried over to the interior, where a retractable digital display can disappear entirely, leaving only tactile metal controls and a clean dashboard. Audi calls it “athletic minimalism,” and the feel is closer to high-end craftsmanship than gadget overload, Autoblog says.

“It’s a cabin that makes you think of design-forward rivals like Porsche rather than mainstream offerings such as the Audi A3 and S3, which still depend heavily on screen-based tech to differentiate trims,” it says.

Reportedly, the Audi Concept C uses the platform developed for the battery electric Porsche 718, which means the battery is mounted behind the seats rather than under the floor as is normal in most EVs. That allows the passengers to sit low to the ground in true sports car style. Although, putting all that weight over the rear axle will compromise performance at the track somewhat.

Autoblog say the Concept C is all about signaling that Audi can still make something emotional, not just rational. The R8 is certainly an emotional car. Will the Concept C appeal to high-end Audi drivers? We will find out sometime in 2027.