Polo-sized electric Volkswagen ID.2 spotted testing in Germany

The car you’re seeing undergoing testing at the Nürburgring in Germany might look like a Volkswagen ID.3, but it’s actually a development prototype for the upcoming Volkswagen ID.2, a Polo-sized electric supermini that’s set to arrive towards the end of 2025 or early 2026.

It’s the first time we’ve seen the car undergoing testing and it’s well-disguised as this prototype doesn’t look like the ID.2all concept revealed in 2023, which previews the production car more closely.

The newcomer won’t just look different from the larger Golf-sized ID.3, but will be very different under the skin, too. While the Volkswagen Group’s ‘MEB’ platform, used by the ID.3, ID.Buzz, and even cars like the recently unveiled Ford Capri, is rear-wheel drive, the ‘MEB Entry’ architecture under the ID.2 is front-wheel drive, more like VW’s existing combustion models.

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This will result in slightly different packaging and more conventional proportions, and likely feel a little closer to cars such as the Polo and Golf to drive – electric powertrains notwithstanding. VW hasn’t yet revealed exactly how the production ID.2 will be powered, but the concept used a single front-mounted motor with 223bhp. VW also mentioned 38kWh and 56kWh batteries, with a range of up to 280 miles for the larger pack. However, with the production car still a year and a half away, battery sizes and potential range figures should be taken with a pinch of salt.

One detail visible in the Nürburgring testing images is the set of 20-inch alloy wheels borrowed from the Cupra model range, suggesting that despite the ID.2’s compact size, some variants are likely to run on large, concept-car style alloy wheels and low-profile tyres.

The cabin should be a step on from existing Volkswagen electric vehicles, given the company has now started to back-track on its decision to hide so many controls in touchscreens. You’ll still have screens to poke and prod at, but physical controls too, and the ID.2all concept had a smart cabin layout with understated but high-quality materials – a fine balance Volkswagen has long been adept at judging.

The ID.2 is still a while away yet, but it’s far from the only VW EV on the way, with a compact crossover due soon, and a replacement for the ID.3 due later in the decade – with the combustion-powered Golf still soldiering on in the meantime. You can expect the ID.2 to form the basis of Cupra, Skoda, and SEAT superminis too.