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New Delhi: Volkswagen have revealed their electric Polo’s interior, featuring several physical buttons, quite unusual with EVs, ahead of their hatchback’s UK launch later this year. It is named ID Polo and is the first Volkswagen model to come with the brand’s new Pure Positive design language, with chief designer Andreas Mindt. The aim is to increase the use of switchgear, a reaction to the customer feedback.
Mindt had previously noted that physical buttons are more stable and trusted. The other forthcoming vehicles of the all-electric ID range will also be coming with physical controls, said the car manufacturer.
Previously, Mercedes-Benz had also confirmed that it would bring back the physical buttons across their current and future models. Even Ferrari have revealed their plans to have a better balance between digital controls and tactile buttons. Mostly, cars are lacking physical controls for many of the main functions and under the new 2026 Euro NCAP car tests, it will be harder to secure a full five-star rating.
Having already been previewed in the form of the 2023 VW ID 2all concept, the production car’s cabin remains much unchanged, and the 10.25-inch digital driver’s display and the 13-inch touchscreen have been carried forward as well. The central screen is no longer coming with slider-like controls for media volumes and climate. These all have been shifted for a row of physical buttons below instead, going back to the old-school configuration.
Further, there is a centre console-mounted rotary dial, easily accessible for both driver and passenger, which allows for volume control and switching tracks or radio stations. Even the new steering wheel is equipped with quite a lot of physical buttons on both of the spokes for driver assistance and media functions as well.
The new electric Polo will come with highly customisable digital interfaces, which include things like a retro-inspired mode that takes cues from the classic Golf MK1. It comes back with things like an analogue-style instrument cluster with traditional needle-and-dial graphics for the speedometer and battery charge indicator, along with a playful touchscreen animation that will imitate a cassette tape winding.
It is going to be bigger than the petrol version, measuring at 4,053mm in length, 1,816mm in width and 1,530mm in height. It comes with a flat-floor design, expected to improve the cabin space.
