VOLKSWAGEN’S NEW ID. POLO COCKPIT ADDS RETRO FLAVOUR TO HOOK OLD-SCHOOL BUYERS.
Volkswagen has officially opened the doors to the all-new ID. Polo, and while the headline is “new interior architecture” and “next-generation software,” the real talking point sits right in front of the driver. With a single button press, the ID. Polo’s digital instrument cluster can transform into a retro display inspired by the original Mk1 Golf clocks. Square fonts, classic layout, proper nostalgia. Welcome back to the 1980s, now running on electrons. This playful nod to VW heritage forms part of a broader rethink of how future ID. models will look, feel, and function inside. Shaped heavily by customer feedback, the ID. Polo’s interior introduces a more holistic design approach focused on clarity, quality, and intuitive operation. Familiar Volkswagen operating logic has been retained, refined, and paired with an all-new software generation that brings additional comfort and functionality to the table.
According to Kai Grünitz, Volkswagen Brand Board Member for Technical Development, the ID. Polo marks a significant step forward. “Our new interior architecture, starting with the all-new ID. Polo, elevates the customer experience to a new level,” he says. “Clean lines, high-quality materials, and an intuitive operating environment with physical buttons and newly structured screens are combined with a new software generation that delivers noticeably more comfort and functions.”
That software includes the latest evolution of Travel Assist, which will soon be capable of recognising red traffic lights and stop signs, as well as enabling smooth one-pedal driving. It’s clever, quietly impressive tech, but presented in a way that doesn’t overwhelm the driver.
Visually and tactically, the ID. Polo continues Volkswagen’s tradition of delivering a class-above feel in its small and compact cars. The interior follows the brand’s new ‘Pure Positive’ design language, with fabric-covered dashboard surfaces and door inserts adding warmth and texture. Every touchpoint, from buttons to handles, has been designed to feel solid and inviting, reinforcing the idea that this is an everyday car you can relax into. Volkswagen Chief Designer Andreas Mindt describes the ID. Polo as “an affordable friend for everyday life.” Just like the Polo has always been, only now electric. “Clear physical buttons provide stability and trust, warm materials make it appealing, and charming details like the retro instrument views show the typical Volkswagen wink,” he explains. “It’s a compact car with a big heart.”
The cockpit architecture itself is clean and horizontally oriented, defined by two large displays aligned along a single line of sight. Behind the steering wheel sits a 10.25-inch digital cockpit, while the centre of the dashboard is dominated by a nearly 13-inch infotainment touchscreen, one of the largest in the segment. Both displays feature crisp, high-resolution graphics, and the central screen is easily accessible to both driver and front passenger. Below the infotainment screen, a dedicated strip houses physical buttons for climate control and hazard lights, reinforcing VW’s renewed commitment to intuitive operation. The multifunction steering wheel is completely new, with clearly structured button fields, while a rotary controller between the smartphone tray and cup holders allows for easy audio control by either front occupant.
But it’s the retro display that steals the show. Internally dubbed part of VW’s ‘Secret Sauce,’ this unexpected feature allows the digital cockpit to adopt classic Mk1 Golf-style visuals at the touch of a button. It’s a small detail, but one that creates an emotional connection, bridging Volkswagen’s past and its electric future in a way that feels genuine rather than gimmicky. In a world of increasingly sterile EV interiors, the ID. Polo proves that a bit of old-school charm still goes a long way. Sometimes, progress looks best when it remembers where it came from.
Take a look at the YouTube video from the Autogefühl crew as they take a hands-on look at the new interior layout design of the recently previewed ID.Polo - complete with a rad retro throwback What do you think of the all-new VW Polo interior? (2026 ID.Polo) | Autogefühl
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