Volkswagen is shaking things up with a new EV interior [Images]

Volkswagen has revamped the interior design for its upcoming affordable EV lineup, adding more physical buttons, an updated infotainment system, and a few extras.

Volkswagen ID. Polo debuts with all-new EV interior

The new interior will debut in the upcoming ID. Polo, the first of four new entry-level electric vehicles. After Volkswagen offered a glimpse last week, we are finally getting our first look at the all-new cockpit.

Based on driver feedback, Volkswagen aims to get it right with the new interior that will be featured on all upcoming electric “ID” models.

The updated interior design delivers “clean lines, high-quality materials, and an intuitive operating environment with physical buttons and newly structured screens,” according to Volkswagen’s tech boss, Kai Grünitz.

At the center of it all is a new infotainment system with a 10.25″ driver display and a 13″ touchscreen navigation. Volkswagen included separate buttons for climate control and hazard warning lights, which are now found under the infotainment.

The multi-functioning steering wheel is also new, adding even more physical buttons. Meanwhile, a rotary controller between the cup holders and smartphone holder is used to control audio volume and track selection.

For the first time, the ID. Light, an interactive light strip, now extends across the instrument panel, base of the windscreen, and in front of the doors.

It’s also loaded with the company’s latest software, which Grünitz said “will deliver noticeably more comfort and functions.”

The updated software now includes the third generation of Travel Assist, which VW said will soon recognize red traffic lights and stop signs.

Volkswagen included some “secret sauce,” as the design team calls it. The new EV interior features a cool retro display function. At the push of a button, the digital cockpit screens transform into a retro theme based on the Golf I from the 1980’s.

The ID. Polo is about the same size as the gas-powered model (4,053 mm in length, 1,816 mm in width, and 1,530 mm in height), but thanks to compact drive modules and a flat battery pack, the electric version offers more interior space.

Although it’s nothing over the top, the interior is designed for Volkswagen’s upcoming entry-level EV lineup, so that’s to be expected.

The ID. Polo will start at 25,000 euros ($29,500) and debut this spring with Volkswagen’s new EV interior. It will be available with three power outputs: 85 kW (114 hp), 99 kW (133 hp), and 155 kW (208 hp).

The 85 kW and 99 kW models will be powered by a 37 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery. The 155 kW and 166 kW versions, on the other hand, will be equipped with a 52 kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) battery, delivering up to 450 km (280 miles) of WLTP driving range.

According to the German newspaper Handelsblatt, the base 25,000 euro ID. Polo model likely won’t be available when it launches this spring.