With the Golden Steering Wheel award, the trade magazine AUTO BILD and the BILD am SONNTAG newspaper recognise outstanding new models every year. This year, the new ID. Polo impressed and received the Best car under 25,000 euros editorial award. In addition to its strong overall package, it was particularly highlighted that, with the ID. Polo, Volkswagen is bringing electric mobility into a price class that is affordable for many car drivers.
The award was presented to Thomas Schäfer, CEO of the Volkswagen brand, Head of the Brand Group Core and member of the Group Board of Management: “Three big awards within a few weeks, and now also the Golden Steering Wheel: the ID. Polo has made a dream start. Above all, however, customers, readers and experts confirm exactly what we wanted to achieve with this car, namely building true Volkswagen cars once more. Affordable, high-quality, suitable for everyday use and easy to operate. In fact: 100-per-cent Volkswagen. The fact that this has been recognised so quickly makes me proud of the entire team”.
Last week, the ID. Polo enjoyed great success at the German Car of the Year Award 2027: first, it won in the Budget car category for vehicles with a starting price of less than 25,000 euros. As a result, the small car qualified for the vote for the overall winner. After two intensive test days, the ID. Polo prevailed against four other strong class winners and won the coveted title of overall winner, making it the German Car of the Year 2027. An independent jury of 47 German and international motoring journalists decided on the award.
The design of the ID. Polo has also been well received: In the Autonis readers’ poll 2026 by auto motor und sport, the ID. Polo achieved first place in the small car category. Volkswagen achieved two category wins in the vote: in addition to the
ID. Polo, the new T-Roc also won the Small SUV/Crossover category. The Volkswagen Multivan was a winner in the Vans category. For Volkswagen, the award as overall winner for the ID. Polo is also the first award for the new Pure Positive design language – with a clear-cut shape, a likeable appearance and surprising details.
ID. Polo also in the final of Car of the Year 2027.
The new ID. Polo is also among the seven finalists in the renowned European Car of the Year 2027 award. For the first time in the history of the award, the list comprises exclusively of all-electric vehicles. After further test drives and the final evaluation by the international expert jury, the winner will be announced on 8 January 2027 at the Brussels Motor Show.
Electric. Practical. Affordable.
The awards underline the positioning of the new
ID. Polo as an all-electric compact Volkswagen for a broad audience. With a starting price of 24,995 euros (in Germany), a range of up to 454 kilometres and a luggage capacity of up to 1,240 litres (with the rear seat backrests folded down), it combines electric mobility with high everyday suitability, plenty of space and an attractive price-performance ratio.