Volkswagen’s smallest EV has arrived – and it’s not messing about. The new ID. Polo, the all-electric supermini that aims to do for the EV world what the original Polo did for sensible hatchbacks. Only now it’s quieter, cleverer and, thankfully, not shaped like a melted bar of soap.

UK order books open on 30 July with two generously specced Launch Edition models, while the full range lands on 10 September with prices starting at £23,945. Want the longer-range version? Every 52kWh, 211PS model qualifies for the Government’s £1,500 Electric Car Grant, softening the blow to your bank account.

The headline numbers are reasonable. A maximum 281-mile WLTP range, DC rapid charging at up to 105kW, and a 10 to 80 per cent recharge in just 24 minutes mean this isn’t just a city runabout. It’ll happily tackle longer journeys too, provided your bladder gives up before the battery does.

Volkswagen has also nailed the packaging. Thanks to its new front-wheel-drive EV platform, the ID. Polo squeezes in five seats and a 441-litre boot – bigger than both the current Golf and ID.3. That’s properly impressive in a car this compact.

Inside, VW has listened to the critics. Physical controls are back where they matter, the digital layout is simpler to use, and there are even nostalgic display themes inspired by the original Golf. Fancy a few luxuries? Higher-spec cars offer massage seats, a panoramic roof, Harman Kardon audio and advanced driver assistance tech usually reserved for pricier machinery.

The ID. Polo isn’t trying to reinvent the hatchback. Instead, it’s taking everything people like about the regular Polo – practicality, familiarity and everyday usability – and electrifying the formula. If Volkswagen gets the driving experience right, this could be the small EV that finally convinces mainstream buyers to make the switch. The electric supermini fight has just become a lot more interesting.