The ID.5 is the third model on the VW-badged MEB platform, following the ID.3 and ID.4. It’s an ID.4 with a different rear end, making it a more fashionable SUV-Coupe. With its redesigned stern, the ID.5 is more aerodynamic than the ID.4, although officials could not give us any concrete value on this.
Ironically, with its sportier body, the “5” can therefore boast a more favorable WLTP range than the corresponding version of the “4”: 497 km compared to 486 in the case of the top GTX model with all-wheel drive (although this value has yet to be certified for the ID.5).
The coupe profile doesn’t make the ID.5 particularly lower than the ID.4, while the width is identical for both models.
The coupe profile doesn’t make the ID.5 particularly lower than the ID.4, while the width is identical for both models. And although the roof is more sloped from the B-pillar up, rear headroom doesn’t really seem compromised. Even better: rear passengers don’t even have to lower their heads to enter the car, as they would in a Ford Mustang Mach-E. In the back seat, during our exclusive test drive, we saw the abundance of legroom offered by the MEB platform, thanks to the long 2,765 mm wheelbase. Trunk volume also remains unchanged, at least under the luggage cover (543 liters) – loaded to the roof, it will of course be much less due to the significantly steeper rear window, but VW has yet to reveal the maximum volume.
The range of power versions and battery capacities will logically be similar to the ID.4. However, the prototype we were able to test near Düsseldorf was a GTX, the superior all-wheel drive version that was only recently introduced on the ID.4. This abbreviation corresponds to the meaning of the letters GTI and GTD for classic VWs with gasoline or diesel engines, and is also a nod to the eponymous versions of the Jetta and Scirocco II from the 1980s. That coupe inspired the designers for the ID.5’s rear end, including the trunk spoiler, which is designed not to obstruct the rear view – and much smaller than the one that tops the ID.4’s rear window.
Exterior details on the GTX version are the same on the ID.5 as on the ID.4: daytime running lights with three LEDs on each side of the bumper, a slightly redesigned rear bumper and, of course, GTX badges.
And, not visible on our camouflage-clad test car, a black roof and body-colored door sills (instead of the black plastic on non-GTX versions). This top-of-the-line version comes standard with the largest battery pack available (77 kWh net), as well as an integrated charger that can handle up to 125 kW of DC power. This should allow the battery level to be raised from 5 to 80 percent in less than 40 minutes.
The VW ID.5 inherits both the ID.4’s good and not-so-good aspects.
Resulting in a fairly well-rounded electric SUV which isn’t too badly compromised by its sportier silhouette. The Volkswagen brand remains committed to broadening its EV line-up no matter what and the ID.5 certainly provides a sleek-looking halo model for ID.3 hatch owners to aspire to.
Especially in top GTX form, where the AWD system and its extra power create a significantly more aspirational and pleasing package than is the case with the ID.4 GTX.
