Volkswagen ID.5 review: A stylish electric coupe SUV with a decent range

The Volkswagen ID.5 is the fastback coupe version of the Volkswagen ID.4. The two are largely almost identical, apart from the different shape of the rear end. To also reflect its extra style in your wallet, the Volkswagen ID.5 costs more than the ID.4.

It’s not just all about good looks, though. An added benefit of its sleek shape is a small improvement to its range. The benefits of this may even be magnified further at speed on the motorway. This will help you get closer to the impressive 344-mile official range.

There are now just two Volkswagen ID.5 models on sale, the mainstream Match and sporty GTX. This reflects its niche status, and also the arrival of the fantastic new Volkswagen ID.7, which is a larger car with a similar profile (and is better all round than the ID.5).

This isn’t a bad car, but it’s one that doesn’t have a convincing USP. We’d rather save the money and go for the Volkswagen ID.4 instead.

We spent a week with the Volkswagen ID.5, in which we didn’t have to worry about charge stops on one of our regular jaunts to Heathrow, thanks to the generous capacity of the battery.

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Independent rating: 6/10

The Volkswagen ID.5 offers a single 77kWh battery, which VW calls the ‘Pro’ unit. In the rear-wheel drive Match, this serves up a strong 344-mile range. With a 286PS motor, performance isn’t bad either, with 0-62mph taking 6.7 seconds.

The alternative is the Volkswagen ID.5 GTX which, courtesy of front and rear electric motors, has 4Motion all-wheel drive. It produces 340PS and can do 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds, while still having a decent 329-mile range.

The Volkswagen ID.5 can only DC rapid-charge at a rate of up to 135kW, though. Newer models can do it faster, which long-distance drivers will appreciate.

A comfortable and refined car to drive, only the GTX model has any hint of sportiness. This car is a cruiser, not a back-road blaster. Based on its appearance, some may be disappointed it’s not a bit more engaging.

The Volkswagen ID.5 shares an interior with the Volkswagen ID.4. This has benefitted from recent improvements in quality and finish, with more use of soft-touch plastics to lessen the somewhat ‘cheap’ feel of earlier models. It now feels more like an authentic VW.

The largely button-free driving environment is heavily reliant on the touchscreen, but a larger display makes things easier. The much-derided heater sliders at the bottom of the screen are also now, belatedly, illuminated. The gearshift lever is now in a more logical location as well – although the daft electric window switches, where the same button controls both front and rear windows (via an additional switchover button), remain.

The front seats are comfortable, particularly the sporty chairs in the GTX. There’s plenty of space in the rear, and this dedicated EV platform means there’s no central tunnel in the floor, either. Those worried if the roofline impacts rear headroom, fear not; and the boot is actually bigger than the ID.4’s, at 549 litres. The shape isn’t as practical though.

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Early Volkswagen ID.5 cars had a pretty buggy infotainment system, that was blocky and fiddly to use. Pleasingly, the latest one now benefits from a much-improved system, which uses a larger 12.9-inch screen, and a new operating system. It’s more colourful and logical, with smartphone-like widget configurability adding to its ease of use. So far, it seems to be more reliable as well.

Discover Pro sat nav is standard, and this is fully connected, so can help you find available chargepoints nearby at a glance. The connectivity tech extends even further, too – ‘Car2X’ communications will use the sensors of nearby VWs to warn you if there are obstacles ahead. It’s technology currently in its infancy, but the ID.5 is ready to capitalise as it develops.

The Volkswagen ID.7 Match uses a six-speaker stereo, putting out a reasonable 140 watts. The GTX has an improved Harman Kardon system, with nine speakers and a punchier 480-watt output. You can easily stream music from your smartphone via Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as well.

What’s the price of the Volkswagen ID.5’s coupe-like rear end? £1,230 – that’s how much extra it costs over the ID.4. The Match is £45,860 and the GTX is £55,705. The trouble is, the newer Volkswagen ID.7 is only £51,550, and it’s a better car in so many ways. This is now what places the ID.5 so awkwardly in the VW range.

It’s pretty efficient though, averaging almost four miles per kWh of electricity. The generous range should reduce the amount of time you need to rely on public chargers, giving further savings. Volkswagen also has two-year service intervals, while insurance is only one group higher than the ID.4, itself pretty decent value for an EV.

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The Volkswagen ID.5 will take 29 minutes to charge from 10 to 80 per cent, using at a DC rate of 135kW.

The Volkswagen ID.5 sits in between the ID.4 and ID.7, and we think either of those is a better buy than the ID.5.

Volkswagen guarantees the ID.5 batteries for eight years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first.

The Volkswagen ID.5 seems a bit pointless nowadays, with the arrival of the superior ID.7. I’d save the extra money and just buy an ID.4 instead – it’s more practical, anyway.