Volkswagen ID.5 Review 2024

Volkswagen ID.5 At A Glance

3/5
Honest John Overall Rating
A stylish alternative to the Volkswagen ID.4, the ID.5 has an impressive range and a more practical cabin than you might expect. It'd make a solid introduction to the world of electric cars – but is that enough to justify its hefty list price?

+Impressive electric range of up to 313 miles. Well-rounded introduction to electric cars. Hardly any less practical than the ID.4.

-The same frustrating infotainment as the ID.3 and ID.4. Pleasant but unexciting to drive. Prices start from more than £50,000.

There was a time when a coupe-SUV was a niche model, usually the preserve of premium brands like Audi and BMW. But now everyone's at it (look no further than the Renault Arkana, for example) – and now you can buy a sloped roofline version of the ID.4 electric SUV, badged the Volkswagen ID.5.

A new flagship for Volkswagen's electric ID range, the VW ID.5 is only available with the bigger 77kWh battery and a hefty £50,000 plus price tag. You do get an impressive range (up to 313 miles, depending on spec), while its coupe-SUV looks are arguably more attractive than the more functional Volkswagen ID.4.

As well as class-leading electric vehicles like the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5, that puts it in the same league as premium alternatives like the Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback, Volvo C40 Recharge and Tesla Model Y.

The cabin isn't any posher than you'd get in an ID.4, unfortunately, which is bad news as there are more flimsy finishes than is really acceptable in an SUV costing between £50,000 and £60,000. It looks smart enough, though, although we have our usual concerns about the useability of things like the touch-sensitive climate control buttons.

It's well-equipped for the money, with all models getting a smart 12.0-inch infotainment display and a smaller digital driver's display behind the steering wheel. The Volkswagen ID.5 marks the introduction of the brand's 3.1 software, which includes a new intelligent electric vehicle route planner as well as a (slightly annoying) 'hello ID' voice control feature.

This software also allows the Volkswagen ID.5 to accept 135kW charging, which means you can add 200 miles of range in as little as half an hour. Combine that with the impressive range and the Volkswagen ID.5 is a desirable long-distance electric car.

You might expect the ID.5's coupe-SUV design to come at the expense of practicality, but it's actually pretty spacious inside. The seats are mounted pretty low, which means there's loads of headroom (for both front and rear passengers), while its 549-litre boot is actually marginally bigger than the ID.4's – on paper, at least.

The Volkswagen ID.5 is pretty anodyne to drive, even though the steering is artificially heavier than we're used to from VW. There are three key variants, with the majority of buyers expected to go for the ID.5 Pro. This is a rear-wheel-drive model, with a single electric motor providing 174PS and a pretty lacklustre 0-62mph time of 10.4 seconds.

Unless you're spending all your time in the city, we'd recommend upgrading to the ID.5 Pro Performance, with its 204PS electric motor giving it the ability to hit 62mph in a slightly livelier 8.3 seconds.

Topping the range is the Volkswagen ID.5 GTX, which is kind of intended to be an electric GTI model. We're pleased that VW hasn't given it a GTI badge, though – even with its twin electric motors giving the all-wheel-drive ID.5 a 6.3 second 0-62mph time, it's nowhere near as fun to drive as a Ford Mustang Mach-E or Kia EV6.

Much like the Volkswagen ID.4 on which it's based, the ID.5 struggles to stand out in a rapidly expanding segment. It's a perfectly good all-rounder, but its premium price tag makes it harder to forgive certain quirks such as the frustrating infotainment and below-par interior quality.

What does a Volkswagen ID.5 cost?