Volkswagen ID.5 Review: Is it worth upgrading from the ID.4?

Does VW’s spacious family-friendly EV have enough to rival the Model Y?

Spacious, electric and sporty good looks. The VW ID.5 is Volkswagen’s attempt at crafting an appealing electric family SUV.

Born to rival the likes of the Tesla Model Y, Volvo C40 and fellow German competitors such the Audi Q4 e-tron.

Inspired by the (slightly) smaller sibling, the ID.4, the ID.5 shares many components, including its 77kWh battery pack, but offers more defined coupe styling and additional interior space.

We’ve been out reviewing this 77kWh Tech Pro Performance variant to see just how good it is.

What did we drive?

Model: Coupe 150kW Tech Pro Performance 77kWh 5dr Auto

Transmission: Automatic

Power: Electric (204 PS)

Colour: Grenadilla black

OTR from: £50,850

Price of model driven: £57,450

*Prices correct at the time of publication

Price

The ID.5 starts from just over £50,000 for the entry-level Style specification. It can range all the way up to £56,685 for the range topping GTX 4MOTION spec. The price you pay will depend on the battery variant you choose.

Rivals like the Tesla Model Y start from a more affordable £44,990, but only offers a claimed range of 283 miles.

There’s a big spike in price when you move into the Long Range and Performance variants, which start from £52,990 and £59,990 respectively.

Meanwhile, the Volvo C40 starts from £47,405 as another more affordable alternative, rising to £54,720 for the top-of-the-range Ultimate trim level.

However, if you would like to spread the cost into a more cost-effective driving experience, you can explore a VW lease deal, which offers fixed monthly payments over a set period, with lease terms designed around you.

Batteries, range & charging

There are three different battery variants to choose from within the Volkswagen range.

There’s only size available (77kWh) this time around, but there are the Pro (174PS), Pro Performance (204PS) and GTX (299PS) variants, with each offering varying degrees of power and a claimed range of up to 327 miles.

Our Pro Performance variant had a claimed range of 324 miles.

The ID.5 can be charged at up to 135kW, which will recoup 62 miles in just seven minutes – how’s that for convenience?

If you’re charging at home using a standard 7kW wall box charger, the ID.5 will take around 12 hours to charge from zero to full.

Drive

The ID.5 was a very enjoyable drive. While it can be hard to distinguish between different electric cars, it was noticeable how smooth the ID.5 was on the move.

Our test drive route includes some less-than-ideal UK road surfaces and it took it all in its stride. It tackled the bumpier surfaces with no fuss whatsoever and was unfazed as we ventured off the beaten track.

You have all the smooth, instant acceleration that we know and love from EVs, and with over 200PS, you’ve got plenty of power for motorway overtakes where required.

It’s a car of decent length, but it handled nicely and didn’t feel overwhelming to drive either, especially as we travelled through the tighter urban roads.

Design & interior

The ID.5 offers a refined and contemporary design. It’s hard not to notice the similarities in design between the ID.4 and the ID.5.

They both have an unmistakable ‘VW’ feel to them. The ID.5 blends nicely into the wider VW and ID range, without looking too outlandish, or overly electric in its appearance.

Compared to the ID.4, the proportions of the ID.5 seem to fit the car much better. It’s a longer and wider vehicle and flowing design brings out the best of this crossover’s looks, complemented by this Grenadilla black finish.

The interior quality was also what you would expect of this class. It felt well-built and put together, but not quite class-leading when it comes to materials.

Our cabin was filled with piano black finishes throughout and during the Indian summer weather we’ve been enjoying lately, the glaring sunshine brought up the worst of the fingerprints and everyday scuffs.

Space & practicality

When you step inside the ID.5, you can instantly sense the sheer space on offer inside the cabin.

It’s one of few electric SUVs that can rival the Model Y for interior space. The large sunroof spans the length and width of the car to let in huge amounts of natural light.

The result is a large and airy cabin space, so you don’t feel like you’re sitting on top of passengers.

Both driver and passengers are afforded a reasonable amount of headroom and comfort levels throughout are great.

Just like we experienced during our Volkswagen ID.4 review, we encountered VW’s, let’s say, ‘old-fashioned’ approach to armrests. Now, don’t get us wrong, an armrest is an armrest, right? They’re more than comfortable enough, but it caught us by surprise in a modern 2023 EV, but at least it does give you the option to push it upright if you’re not a fan.

The ID.5 has a generous boot space at 549L, which is just six litres more than what is available in the ID.4. It’s someway off the class-leading 854L available in the Model Y but does gazump the 404L available in the Volvo C40.

It’s a large opening, so you won’t ever struggle getting your larger shopping items in and out of the ID.5 and there’s a minimal load lip to contend with. The adjustable false floor gives you room underneath to store cables out of sight too.

Technology

VW’s technology is its current biggest downfall when compared to some of its competitors.

It’s not a bad system to use or live with, but it’s not as natural or intuitive to use as something like what you’ll find in a new Hyundai or Kia, for example.

The touchscreen is responsive, but it’s lacking physical buttons throughout the cabin. The driver is left overly reliant on haptic touch sensitive buttons and an awkward menu layout.

Shortcut steering wheel thumb controls are helpful and well positioned, but it feels like VW have leant too heavily on the wrong side of the button divide here.

The menus have a raise to wake feature that hides the names until there is motion close to the screen. It’s a system that you’ll learn to use over time, finding the shortcuts and layout that works for your everyday needs, but initially, it took us longer than we’d care to admit finding the climate control or access Apple CarPlay.

It’s a shame that the technology does hold the ID.5 back, because the space, practicality and drive is so assured, it would really run the Model Y close if it were for better technology.

Safety

During its Euro NCAP safety tests, the VW ID.5 scored top marks, with a five-star score. It followed that up with a 93% score for Adult Occupants and an 89% Child Occupant score.

It also features plenty of driver assistance safety systems as standard, including Adaptive Cruise Control, dynamic lighting with LED matrix headlights, lane assist, front and rear parking sensors, as well as a high-quality reversing camera on all models.

Model lines & equipment

You’ve got the choice of three trim levels within the ID.5 line-up; the Style, Tech and GTX Style.

Depending on the trim level you choose, you could have a choice of battery options too. While the battery options can vary, there isn’t a huge difference between each trim level as the battery changes.

Below, we have outlined some of the key highlights from each trim level.

Style – Available from £50,850

Battery options: 77kWh Pro & 77kWh Pro Performance

• Alloy wheels "Hamar" 8J x 19, Black, diamond-turned surface
• 'Interior Style' comfort seats in Art velours microfleece
• `Air Care Climatronic` (3-zone) with rear air conditioning control panel
• "Discover Max" 12-inch Navigation infotainment display
• Rear view camera
• Keyless entry and starting
• Panoramic glass roof
• Matrix LED headlights with automatic headlight control, poor weather light and entry lighting

Tech – Available from £55,595

Battery options: 77kWh Pro & 77kWh Pro Performance

• Alloy wheels "Hamar" 8J x 19, Black, diamond-turned surface
• 'Interior Style' comfort seats in Art velours microfleece
• Power seat adjustment for both front seats, with memory feature and seat depth adjustment
• `Air Care Climatronic` (3-zone) with rear air conditioning control panel
• "Discover Max" 12-inch Navigation infotainment display
• Area view and rear-view camera
• Electrically-operated tailgate opening and closing function, operated via foot movement under rear tailgate
• Keyless entry and starting
• Augmented reality head-up display
• Panoramic glass roof
• Matrix LED headlights with automatic headlight control, poor weather light and entry lighting
• Memory feature for Park Assist Plus
• Park assistance plus with front and rear parking sensors (Pro Performance only)

GTX Style - Available from £56,685

Battery options: 77kWh GTX 4MOTION

• 4 alloy wheels "Ystad", 8J x 20 in front, 9J x 20 in rear, Black, diamond-turned surface
• Inserts of front seats and outer rear seats in fabric "GTX"
• `Air Care Climatronic` (3-zone) with rear air conditioning control panel
• "Discover Max" 12-inch Navigation infotainment display
• Rear view camera
• Keyless entry and starting
• Panoramic glass roof
• Matrix LED headlights with automatic headlight control, poor weather light and entry lighting

Verdict

The VW ID.5 was a really nice place to be and if you plan to use it as a family car, it’s easy to see how it could be supremely versatile and practical.

There’s oodles of space in the back for passengers and the boot space is generous enough. With a decent range and competitive charge times, it is up there with the most compelling electric car lease deals to consider.

Its technology is fiddly, there’s no doubt about it. However, our time with the ID.5 was short lived. If we were to live with the vehicle for a prolonged period, our feelings here would no doubt change.

The ID.5’s dimensions are only marginally bigger than the ID.4, but the additional space on offer inside and the storage make it a worthwhile upgrade if you’re in the market for a spacious family EV.