Volkswagen ID.5

Welcome to the family, ID.5

Latest addition to Volkswagen’s burgeoning electric car range is the best looking yet and easy to love, says Andrew Walker

Hot on the heels of the ID.3 and ID.4 comes the ID.5, a more stylish coupé version of, well, the ID.4. Since we really like the ID.4 it seems safe to assume we’ll like the ID.5 too. However, it now faces increased competition from the likes of the KIA EV6, Ford Mustang MACH E and Nissan Ariya, so how does it get on?

What is it?

A five-door family crossover. From the outside it’s certainly more striking to look at than an ID.4, with a new rear end design and C-pillars giving, it a more sloping roofline and a boot lid that features a rear wing.

Model choice and battery range

Choose from one 77kWh battery with three power options: the ID.5 Pro with 174PS, the Pro Performance with 204PS or the GTX with 299PS. There are three specs to choose from: Style, Tech and Max.

The 77kWh battery offers a choice of 324, 322 or 314-mile ranges, all dependant on the spec choice.

Equipment and goodies

All ID.5s offer customers plenty of standard equipment. This includes fast-charging 135 kW DC and 11 kW AC, Climatronic air-con, keyless entry and start, 12-way electric seats, a heated steering wheel, Adaptive Cruise Control, Travel Assist, Park Assist Plus, DAB, Apple Car Play, Android Auto and Discover Max Pro Nav with a 12” colour touchscreen.

Our TECH 204PS Pro Performance also featured Wireless App-Connect, wireless smartphone charging, 19” alloys, IQ Light Matrix, 3D LED rear lights, panoramic glass, rear tinted glass and 30 colour interior ambient lighting.

Interior

This mirrors the inside of an ID.4, so factor in a centrally mounted 12” infotainment touchscreen, a 5.3” dash panel display, a flat bottomed steering wheel and a gear lever on the right end of the centre console that you twist to select from Drive, Reverse or Neutral.

The colours used on our test model were certainly different, featuring Soul Black and Florence Brown upholstery and the same combination on the dashboard. Build quality is pretty good, perhaps a step up on the ID.4, although there are some cheaper, harder plastics located lower down and the seat fabric looks cheap.

Practicality

The interior offers at least as much room as you’ll find in a Volkswagen Tiguan. Front seat passengers are spoiled for space, with even an armrest each. In the rear, there’s room for three adults to sit comfortably side by side. Cabin storage is generous, so you get four large door pockets, two central cup holders, some clever central storage between the front seats, where the twin USBs are located.

Rear passengers get plenty of head and legroom. They also get two c-USBs and their own heating vents. And if there’s only two in the back, an armrest folds down, inside of which there are cupholders.

Luggage capacity with the rear seats upright is a more than generous 549 litres, which increases to 1,561 litres with the rear seats folded. The boot is flat and rectangular, so it’s easy to slide stuff in and out of it. There’s a hidden storage space under the boot floor, where the two charging cables can be stored out of sight.

All ID 5s except those in entry-level Style trim come with an electrically operated tailgate as standard.

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Welcome to the family, ID.5

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Tech and connectivity

Volkswagen’s Discover Pro Navigation system with 12” colour touchscreen and touch-sensitive functionality, dominates the centre of the dash. You get pre-loaded European navigation data, branded points of interest, a 2D or 3D map view, speed limit display and car information display at the touch of a button.

It also allows for the simultaneous pairing of two compatible mobile devices and SMS functionality. Radio lovers need not worry, there’s a DAB digital radio receiver, with six speakers and Bluetooth telephone and audio connections.

App-Connect also features. This combines the functionality of Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and MirrorLink, allowing mirroring of smartphone display on the infotainment touchscreen. It can be connected wirelessly.

ID.5 also gets ID.Light and We Connect, which provides continuous interaction between driver and vehicle. For example, this includes ‘eCall’, which allows emergency SOS calls and comes with an automated breakdown notification.

It also includes a regular vehicle health report and reminds the driver of the car’s service schedule.

Battery range and performance

Our test car was the ID.5 5 TECH Pro Performance, fitted with the 77 kWh battery with 204 PS of power. Maximum torque is 310Nm, top speed 99mph and 0-62mph takes just 8.4 seconds.

The claimed WLTP range is 315 miles, with consumption at 4.1miles per kWh.

Charging

Using a standard 7.2kW home charger, it will take 11 hours to fully charge the battery from zero. We recommend Rolec – more at http://www.rolecserv.com/home-charging .

All ID.5s are supplied with a three-point 32-amp / 7.2kW charging cable and come with a three-year mobility guarantee in case of car breakdown.

It can also be fast charged, either via a 125 kW DC (direct current) or 11 kW AC (alternating current). Using the former means charging to 80 per cent capacity in just 25 minutes – ideal for a top-up during your lunch hour.

Functionality

Most of the car’s functions are touchsensitive and controlled through the touchscreen. In fact, all of Volkswagen’s updated models now feature the same system. The system itself is very intuitive and it doesn’t take too long to grasp its finer points.

The screen is easy to reach and the menus are straightforward. The screen graphics are clear and sharp and the set-up is very responsive. Something that is easy to get used to is the keyless-entry-and-go system. As long as you have the key, the ID.5 will unlock itself and when you push the brake pedal the engine will start. Select Drive from the twisty gear lever and away you go. When you come to stop, you just press Park, get out and the car will switch itself off and lock behind you.

Driving

Weighing at 2,117kg the ID.5 is no light- weight. However, the location of the battery under the chassis means that it’s surprisingly balanced on the road and corners pretty well. The 201bhp electric motor with 150kW or 204PS and 310Nm of torque, will propel the ID.5 quite quickly in a straight line, but on country roads, it’s a little more cumbersome.

Thanks to its single-speed automatic transmission and rear wheel drive set-up, it performs well in either urban traffic or when taking you along a motorway, with both tasks undertaken in supreme quiet and relaxing comfort.

To enhance battery range, you can select a regenerative brake mode. In Drive, you simply twist and push the gear lever to select the B function, which gives you access to this. Unlike some EVs the strength of the regeneration on

ID.5, as with ID.4 and ID.3, is not that high, however. While there is a downside on recharging there is an upside in that it helps make the ID.5 better to drive than some of its competitors.

As far as driving modes go, you can select from Eco, the best for saving battery range, limiting you to a top speed of 80mph; Comfort, Sport or Individual.

Pros

For company car drivers the benefits of running an ID.5 are impossible to ignore. Charging regularly at home and at night on a cheaper tariff will save on your fuel bill and there’s the BIK tax savings, too. Furthermore, the 77kWh battery on ID.5 offers customers a real world 250-275 mile driving range. And as a bonus it’s striking to look at.

Cons

The ID.5 is heavy so it’s not as fun to drive as a petrol Tiguan. For a car that retails at nearly £55,000, some of the fixtures and fittings aren’t as good as you’ll find on a Volkswagen Golf, which is disappointing. That cost also means leasing is by far your best option, particularly as a company car option.

Conclusion

The ID.5 we tested, with its 77kWh battery and coupé good looks, is a great addition to the ID family. The driving range is comparable with the electric competition from ‘within’ the VAG Group, particularly stablemate the Skoda Enyaq, and from outside, in the guise of the KIA EV6, Nissan Ariya and Hyundai IONIQ 5.

It’s also a proper family five-seater, offering buyers loads of practical space and the latest tech and safety features.

Furthermore, the BIK benefits are immense, so if you’re a company car driver who needs a large family car, it should be on your shopping list.

CC&V VERDICT

Volkswagen rarely puts a foot wrong these days, and its new ID. electric range is a case in point. With ID.3 and .4 ploughing the road before it, the ID.5 brings all the electric motoring benefits fleet drivers want backed with the versatility and convenience of a family car. First rate.

CC&V RATING:

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