Volkswagen ID.5 review

It's the future, sort of. Cars like this Volkswagen ID.5 are interesting for the shift that they herald in the whole process of building cars and owning them. What was once merely well engineered hardware has morphed into a high-tech software base. And because of the ability to update these software systems remotely, cars like this will arrive on the market ready, but not necessarily finished.

Volkswagen rolled out an over-the-air update not long after the ID.5 was launched at the end of 2021, unlocking faster charging, a smidge more range and some changes to the infotainment. At the end of 2023 it made some further changes, streamlining some of the infotainment processes.

But it also brought in actual hardware changes: the e-motor on the rear axle has been upgraded to match the latest lighter (and more efficient) motor from the new ID.7, as well as a larger infotainment screen and illuminated touch swipe features underneath it. And since then, the pricing has been tidied up for a new, £36,995 start point. Handy when the heavily related Ford Capri is swooping up more column inches via good 'ol controversy.

It looks the same as the ID.4, how's it different?

From the B-pillar forward it’s essentially the same car, but the ID.4’s sensible back end has been made sleeker to achieve a coupe-like finish on the ID.5. This is the stylish option, you see, and it comes with a sporty GTX model that’s intended to channel the spirit of GTIs of the past and convince naysayers that EVs can be speedy and cool.

Does the ID.5 look better than the ID.4 with its coupe roofline? It’s different, and avoids the 'amorphous blob' vibe of its more sensible sibling with a more arresting silhouette and that natty rear spoiler. People seem to want these coupe SUVs, and this one ticks all the design boxes it needs to.

Does the hot GTX... work?

No, not really. It’s a flawed concept that even Volkswagen doesn’t seem to be particularly convinced by, even though it doubled down with the 2023 upgrade by giving the dual-motor GTX a 40bhp power boost to 335bhp. It’s the torque that’s really grown in the process, increasing from 229 to 402lb ft. It’s the same boost that the Skoda Enyaq vRS got recently.

The car certainly doesn’t warrant the association with the fabled GTIs that’s implied. It’ll get you across a country road briskly, but with no sense of satisfaction or engagement. Likewise it’s punchy on the motorway (all the way up to its 112mph top speed no doubt), but you’ll soon start worrying about range.

The main disappointment though, is that we’re still afflicted by the lazy trope that sportiness means a stiff ride and overly weighted steering. It's a heavy car, too: the GTX in its most basic unladen state comes in at 2,242kg.

So what's the point of the ID.5?

Well, there are more ‘normal’ iterations of the ID.5, of course. You don’t need a two-tonne electric SUV that does 0–62mph in 5.4 seconds, so if you’re really sold on the shape then you can go for the 'Pure' entry-level powertrain with a 52kWh battery and 168bhp of power for claims of a 227-mile range and 0-62 in a more leisurely 8.9s. Or there's another single-motor, rear-wheel-drive 'Pro' variant that combines a 77kWh battery with 282bhp for respective claims of 345 miles and 6.7s.

Curiously the latter kicks off the range at a newly affordable £36,995 in entry Essential trim, some four grand cheaper than the 'Pure Match' with less power and range. It also means the ID.5 range as a whole starts ten grand cheaper than the Skoda Enyaq Coupe and about five grand less than its other, more controversial cousin: the new Ford Capri. The two share powertrains and tech beneath the skin but the VW hauls around far less emotional baggage.

What about rivals?

The ID.5’s immediate rivals are all in-house: if you're interested in one then you'll be looking at the ID.4, Skoda Enyaq (and that Coupe model) and Audi Q4 e-tron as well. Plus the Capri.

But then you'll also want to consider the BMW iX3, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Kia EV6, Tesla Model Y, Renault Scenic, Peugeot e-3008 or Hyundai Ioniq 5. It’s getting quite crowded in the electric family SUV set.

The ID.5 is a reasonable effort from VW, and careful over-the-air updates and some recent price cuts have made it fitter than ever before in a crowded sector. Plenty about it still irks us - it suffers by association with an infotainment system that still has enough flaws to make it bothersome, despite Volkswagen’s attempts to address them - and the faster GTX borders on pointless.

But priced well below £40k when even its own engine (well, e-motor) buddies don't is a big thumbs up in its favour. And we've warmed to its swoopy silhouette and pert rear spoiler beside the boxier, less fun ID.4. 

It still ultimately feels like a machine that’s imposing itself on you rather than offering itself as a tool you can mould around your daily life. It's not Volkswagen at its best, therefore, but with the fresh context of samey Chinese competition (and those subtly applied upgrades), it annoys us less than it did at launch.