Volkswagen ID.5 review

You practically need a PhD in product marketing to be able to understand Volkswagen Group trims and pricing these days, but at the time of writing there are three powertrain options – Pro, Pro Performance and GTX – available with three different trims, Style, Tech and Max. The GTX is only available with the Style pack, so that gives you slightly fewer options to choose from. Style Pro kicks off proceedings at £49,735, followed by the Style Pro Performance at £51,210 and topping out with the GTX at £55,570.

If you’re looking at monthly leasing options then the cheapest Style Pro will be around £591 a month and the GTX around the £800 a month mark. Of course, if you’re a company-car driver then you’ll benefit from the perky low tax rates for electric vehicles, which will make the ID.5 a more worthy candidate for the shortlist. Kinda. 

WHAT ARE THE EQUIPMENT LEVELS LIKE?

All cars come with a 77kWh battery, 11kW onboard charger and CCS rapid charging up to 135kW. All models get a panoramic sunroof, LED matrix headlights, electric tailgate, three-zone climate control, fancy augmented reality HUD and electrically adjustable seats. The Max cars add sportier seats, 20in alloys and a more ‘dynamic’ chassis set-up for driving fun. 

Across the ID.5 range there's a focus on sustainability – Volkswagen claims that its build process is carbon neutral and you even get funky suede-style fabric on the seats that's made from recycled PET bottles.

WHAT ABOUT RIVALS?

The ID.5’s immediate rivals are all in-house – people who go for this car will no doubt already be looking at the ID.4, Skoda Enyaq (and its Coupe model) or Audi Q4 e-tron. But then they’ll also want to consider the BMW iX3, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Kia EV6, Tesla Model Y or the Polestar 2 even.

It’s getting quite crowded out there among the electric family SUV set. The Volkswagen offers a good technical package from a proven outfit, but it might fall down on image or the day-to-day practicality of living with the way its onboard tech works.