Ahead of the order book opening in Ireland in the first half of 2022, Volkswagen has taken the camouflage wrap off its new ID.5 and ID.5 GTX. The ID.5 is presented as the coupe-SUV alternative to the more sensible ID.4. Irish pricing has yet to be confirmed but expect to pay a premium for the sportier appearance and market positioning.
Uncompromised ID.5 styling?
Despite the new roofline of the ID.5 that sets it apart, Volkswagen's figures suggest that it's not as compromised an SUV as you might first expect. Oddly, the ID.5's boot volume, at 549 litres, is more than is quoted for the ID.4. However, the ID.4's more upright rear should allow it carry bulkier loads - and the ID.5's maximum capacity with the rear seats folded down is smaller than the ID.4's.
Compare the side profiles of the twins and it appears that the rear door aperture of the ID.5 is only slightly smaller than that of the ID.4, due to the plunging roofline, while the overall height of the new car is only 20mm lower. The rear seating looks no different, and the front of the ID.5 retains the same all-digital design as used in the ID.4.
The eagle-eyed will spot an ID.5 coming towards them by its unique front bumper, while it also gets full body colour for the doors. At the back, there's a boot spoiler, too, said to help reduce the coefficient of drag to just 0.26.
One battery, three powertrains
Although Volkswagen Ireland has yet to confirm which versions will be offered for sale here, the ID.5 will only be manufactured with the company's 77kWh (that's the usable capacity) battery pack. The entry-level variant gets a 174hp electric motor on the rear axle and a WLTP-ratified range of up to 520 kilometres. There's also a 204hp motor option. Peak torque is capped at 310Nm in both cases.
As with the ID.4, the more distinctly sporting GTX variant tops the ID.5 line-up. It's the only all-wheel-drive model, featuring an additional electric motor to drive the front wheels and increasing power output to 299hp. The 0-100km/h time is quoted as 6.3 seconds and the electric range is said to be up to 480km. Along with the standard Eco, Comfort and Sport driving modes, the GTX driver can select a Traction setting for slippery slow-speed conditions.
A DC charging rate of up to 135kW is theoretically possible for the ID.5.