We’ve spotted the new Volkswagen ID.5 coupe-SUV undergoing final testing on public roads ahead of its expected launch date later this year.
Volkswagen recently confirmed that the ID.5 had entered its pre-production phase. The coupe-SUV will be built at the brand’s electric car plant in Zwickau, Germany, where the ID.3 and ID.4 are also produced.
When it reaches European showrooms, the Volkswagen ID.5 will provide a more rakish alternative to the brand’s ID.4, focusing a little more on style. It’ll have a broad range of rivals, including the Citroen e-C4, the Kia EV6 and upcoming Skoda Enyaq coupe. However don;t expect to see the ID.4 or ID.5 in Australian showrooms until 2023 at the earliest.
As the ID.5 will be, in essence, a rebodied version of the ID.4, it’ll share the same MEB platform for VW Group EVs and have access to the same range of electric motors and powertrains as its more practical sibling.
Like the Volkswagen ID.4, the launch edition of the ID.5 will likely feature a 77kWh battery pack and a 150kW electric motor mounted on the rear axle. However, due to its slightly more aerodynamic shape, its range could increase over the ID.4’s 500-kilometre figure.
At the top of the ID.5 line-up, there’ll be a performance-focused GTX variant, which will use the same twin-motor, four-wheel drive powertrain found in the Skoda Enyaq vRS. The technology is also available on the ID.4 and develops 225kW, which is enough for a 0-100km/h time of 6.2 seconds.
Eventually, Volkswagen could also launch an entry-level version of the ID.5. That would likely be powered by a 52kWh battery pack and either a 109kW or 125kW electric motor.
New Volkswagen ID.5: design and interior
New Volkswagen ID.5: design and interior
From the front, the ID.5’s styling is pretty much identical to the ID.4, with familiar LED headlamps and a near-identical bumper. The concept’s radical sliding rear doors have also been ditched for the production model, while conventional B-pillars have been reinstated in the likely interest of cost reduction and crash safety.
At the rear, though, this prototype more faithfully replicates the design of the ID.Crozz concept from the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show. It shares the same sloping liftback and squared-off tail, along with a near-identical spoiler. It also looks like there’s a full-width light bar hiding beneath the masking on the development car’s boot lid.
Inside, the ID.5 should be identical to the ID.4. Peering through the windows of this test car, we can see it shares the same dashboard, digital instrument cluster and 10-inch infotainment system as the SUV. Buyers will also get Volkswagen’s latest augmented reality head-up display and new ‘Hello ID’ voice control system.
We’re expecting that the ID.5 will lose a little practical compared with its SUV sibling. The more coupe-like roofline will eat into rear-seat headroom, while the sportier line of the tailgate is likely to rob some boot space. With the rear bench in place, the ID.4 has a 543-litre boot, but ID.5 buyers could have to sacrifice more than 100 litres of capacity for the sleeker looks.
Luke Wilkinson
