Volkswagen ID.5 Introduction

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I am among the simple minds that think the ID.5 should have been called the ID.4 sportback or ID.4 coupe. I think that is much clearer to the public. A higher number signals a bigger car. The ID.5 should have been the number for the ID.# successor to the VW Passat.

Specs at EV-Database.org:

• Battery: 77 kWh, with about 265 miles of range.
• Motor: 128 kW and 235 Nm of torque, rear-wheel drive.
• Charging: 135 kW DC and 11 kW AC.
• Euro NCAP: 5 stars (*****)
• Length * Width * Height (181.1” * 72.9” * 63.6”): 4599*1852*1615mm.

Driving Machine

Just like the ID.4 and Skoda Enyaq iV, the iD.5 is is a big, heavy car by European standards. But because it is a BEV, it is also sportier than many lighter, smaller fossil fuel burners. The lack of even an automatic transmission makes it very agile when you are the first at a traffic light. (I think I can write the same lines for every BEV that I review or introduce.)

Infotainment & Driving Assist

The dashboard and infotainment are the same as in other ID.# models, more than adequate for most people.

I had the pleasure of sitting in the backseat when someone else conducted a long test drive in the ID.4. He drove on highways, on country roads, on 20 mph suburban streets, and through inner city areas. Where possible, he used one-pedal driving and adaptive cruise control.

The cruise control did provide a little surprise. On a 40 mph country road, there appeared a warning: “left turn 15 mph in 200 meters.” The driver waited to see what was going to happen. The cruise control slowed down to 15 mph, the driver made the turn, and the cruise control nicely accelerated to 40 mph again.

The route planner also had a nice gadget. It told you to take the next right or left via a traveling light on a long, small light bar at the bottom of the front window screen. It used the complete width of the car to urge you to go left or right. I saw it in blue and red but could not tell the different meanings of the colors. (This is another point for me to explore when I goin on my own test drive review of the ID.5.)

Usability

 

The best way to describe the interior is that it is spacious. The big sunroof likely plays a big part in that. The rear seats are great — presenting no problem for long people or people with long legs. The front seats require manual configuration, so there’s no need to be patient while the slow automated functions put your seat in place.

The exterior is nicer, in my biased view, than the exterior of the ID.4. It is less massive and intimidating while still offering about the same amount of interior space. The ID.4 has the “macho SUV” image compared to the elegance and longer legs of the ID.5.

A full 1^st impressions review of the ID.5 is planned for later this quarter.