Volkswagen, or ‘national venture’ as some would translate it (Google Translate to be specific), has brought out two electric cars already. The Volkswagen ID.3 and Volkswagen ID.4 have proven to be extremely popular cars, and for very good reason.
Volkswagen have applied some of their great German technological knowhow to the electric car venture and it has paid off in droves. The previous two incarnations have been extremely well put together and the performance can more than match competitors in the same class.
However, it is time for Volkswagen to reveal the next electric car they have up their sleeves. Enter the Volkswagen ID.5 stage right.
The Volkswagen ID.5 is not just the first electric coupe SUV that Volkswagen have made, it is the first coupe SUV of any kind the manufacturer has ever built. Will Volkswagen hit the ground running or will this new venture be a step too left field for them? The Volkswagen is available to order right now, although, if other cars are anything to go by, you probably won’t see one until at least early 2023.
However, there are plenty of review videos available that can give you a taste of what is to come.
What Do We Know About the Volkswagen ID.5 So Far?
The coupe SUV shape of the Volkswagen ID.5 is quite reminiscent of the Tesla Model Y (if you don’t agree, please go on our Twitter page and tell us why you’re wrong). The roof is certainly noticeably more slanted towards the back, and the body of the Volkswagen ID.5 is much rounder than the Volkswagen ID.3 or Volkswagen ID.4 that have come before. As a result the drag coefficiency rating is slightly lower on the ID.5.
Although the roof is a few millimetres lower in the back than the Volkswagen ID.4, the Volkswagen ID.5 is actually slightly longer. This means that there is a considerable amount of space in the boot. There is 549 litres of space to be exact.
What About The Battery and Build?
The Volkswagen ID.5 is built on the MEB electric car architecture that we have seen previously on the first two electric vehicles from Volkswagen. There will only be one battery size available on the Volkswagen ID.5 and that is the 77kWh battery.
With the larger sized battery comes more miles to a fully charged car. The Volkswagen ID.5 will see northwards of 300 miles of range which is very competitive indeed. In fact, 300 miles or greater is sort of expected of new electric vehicles of this size. As was seen with the Kia EV6, the smaller battery size is just not as popular in the UK.
The Volkswagen ID.5 is available with a very impressive panoramic roof with a retractable covering for those very hot days. Another lovely little detail about the interior that I love is that by the end of 2022 Volkswagen are planning to add apple skin fibre material to the steering wheel in order to get rid of all animal products. These small ideas for using sustainable materials are so important in a modern car. People really do care where the car parts are sourced from.
Clever Tech and Improvements
One complaint about the Volkswagen ID.3 and ID.4 was that the infotainment system was not the best to use. The controls were not responsive and it wasn’t the easiest to navigate. With the Volkswagen ID.5 it is clear that the German geniuses have listened and they’ve made those necessary improvements.
Software updates have made the infotainment system more responsive and far more stable than ever before. This will be music to the ears of anyone who has been a fan of the previous ID electric cars but who were disappointed by this one aspect.
Augmented reality is also a standard feature (we believe it is standard. Don’t vilify us if we are wrong), so fans of the heads up display will be very happy to see this feature included.
Volkswagen – Happy to Assist
The people at Volkswagen are so lovely that they just try to assist you any way they can. This brings me onto the first of three assist modes that can be found in the Volkswagen ID.5, Travel Assist.
Travel Assist is Volkswagen’s name for their semi-autonomous driving mode. The car uses swarm technology, largely in the way of cameras and radar to study the road all around the car. The vehicle will then be able to adjust speed, distance and safe lane changes accordingly. Of course, this being the sensible UK, you will need to keep in touch with the steering wheel at all times. And by ‘keep in touch’ I do mean that you physically have to have a hand on the steering wheel, not phone the car twice a week to see how it is.
The second lovely assist mode is the Park Assist. This is something that I have not yet come across on any other vehicles. Well, certainly not in such an impressive way as the Volkswagen ID.5. This incredible vehicle can memorise up to 5 named spaces when learning parking manoeuvres. Using 12 ultrasound sensors around the car, the vehicle can learn parking manoeuvres from the driver and then mimic those movements. Clever stuff indeed.
The third clever assist mode is one that I have come across on some other electric cars, such as the Kia EV6. It is the Parking Assist Plus. This mode will find a parking space as you drive along and will then park the car for you. The car will also help you to manoeuvre out of the spot when it is time to leave. This is particularly handy in situations where there is a tight spot or if you are not over confident at parallel parking.
Anything Else About the Volkswagen ID.5 I Need to Mention?
There are a few more items that I definitely think are worth mentioning before we part. Firstly, there are USB-C charge ports in the front and back of the car. This is something that is still overlooked by so many car manufacturers. People want charge ports, especially youngsters in the back who inexplicably manage to drain their electronics at hyperspeed on long journeys.
Speaking of taking care of those in the rear seats, there is climate control for the rear seats! Too often is the focus solely on the front seats of the car that the rear passengers are neglected. Well, not by Volkswagen. At least not in the Volkswagen ID.5.
The final item that I think is worth mentioning is the towing capability of the Volkswagen ID.5. This electric car offering is able to tow a very impressive 1.2 tonnes, which is much more than many other electric cars on the market.
So there is a lot to look forward to with the Volkswagen ID.5. Unfortunately, with the current backlog and delays, it is unlikely we will see it on the road until the middle of next year. Is this a car you would like to see at EVision Electric Vehicles? If so, let us know on our Twitter channel.
Until then, why not hire a Volkswagen ID.3 or ID.4 to experience some wonderful craftsmanship.
* All information correct as of 09/05/2022.
