BERLIN: VW is gearing up to launch a more coupé-like version of the ID.4 electric SUV, bringing with it a sleeker design, smarter software and a slightly longer range of up to 520km.
Rolling out at the end of May in Europe, the new ID.5 with a sloping rear will cost at least €46,515 in Germany, making it €1,600 more expensive than the hatchback, the manufacturer says.
Customers should not expect any loss in space and practical features. The legroom remains the same, while the interior height above the rear seat shrinks by only a few millimetres.
According to VW, the boot is also the same size at 549 litres. Only when you're trying to pack luggage up to the roof does the ID.5 lose out to the slightly more practical ID.4, but it still offers 1,561 litres of load volume.
The ID.5 is the first model in the family to receive a major new software update.
According to VW, this means that it has better voice controls, smarter assistance systems and can use Plug & Charge technology to connect to charging stations without a card or chip.
On the technical side, there's little difference. Always equipped with a 77 kWh battery, the ID.5 is available in three power levels, according to VW: As a rear-wheel drive with 128 kW/174 hp or 150 kW/204 hp or as an all-wheel drive GTX with a second electric motor in the front and a system output of 220 kW/299 hp.
However, since the ID.5's design means less drag, it can travel slightly further on one battery charge. VW gives a range of 490 to 520km.
In a recent development, the latest ID.5 assistance technologies were rated "very good" and reached 4 out of 4 possible points - the highest possible score - in the Euro NCAP (European New Car Assessment Programme).
The testers were impressed by the innovative systems of the ID.5 highlighting maximum comfort and an excellent level of assistance.
With the "Driver Assistance Test", Euro NCAP has expanded its test scheme beyond the classic crash test and introduced a structured evaluation and classification system in the area of comfort and assistance systems.
