Glacier

The car I tested was painted in glacier white with touches of black metallic. It looked different from most EVs, and I think this colouring enhances the features. With other colours some of the lines on the vehicle are lost.

Coupe-SUV

It is described as a ‘Coupe-SUV’ as the back slopes somewhat coupe-like, whereas the car sits tall like an SUV. I think it works. This was my first drive in an electric Volkswagen, and I was duly impressed.

This Pro Performance version has an impressive range of 327 miles and goes from 0-62mph in 8.3 seconds so not as quick as the GTX version but more than adequate.

Outside

This car looks good, and it is not obviously an EV. It has some modern exterior features such as the 3D rear taillights and a sporty spoiler and comes with 19-inch wheels. It exudes an air of class but perhaps without looking like an expensive car. The ID5 range starts from £49,735 but surprising the car I tested is closer to the bottom end of the scale than the top.

Inside

The interior is light and spacious in both front and back. The seats and integrated head restraints are comfortable and there is plenty of room for a six-footer in the back. The head-up display works well and the line of blue colour light flashing across the top of the dashboard when the road veers sharply right or left is a novel feature. The boot, despite the coupe style, holds a decent 550L of luggage and cables fit under the boot cover.

Drive

This car drives well and is pretty forgiving even over potholes, manhole covers and even on road humps which it takes in its stride. It never feels like it is driving fast so it is useful to check your speed on the head-up display or to set the speed limiter. Over a 200 mile drive I did find the positioning of the pedals a little uncomfortable on the ankle when switching between accelerator and brake. Putting it into regenerative brake mode made it more comfortable and perhaps adjusting the seat more might have helped. The visibility all round is very good.

Range

It was interesting to see the difference in projected range with and without air conditioning. On a full charge the ready reckoner said it would reduce range by about 60 miles with the air con on compared to just having the blower on low. I tried it on a hot day with the blower and occasional opening of the window which was pleasant enough. On full charge the dashboard said the range would be 310 miles (based on previous driving) which I achieved without really trying. I reckon the full 327 range on this model is achievable with some eco driving which is more than adequate for most trips.

Verdict

This car really impressed me much more than I thought it would. It is attractive looking without being a stunning stand-out vehicle. But it is the brilliant drive that really won me over. In addition, the airy, comfortable, practical, quality interior was always welcoming. The ID5 will give other EVs in this range a real run for their money. This is an impressive quality car.

Volkswagen ID5 Style 77kWh Pro Performance 204PS Specifications