An SUV with the sporty roofline of a coupé is not a new idea. Audi sells Sportback versions of its SUVs, BMW has the X4 and X6, Mercedes builds coupes of the GLC and GLE, and Renault has the Arkana. Now Volkswagen is doing the same with the electric ID.4 and even sticks a new type number on it: Volkswagen ID.5.
Marketing is weird because people are weird. Car buyers are easy to influence with atmospheric photos, catchy slogans and tasty model names. Somewhere in a Wolfsburg office, marketers with easy shoes and difficult haircuts have decided that the coupé version of the Volkswagen ID.4 should be marketed as Volkswagen ID.5. The calculations they released on this apparently showed that an ‘ID.5’ sells better than when the same car is called ‘ID.4 Coupé’.
You’re probably thinking: what does it matter? But it bothers us. Because the differences between the ID.4 and the ID.5 are too small to pretend it’s a completely new model. But judging by the psychedelic camouflage of our test car, which gives the impression that big news is driving here, that’s exactly what Volkswagen is doing.
Besides, it’s a waste of a beautiful number. Volkswagen has big plans for the MEB platform and the ‘5’ could be their next hit. An electric station wagon, for example, or a large electric fastback of the Arteon format.
But no, apparently a sloping roofline and a spoiler renewal are enough to put the next number in the series. When we pick up the test car, we jokingly suggest the idea of introducing this car as a three-door version as well. As an ode to the first Golf GTI, which also only had three doors. Does a marketer immediately start creating a mood board for an ID.6…
Is the Volkswagen ID.5 more beautiful than the ID.4?
All kidding aside: we have nothing against car brands that release a coupé variant of their SUV. A sloping roofline provides a more elegant design and there is still a lot to be gained in many large SUVs in this area. Because of the camouflage that looks like you’ve been staring at the sun for too long (our test car still had it), it’s difficult to estimate whether the production version of the ID.5 is more beautiful than the ID.4. But based on the press photos now available, we think so.
It is no coincidence that the Golf GTI has already been mentioned. The addition GTX to the type name ID.5 stands for extra power, more sportiness and more emotion – the GTI among the electric Volkswagens. The marketers who came up with this probably read colleague Gert’s text with horror. He wrote a few months ago about the ID.4 GTX and how you can’t get rid of 2224 kilos of fat rolls with extra electric muscles. “Especially in tight corners, you feel those kilos pushing through and there is no question of a playful or light-footed character.”
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Volkswagen ID.5 GTX comfortable, not sporty
The ID.5 is three centimeters longer than the ID.4, otherwise the dimensions are the same. The cabin feels equally spacious and according to Volkswagen, the same amount of stuff fits in the trunk. In this sense, the sloping roofline has no functional disadvantages.
Given the many similarities, it’s not surprising that the ID.5 GTX drives exactly the same as the powerful ID.4 GTX. Even now, the high weight is clearly noticeable when cornering. The adaptive damped chassis knows how to handle it, but the ID.5 GTX is not what you would call sporty.
What is it then? A smooth, smooth and mostly comfortable SUV. The electric motor at the rear wheels does most of the work, the electric motor in the nose only jumps in when you accelerate or when extra grip is desired, driving the front wheels.
The ID.5 GTX has a stated range of 497 kilometers, which means that it is slightly more economical with electricity than the ID.4 GTX. Fast charging is possible with a maximum of 125 kW, so you have to wait as long as other Volkswagen drivers with a battery of 77 kWh. Then when they ask about the differences between the ID.5 and the ID.4, there’s so little to say that you wish the fast charging was even faster.
Conclusion
The coupe-like roofline with spoiler should just be on the ID.4’s option list. That makes the existence of the Volkswagen ID.5 GTX laughable. At the same time, the ID.5 GTX is arguably the best version of the ID.4, as it looks more elegant and delivers the same smooth performance.