Car Enthusiast - click here to access the home page


 



Driven: Volkswagen ID.5 GTX. Image by Volkswagen.

Driven: Volkswagen ID.5 GTX
Volkswagen attempts to inject a little more usability and dynamicism into the previously underwhelming ID.5 GTX. Has it worked?

   



<< earlier review     later review >>

Reviews homepage -> Volkswagen reviews

Volkswagen ID.5 GTX

3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5

It's fair to say that the opening three models in the all-electric Volkswagen ID family, namely the ID.3, ID.4 and ID.5, didn't exactly set the world alight when they first arrived a few years back. But now VW has updated the two SUV lines, giving them more power, a better human-machine interface within, and greater range courtesy of improved electrical efficiency (the battery packs are the same size, however). We've tried the ID.5 coupe model as its range-topping GTX performance version to see if this ID manages to prove itself more convincing than the early cars.

Test Car Specifications

Model: 2024 Volkswagen ID.5 GTX 4Motion
Price: ID.5 GTX 4Motion from £55,705, car as tested £65,350
Motor: 250kW dual electric motors
Battery: 77kWh (usable) lithium-ion
Transmission: single-speed reduction-gear automatic, 4Motion all-wheel drive with XDS electronic diff lock
Power: 340hp
Torque: 545Nm
Emissions: 0g/km
Range: up to 328 miles, 4 miles/kWh
0-62mph: 5.4 seconds
Top speed: 112mph (limited)
Boot space: 549-1,734 litres
Max towing weight: 1,200kg (braked trailer)
Kerb weight: 2,242kg

Styling

Nothing has altered on the outside of the ID.5 as yet, as it's due a midlife facelift any day soon (the related Skoda Enyaq is about to go through 'the change'... no, not that!), and it doesn't even get the illuminated VW badges seen on some other products in the German firm's range, so whether you liked the ID.5 GTX or not at launch will hold true now. It's not the most dramatic or eye-catching of cars, despite its coupe roofline, but bolder colours like Kings Red (£885) work better on its form than the grey in the pics, as they team up well with the contrast black roof and (£500 optional) 21-inch alloys to give the VW SUV some much-needed presence.

Interior

The main factor that annoyed critics and punters alike with the early ID models has been rectified, as the sliders for the climate control on the fascia are now illuminated so you have a hope of seeing them at night. Above these, the ID.5 GTX also gains the improved and larger 12.9-inch infotainment screen, and this works better than the old system did - albeit there's still a relative dearth of physical switchgear inside the SUV, so the set-up probably won't please everyone. There's also something curious about the ID.3, ID.4 and ID.5 cabins, a sensation that the interior finishing was a bit 'phoned in' by Wolfsburg; it's something which doesn't afflict the related ID.7 and ID. Buzz vehicles, curiously enough. So overall, the ID.5's updated cabin is undoubtedly improved from where it was before, but by the same token it's not beyond reprove either.

Practicality

Nothing wrong with the ID.5 in this regard, really. Headroom in the back doesn't feel quite as generous as it does in the ID.4, understandably, and the boot stands at 549 litres, but with its reasonable in-cabin storage and generous space throughout the interior, the ID.5 should be easily able to cope with the rigours of what most regular families can throw at it.

Performance

From 299hp and 310Nm previously, Volkswagen has at least given the ID.5 GTX a good slug of extra power, thanks to its new APP550 drive units. This means the outputs have gone up to 340hp and 545Nm, which significantly reduces the 0-62mph time from around 6.2 seconds previously, to a more likeable 5.4 seconds now. And, in practice, this does make the VW feel as swift as its sporty exterior and interior styling promise.

Good news on the economy front as well, because Volkswagen claims the GTX is more efficient - and it seems like it really is. The official range is up to 328 miles at 4 miles/kWh, with our test car achieving an excellent 3.5 miles/kWh during almost 400 miles in our care. Most of these were motorway runs down south, where it was achieving more like 3.7/3.8 miles/kWh, while one local 17-mile trip on country lanes, with lots of regenerative braking phases, saw it climb all the way to 5 miles/kWh. And with the new 175kW DC rapid charging capability for all-wheel-drive ID.5s (like the GTX 4Motion), topping it back up to 80 per cent in less than half-an-hour was no hardship either, so you don't appear to pay for the GTX's extra speed with poor electrical consumption or increased inconvenience. That's a major boon.

Ride & Handling

It's important to remember, before getting too critical of the 2.25-tonne ID.5 GTX's dynamics, that Volkswagen positions this electric performance model as an equivalent of a GTD or GTE, not something even racier like its best GTI or R vehicles. Therefore, if we tell you that the 2024MY-on car's handling is fine, without ever being thrilling, then hopefully that won't be too much of a disappointment to you.

This is not a machine that truly enjoys being hurled along a tiny back road at high pace, especially when you have to get on the brakes - where its portly size becomes all too evident. Volkswagen says it has refined the Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC, part of the Sport Package Plus for £1,180, which was fitted to our example) to provide a 'greater spread between comfort and dynamics', but there's not much in the way of steering feel or chassis interactivity to get revved-up about. That said, like any premium EV, the GTX excels at ride comfort and rolling refinement, for both of which it is supreme, but then that immediately invites the consideration that you'll get just the same amount of cultured everyday driving manners from one of the lesser ID.5s, so what's the real point of the GTX if it's not going to put a smile on your face on the right roads?

Value

Another black mark against the GTX is that it costs almost 56 grand basic, and with just a few options fitted, our test vehicle came in at a whopping £65,350. This wouldn't be so bad, were Volkswagen not having the sheer temerity to ask £1,050 for a heat pump (surely this should be standard-fit on the flagship spec of any EV?), £2,840 for the Assistance Package Plus (not so bad in some respects, as it bundles together a 360-degree camera system, the powered tailgate with 'kick-to-open' action, a memory feature for Park Assist Plus, and Travel Assist)... but three thousand pounds for powered front seats, electrically folding door mirrors, puddle lights and the reverse auto-dip passenger-door mirror?! Come on, VW! Seriously?! Oh, and £190 for a 'granny charger' three-pin cable, as well. No.

At least, in its defence, the remaining standard equipment of the GTX is good, including the new Ida voice assistant tech, an uprated 480-watt, ten-speaker Harmon Kardon sound system, and the enhanced augmented-reality head-up display, among more.

Verdict

Volkswagen has usefully improved the spec and capabilities of the ID.5 GTX with these updates, and it has also made the infotainment less infuriating to use. It further appears to be a faster and yet more efficient EV, so there's lots to recommend here. However, the price of the GTX, the somewhat inert handling and the existence of the 286hp regular models in the ID.5 family, which'll go even further to a charge for less cash, make it feel like a bit of an irrelevance. And, weirdly enough, the Enyaq vRS which is based upon this very car is a much more enjoyable thing to drive and live with. That said, if you really want the VW badge on your coupe-SUV, the GTX is a fine creation to end up owning.



Matt Robinson - 10 Jan 2025



  www.volkswagen.co.uk    - Volkswagen road tests
- Volkswagen news
- ID.5 images

2025 Volkswagen ID.5 GTX UK test. Image by Volkswagen.2025 Volkswagen ID.5 GTX UK test. Image by Volkswagen.2025 Volkswagen ID.5 GTX UK test. Image by Volkswagen.2025 Volkswagen ID.5 GTX UK test. Image by Volkswagen.2025 Volkswagen ID.5 GTX UK test. Image by Volkswagen.

2025 Volkswagen ID.5 GTX UK test. Image by Volkswagen.2025 Volkswagen ID.5 GTX UK test. Image by Volkswagen.2025 Volkswagen ID.5 GTX UK test. Image by Volkswagen.2025 Volkswagen ID.5 GTX UK test. Image by Volkswagen.2025 Volkswagen ID.5 GTX UK test. Image by Volkswagen.








 

Internal links:   | Home | Privacy | Contact us | Archives | Old motor show reports | Follow Car Enthusiast on Twitter | Copyright 1999-2025 ©