I nearly didn’t write this article, I already have an article on the VW ID.4 and the ID.5 is very similar to the ID.4 in much of its design and specification. The main difference between the ID.4 and ID.5 is the rear design, where the ID.5 has a sloped rear which is apparently ‘Volkswagen’s first e-SUV coupé‘. Beyond the sloping rear end of the ID.5 there is actually a more significant difference between the two vehicles, and that’s their towing capacity. The ID.5 in both RWD and AWD (GTX) variants can tow more than the equiviliant ID.4 models.
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Key VW ID.4 Specs
- Official Towing Capacity – 1,200 kg (Pro/Pro Performance), 1,400kg (GTX)
- Availability – 2022
- Price – Starting £42,000 (Pro) > £51,000 (GTX)
- Range (EV Database) – 255 Miles (GTX) > 265 Miles (Pro/Pro Performace)
- Estimated Towing Range (50%) – 128 miles (Pure) > 133 miles (Pro Performance)
- Maximum DC Charge Rate – 135kW (all versions)
- Rapid Charge 10% to 80% – 33 min (all versions)
- Check Used VW ID.5 Specs
VW ID.5 HP & Torque
- ID.5 Pro – RWD, 172 HP and 229 lb-ft of torque
- ID.5 Pro Performance – RWD, 201 HP and 229 lb-ft of torque
- ID.5 GTX – AWD, 295 HP and 339 lb-ft of torque
VW ID.5 Towing Capabilties
So as I’ve stated above, the ID.5 is so similar in specification to the VW ID.4 originally I wasn’t going to dedicate a separate article to it. However, the ID.5 has received a bump up in towing capacity specifications which are notable.
There are set to be three versions of the ID.5, two RWD variants and the AWD GTX, with all three versions getting a 77kWh battery pack. Both of the RWD versions can tow up to 1,200kg and the ID.5 GTX can tow up to 1,400kg.
Compared to the ID.4 the ID.5 RWD variants get a bump up in towing capacity of 200kg. Likewise, the ID.5 GTX gets a 200kg bump up in towing capacity compared to the ID.4 GTX.
Now, the increases in towing capacity are not that significant but they are notable. However, as the ID.5 is more expensive than the ID.4 it does put it against tougher competition as we’ll discuss below.
VW ID.5 VS The Competition
While the increased towing capabilities of the ID.5 are welcome over the ID.4, there is a price premium to pay for that additional towing capacity. For instance, let’s compare the ID.5 GTX with its 1,400kg towing capacity and £51K price point to the competition.
Well, there are the AWD versions of the Hyundia IONIQ 5 and KIA EV6 which cost £45K and £47K respectively. They offer not only a higher 1,600 kg towing capacity but their 210kW and 232kW DC rapid charging rates are also currently class-leading.
Against the likes of the Polestar 2 and Volvo XC40 Recharge they offer a slightly higher 1,500kg towing capacity and can charge at a faster speed than the VW ID.5 at up to 150kW. Though the VW ID.5 is better value than the AWD versions of the Volvo XC40 & C40 Recharge.
Finally, let’s say you were interested in the VW ID.5 for the coupe styling. Well, if you can live without the SUV design then there is the BWW i4 eDrive40 starting from £51K which can tow 1,600kg and has a much better real-world range of 295 miles along with faster DC rapid charging at 200kW.
My Thoughts On The VW ID.5…
I definitely think the development of VW electric vehicles is headed in the right direction. The increase in towing capacity on the ID.5 over the ID.4 is welcome, so is the slightly increased DC rapid charging speed up to 135kW from the 125kW on the first versions of the ID.4.
Also, it does appear the VW is going to be adding V2L (Vehicle 2 Load) functionality to the ID.5 and to the ID.4 (see here). I imagine it will be similar to the capabilities of the IONIQ 5 and EV6, hence you can pull a maximum of 3.6kW from the car to power appliances, even a caravan.
However, the ID.5 is still a bit down on towing capabilities compared to the competition and its increased price over the ID.4 then gives it even tougher competition. Once the ID.5 is released in 2022 I’ll update the article with some reviews.