Volkswagen Unveils the New ID.5 Electric SUV-Coupe

author: FutureCar Staff    

German automaker Volkswagen revealed the latest member of its ID family of electric vehicles on Wednesday. The battery-powered SUV/coupe is named the ID.5, and its joins the ID.3 and ID.4 in the automaker's fully-electric lineup.

Volkswagen's growing family of ID electric vehicles is positioned to compete with Tesla's Model 3 sedan and Model Y crossover, as well as other new electric models in the rapidly expanding EV market.

The ID.5 will be available in two versions, the standard ID.5 with an electric motor powered by the rear wheels, and the sportier and more performance-oriented ID.5 GTX, which features a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive setup. The ID.5 is built on Volkswagen's modular electric drive matrix (MEB) EV platform.

The new MEB platform represents an entirely new way of building cars for Volkswagen. The new architecture consolidates all of the vehicle's electronic controls and reduces the number of microprocessors. The automaker said previously that it aims to build up to 10 million vehicles on its new MEB platform over the next decade.

The new ID.5 is part of Volkswagen's "ACCELERATE Strategy" to fully electrify up to 70% of its model lineup in Europe by 2030. In the U.S. and China, Volkswagen plans for 50% of its vehicles to be fully-electric by then.

Volkswagen's ACCELERATE" Strategy will prepare the automaker for a changing auto industry that's quickly moving towards electrification, connectivity and autonomous driving. 

All ID.5 models will be powered by a long-range battery. Using the standard Mode 3 cable, the e-SUV coupe can also be charged with up to 11 kW while plugged into a standard alternating current (AC) outlet. Charging rates can reach up to 135 kW at a DC fast-charge station.  

The vehicle's low drag coefficient increases efficiency and helps boost range. Aerodynamics are further improved by an integrated spoiler in the aerodynamically shaped tailgate. The ID.5's electric cooling air vents in the front of the vehicle open only when necessary, so as to ensure optimal air flow and aerodynamic efficiency.

The new coupe/SUV body style has just 12 mm less headroom in the back than the Volkswagen ID.4 SUV. Wheelbase is 2766 mm, but with its flat floor, the interior offers a similar amount of space as a larger SUV. Luggage compartment volume, for example, is 549 cubic liters.

"The ID.5 is the body style of the future; aerodynamic, expressive, sporty and, thanks to MEB, with short overhangs," saya Jozef Kabaň, Head of Volkswagen Design. "That's how we have been able to ensure a spacious interior despite the dynamic roof line – this simply wasn't possible before."

The ID.5 and ID.5 GTX

The ID.5 features a sleek digital cockpit along with a high-resolution multimedia system delivering brilliant visuals, according to Volkswagen. An optional augmented reality head-up display puts driving information right in the driver's field of view. 

The ID.5 will come with Volkswagen's ID. software version 3.0, which includes improved charging performance. The latest software features various improvements like natural voice control. The system is also able to learn driver preferences and enables online access to data from the cloud. VW's "We Connect" services provide the driver with real-time online traffic information, online map updates, charging station locations, internet radio stations and more.

VW will use swarm data collected from the ID.5 and latest-generation driver assistance system using vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2X) communications technology to improve the performance as the next step towards high levels of automated driving.

Data can be collected from the ID fleet of vehicles and infrastructure within a radius of up to 800 meters. It can be processed locally in a fraction of a second, enabling nearly instantaneous driver alerts via visual warnings on the instrument cluster about road hazards, such as accidents and traffic.

The ID.5 will support over-the-air software updates as part of Volkswagen's goal of becoming a software-oriented mobility provider. 

The new ID.5 sportier ID.5 GTX are manufactured at Volkswagen's plant in Zwickau and are carbon-neutral upon handover to the customer. When charged using 100 percent green energy, the vehicles are already virtually climate-neutral, according to Volkswagen. 

Official range estimates for the ID.5 were not revealed yet, but it's expected to be around 300 miles.

FutureCar Staff