Volkswagen ID.4 and ID.5 2025 Review

Those expecting the ID.4 to arrive with a hefty asking price will be surprised to see it landing in showrooms in Pro specification for $59,990 plus on-road costs (ORCs), while the ID.5 is exclusively available for now as the performance-focused GTX, priced from $72,990 plus ORCs.

For comparison, the ID.4 range in the UK starts with the Pure variant. It gets the base level of equipment and a relatively small 52kWh battery for the equivalent of about $82,000. Australia, however, gets the next variant up as the entry point. The Pro grade is powered by an 82kWh battery and gets more kit, and all for a price that’s more than $20,000 cheaper.

Standard kit for the Pro includes rear-wheel drive from a single electric motor with 210kW and 545Nm, plus 19-inch wheels, LED matrix headlights and all-LED exterior lighting, electric front seats with heating, massage and synthetic suede upholstery, panoramic roof, and the new 12.9-inch central touchscreen that is part of the ID.4 global update.

Step up to the ID.5 GTX and it gains an extra drive motor on the front axle for all-wheel drive and increased power of 250kW, while torque remains the same. It has a slightly larger 84kWh battery which provides a comparable range – 522km for the ID.5 GTX on the WLTP cycle, versus 544km for the lighter and more efficient ID.4 Pro.

The more performance-focused and expensive ID.5 also has more standard equipment, with 20-inch alloy wheels wearing Pirelli Scorpion Elect tyres compared with the ID.4’s Hankook Ventus S1 Evo3 rubber. It also includes as standard sports seats along with a 480W, 12-speaker Harman Kardon stereo.

Posh paint is the only option in the ID.5, costing $1300, while the ID.4 Pro has the option of a $900 Style exterior pack, which the GTX gets as standard.

The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) is yet to assess the pair for safety here in Australia but it has already evaluated the ID.4 and ID.5 in New Zealand, where they scored the maximum five-star rating when assessed in 2023.

Standard safety inclusions are six airbags, 360-degree camera, driver monitoring, AEB with post-collision steering/braking and vulnerable road user detection, lane keep assistance, blind-spot monitoring, active cruise control and a sound to alert pedestrians at low speeds. For now, there is no speed sign recognition, nor head-up display.

Volkswagen has not missed the opportunity to put together a solid value package for its Australian electric foray and the ID.4 and ID.5 siblings cover plenty of bases.

Whether you go for the more conventionally formed ID.4 SUV/crossover or the more coupe-profiled ID.5, both share a majority of their underpinnings and tech, as well as the aforementioned generous range figures of up to 522km (ID.5 GTX) and 544km (ID.4 Pro).

Space is generous in both with a light and airy cabin and decent room for all occupants, with well-appointed seats and excellent materials. The new larger screen (not that we ever got the smaller 12.0-inch version) keeps up with the ever-swelling screens from Chinese challenger brands, while the user interface is just as well thought out as you’ll find in any contemporary VW.

The fully digital driver’s instrument cluster is small compared to the massive 12.9-inch central screen but it packs a lot in, while the tall glasshouse affords excellent vision.

Standard adaptive dampers are offered for the ID.4 and ID.5, which switch personalities according to your preferred drive mode. However, flick into the settings in individual mode and you can pick from 15 different damper modes.

The firmest end of the scale is focused and feels like a lowered Mk6 Golf GTI, but it’s quite bearable for even extended periods if the mood takes you, while the softest end is impressively supple yet still manages the ID’s significant mass well. With 13 settings to play with in between, if you can’t find the right ride then I’m afraid we can’t help you.

We like the simplicity of the ID.4’s powertrain with a single motor and nicely calibrated stability and traction control. Despite only two driven wheels, the weight transfer under acceleration offers excellent traction. It’s only at low-speed and on very slippery surfaces like snow that most people would occasionally wish Australia got the AWD version available in Europe and the UK.

Even in the all-wheel-drive GTX, power is prioritised for the rear axle with a normal 20/80 split, giving the ID.5 a playful and responsive nature. It doesn’t encourage quite the level of frivolity at the wheel as, for example, a Porsche Macan electric might, but it’s still a hoot (and a lot less cash!).

There’s plenty of shove in the least potent of the pair and, as is typical of EVs, the in-gear acceleration is more meaningful than the claimed sprint to 100km/h of 6.7 seconds. Power delivery is wonderfully smooth – even for an EV – and the road noise low.

As expected, the ID.5 amps the performance up to an impressive 0-100km/h time of 5.4 seconds. As with its sibling, punting around country roads between 50km/h and 80km/h is where it counts, and here too VW has obliged. Steering is pointy, light and only a little insulated at times, while the grip levels inspire confidence.

A well-tuned suspension system and those clever, highly adjustable dampers rein the spacious shell in with commendable body control.

Volkswagen claims the ID.4 will return efficiency of 16.5kWh/100km but our drive (which was enthusiastic and involved rolling hills) returned 18.6kWh/100km. The GTX, meanwhile, was the frugal champ, doing better than the claim at 16.1kWh/100km.

And Volkswagen Australia is further sweetening the deal with a limited offer. The first 500 buyers of the ID.4 and ID.5 will get a free 7kW home charger, including installation, which can even be colour coordinated to match the car. VW says it’s valued at $1899.

The deal also bundles in five years of Ampcharge membership for discounted charging at Ampol’s network of public fast chargers.

The ID pair is not alone when it comes to their slightly edgy ride. It may be little too terse for some, but it’s a common trait of large and heavy EVs that are dealing with above-average kerb weights (compared with combustion-powered equivalents). And we’d certainly take the VW’s ride over a Tesla Model Y any day of the week (at least that of the outgoing model, in any case).

Despite its promising boot badge, the ID.5 is certainly not comparable to a hot hatch, nor does it have the chuck-ability of the updated Tiguan, but we’re learning what the electric-specific GTX moniker stands for – fast in an electric kind of way.

The 15-position adaptive dampers do a very good job of smoothing out the primary ride but there’s a little fussiness to the secondary ride and over small imperfections, as well as big body movements at the opposite end of the scale.

While the accelerator pedal is generally well calibrated, the brake is less resolved with long travel and not as much feel as we’d prefer. A bit more force at the pedal than expected is required once the firmness improves at the end of the travel.

And although Volkswagen Australia held off introducing the ID range here until it could get its hands on the updated version, there are still a few technological omissions. There’s no native satellite navigation, which means you’ll have to connect a smartphone, but you won’t be able to wirelessly until the next production cycle.

For now, all IDs get wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but VW says a wireless connection is on the way.

To all those who predicted Volkswagen would introduce the ID family with a price to equal its direct rivals, the German car maker is probably shaking head and thinking, “ye of little faith”, because the ID.4 undercuts any equivalent on cost.

But it’s not just an exercise in bargain pricing over substance, with the ID.4 boasting a long list of compelling features. The ID.4 is fun, spacious and can cover a good distance before recharging, while the ID.5 is fast, even more fun and brings a touch more style in return for its $13,000 premium.

The GTX lettering won’t yet replace the GTI badge for those looking for the pinnacle of VW driving fun, but it does represent a good balance of performance and practicality.

And while there are more sophisticated mid-size EVs in the market, those that cost less, and even a few that can shred a race track, none can offer a value proposition that stacks up quite like the Volkswagen ID.4 and, to a lesser degree, the ID.5.

And when the company rolls out the mirror-flipped ID.4 GTX and ID.5 Pro a little down the road, it’ll capture an even larger corner of the EV market with its likeable and growing electric line-up, adding further momentum to a promising initial trajectory.

2024 Volkswagen ID.4 Pro at a glance:
Price: $59,990 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: Single permanent magnet synchronous motor
Output: 210kW/545Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 82kWh lithium-ion
Range: 544km WLTP
Energy consumption: 16.5kWh/100km
Safety rating: Five-star 2023 (New Zealand)

2024 Volkswagen ID.5 GTX at a glance:
Price: $72,990 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: Two asynchronous electric motors
Output: 250kW/545Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 84kWh lithium-ion
Range: 522km WLTP
Energy consumption: 16.9kWh/100km
Safety rating: Five-star 2023 (New Zealand)

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