THERE’S a definite charge under way to get electric cars to the forefront of buyers minds.

Take a look at what’s available and you might be taken aback by the variety of vehicles to choose from, particularly as the market seems to change from month to month.

Some are admittedly very ‘samey’, following the tried, tested and successful route of plugging in electric power instead of the usual internal combustion powerplant into a ‘go to’ SUV body.Volkswagen did it last year with their ID.4 – but if you hanker after something a bit more sporty in appearance the ID.5 offers a more style focused alternative.

It’s not a cheap option, being marketed as a premium EV and weighing in here at a touch over £56,000, but will major on its perceived VW quality.It retains quite a bit of the ID.4 – in fact from some angles you might not notice the difference, and it has the same cabin, although the trim levels are better to reflect its place at the head of VW’s Euro EV line-up.

There are two digital screens mounted on the dashboard that give you access to the various on-board features.

The 12.0-inch infotainment screen offers sharp graphics, and includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, sat nav, DAB radio and over-the-air update capabilities. There’s also a wireless smartphone charger fitted to all trims.The sloping roof line gives it a bit of panache, though it means the view out of the rear window is restricted – reversing cameras and sensors are fitted to make up for this.

Seats are comfortable with plenty of adjustment, and despite the sloping roof rear headroom for those in the rear is adequate. The flat floor helps with the available space too.

All ID.5 variants get a 77kWh battery with a choice of three power outputs,
and corresponding differences in driving range.Around town, progress is smooth and swift, and the steering has an accurate feel to it. You’ll feel bumps in the road though, noticeable round the potholed streets here in Milton Keynes. Its levels of grip are reassuring, and a decent road helps to smooth things out for more leisurely progress.

The interior comes with some handy storage spots, from large door bins to big cup holders in the centre console. There’s also a closable area just behind the cup holders and ID.5 has a generous 549 litres of boot space with the rear seats up.

Using a standard 7kW home wallbox has the battery charged from 0-100 per cent in around 12 hours. Find a 130kW public fast charger and you can zap the battery from 10-80 per cent in just under 30 minutes. It benefits from a 0 per cent company car Benefit-In-Kind tax rate and there is no road tax either.

The ID.5 shares a lot of components with other VW Group products and the fewer moving parts in an electric vehicle should help make it a reliable servant in the years to come.

VW ID.5 Tech Pro

Price: £54,105 (£56,345 as tested)
Engine: Electric motor, lithium-ion  battery
Power: 171bhp
Torque: 229lb/ft
Transmission: direct drive single speed
Top speed: 99mph
0-62mph: 10.4 seconds
Consumption: 3.7 miles/kWh
Range: 313 miles
CO2 emissions: 0 g/km

© wheelwrite.co.uk 2023