ID.5

As of 2026 the rear-drive ID.5 Pro lists at $67,990 driveaway in New South Wales and the GTX at $76,990. That is roughly three thousand dollars above the equivalent ID.4 grade. These are promotional driveaway figures, so they include on-road costs but shift between states and change with each campaign, and run-out stock of earlier model years has been advertised for a little less. Both grades sit below the electric-vehicle luxury car tax ceiling, which is what unlocks the fringe benefits tax saving on a novated lease.

Mechanically they are twins: the same MEB platform, the same 210kW Pro and 250kW GTX drivetrains, the same 175kW charging, equipment and warranty. The ID.5 is the coupe-styled version, with a lower, more rakish roofline. Counter-intuitively it is the more practical body in two ways, a slightly larger 549-litre boot and, on the GTX, a little more range, because the longer, more aerodynamic shape helps. The ID.4 is cheaper and has marginally more rear headroom, so the choice is mostly about looks and about three thousand dollars.

On the WLTP cycle Volkswagen rates the rear-drive Pro at 544km and the all-wheel-drive GTX at 526km, drawing on 82kWh and 84kWh packs. The Pro wins out despite the smaller battery because its single motor is lighter, and the fastback's clean aero even lets the GTX beat the equivalent ID.4 for distance. Read both as lab numbers and bank on less in daily use, particularly at freeway speed or in winter, when the heat-pump-less Pro sheds a little more.

For most people the rear-drive Pro is the answer. It is the cheapest way in, travels the farthest at 544km, and reviewers reckon it drives the better of the pair. The GTX only makes sense if you routinely strike slippery going or crave the sharper 5.4-second sprint, and it charges roughly nine thousand dollars extra while trimming eighteen kilometres of range for a car the press finds composed rather than entertaining. Short of a real need for all-wheel drive, the Pro leaves you better off for nothing lost.

Upkeep undercuts a combustion Volkswagen. Being electric, the ID.5 is booked in only every 30,000km or 24 months, whichever lands first, double the 15,000km or 12-month schedule of the brand's petrol and diesel range. Over a typical ownership that adds up to noticeably fewer trips to the workshop. Cover mirrors the ID.4: five years and unlimited kilometres on the car, eight years or 160,000km on the battery.

Yes. The ID.5 carries a five-star ANCAP result dated 2021 and valid to 2028, covering every grade on sale here. It scored a strong 93 per cent for adult occupants and 89 per cent for children, with 76 per cent apiece for safety assist and vulnerable road users. Autonomous emergency braking, lane keep, adaptive cruise and blind-spot monitoring are standard across the board, and reviewers place the tuning among the gentlest in the segment.