VW ID.5 GTX all-electric car is official, and it looks stunning

(Image credit: Volkswagen UK)

published 7 August 2021

Volkswagen has revealed its third all-electric vehicle, the ID.5 GTX. While following similar styling to the VW ID.4, the new ID.5 is an SUV coupé with a sportier feel than anything else in the current range.

At first glance, the ID.5, still in its green and red camouflaged paint, looks closer to the Audi Q4 Sportback – at least from the back, with its gently angled rear window and small rear spoiler. Looks that suggest this model is about performance, which is reinforced by the GTX badging that is likely to be for its EVs as GTI is for VW Golfs.

Details for the ID.5 are still vague – there are no interior shots or performance specifications, aside from range figures. These suggest a 335-mile range from the standard ID.5 and 308 miles from the ID.5 GTX. We also know that this will be a dual motored all-wheel-drive model. The upcoming ID.4 GTX will take the 0-60 time down from around 7.4 seconds to just 5.7 seconds, so we can expect at least the same if not better from the ID.5.

The VW ID.5 will be fully revealed to the public at the Munich auto show in September, but we can expect more teasers before then. It’s also unclear whether the ID.5 GTX will get a global release or if, like the ID.4, it will be limited to Europe and an AWD Pro model will go to the US.

While the ID.5 is a great looking car, what is really nice about it is that it doesn’t look like an electric car. By that I mean that, like Audi’s e-tron range, it doesn’t have any whacky grills or wheels that make it instantly stand out like some industrial design student’s wet dream.

In the way that hybrid cars quickly became normalized, EVs will soon be the standard for new car releases. That means that we can go back to talking about how good (or bad) they look, without having to account for the fact that it’s a little different.

As T3's Editor-in-Chief, Mat Gallagher has his finger on the pulse for the latest advances in technology. He has written about technology since 2003 and after stints in Beijing, Hong Kong and Chicago is now based in the UK. He’s a true lover of gadgets, but especially anything that involves cameras, Apple, electric cars, musical instruments or travel.