Faster, further, fewer: facelifted Volkswagen ID.4 and ID.5 simplified lineup and pricing

• Heavily simplified lineup
• ID.4 and ID.5 Pro models get 282bhp – 110bhp more than before
• New starting price of £46,035 for ID.4 and £50,940 for ID.5

The facelifted Volkswagen ID.4 and ID.5 electric SUVs have now gone on sale, bringing a swathe of improvements across all areas as Volkswagen hopes to keep the cars competitive against rivals such as the Nissan Ariya and Tesla Model Y. The ID.4 now starts from £46,035 in Life Pro trim and the ID.5 from £50,940 in Style Pro guise.

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Volkswagen has upped power to 282bhp for the standard ID.4 and ID.5 Pro – a notable increase of around 110bhp compared with the outgoing Pro models. The high-performance ID.4 and ID.5 GTX models also get a power increase of 40bhp, now delivering 335bhp that can propel them both from 0-62mph in just 5.4 seconds

All ID.4 and ID.5 models will now be offered with a 77kWh battery, meaning there’s no longer a cut-price 52kWh variant. The revised ID.4 will be capable of up to 337 miles to a charge (10.5 miles further than before) and the ID.5 gets a 339-mile official range figure (11.8 miles more than before.)

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The maximum charging speed for the Pro models is now 135kW, while the GTX’s is now 175kW. Volkswagen claims the latter’s speed means it’ll take just 10 minutes to add 111 miles of range using a compatible rapid charger.

Also new across the lineup are thermal management features which will pre-condition the battery when the system detects that you’re on your way to a charging point via the sat nav, allowing for optimal charging speeds.

Both the Volkswagen ID.4 and ID.5’s suspension will be getting a tweak, too, with Volkswagen adding a greater range of increments to the calibration settings of the optional DCC adaptive dampers, meaning more precise adjustments to their softness or firmness. 

As seen on the facelifted ID.3, Volkswagen will also apply its latest user interface updates to the ID.4’s infotainment system. Cars will now get the larger 12.9-inch touchscreen display and the temperature and volume controls are now backlit, making them easier to use at night. The infotainment software has been improved, with Volkswagen aiming to make it more user-friendly and less buggy. It’s not currently known whether right-hand drive cars will have to wait for the larger 12.9-inch screen, as is currently the case for the ID.3.

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Volkswagen says it’s also improved the optional augmented reality head-up display and digital dials ahead of the driver, and the gear selector has been moved to a stalk on the steering column. Elsewhere, though, the dashboard will stay fairly similar to the outgoing car’s.

Read our review of the outgoing Volkswagen ID.4...