Volkswagen is bringing its first urban NOA (city advanced driver assistance) system to a sedan in China with the ID.ERA 5S, a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) model that the company positions as a balanced family car in the 150,000 yuan (about $21,100) segment. According to Autohome, which tested the car in the hilly streets of Chongqing, the ID.ERA 5S will open pre-sales on August 11 and officially launch at the Chengdu Motor Show on August 21.
The ID.ERA 5S sits between the Volkswagen Lamando and Passat in size, with a fastback roofline that adds a sporty touch to a family-oriented body. It is offered in five colors: gold, black, white, gray, and cyan. The exterior follows a restrained Bauhaus-inspired design with a full-width LED light bar and illuminated VW badge up front, semi-hidden door handles, and 19-inch wheels on higher trims.
Smart driving without lidar
The headline feature is the Xingyun intelligent driving system, which runs on a Horizon Robotics J6M chip with 128 TOPS of computing power. Rather than stacking lidar sensors, the system relies on 11 cameras, millimeter-wave radar, and multiple ultrasonic sensors, plus a GAIA 2.0 world model algorithm that generates virtual dangerous scenarios for training. Autohome's test drive in Chongqing's complex urban environment scored the system 7 out of 10, praising its conservative, safety-first behavior: it pulls away promptly at green lights, plans routes with Baidu Maps, yields gracefully to cut-in traffic, and handles parked cars and scooters smoothly. The car also comes with AVP valet parking for multi-level garages, narrow-passage assist, track-back reversing, and remote parking.
But the review also flagged weaknesses: on a congested two-lane bridge the system stubbornly stayed in its lane instead of switching to a faster route, braking felt abrupt and non-linear, left turns at un-signaled intersections were poorly planned, and the car failed to detect large potholes. Autohome concluded the system is good enough for daily commuting but has room to improve in efficiency and brake smoothness, while still exceeding the level of most joint-venture rivals at this price.
PHEV powertrain with long range
Under the skin, the ID.ERA 5S uses a plug-in hybrid powertrain with a 19.1 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery from REPT (Ruipu Lanjun). It offers a CLTC electric-only range of 160 km (about 128-136 km WLTP estimated, since CLTC figures are typically 15-20% more optimistic) and a combined range exceeding 2,000 km on a full tank and charge. The engine delivers just over 80 kW (about 107 hp) and the front motor more than 130 kW (about 174 hp), with the hybrid system shared with the Roewe M7 DMH. Official fuel consumption in depleted-battery mode is a low 2.82 L/100 km.
Drivers can choose from four energy modes (pure electric, EV priority, intelligent hybrid, and forced battery hold) and five driving modes (comfort, sport, eco, personalized, and super eco). Autohome praised the chassis, a MacPherson front and multi-link rear setup without adaptive dampers, calling it tight and composed in the German tradition, with a firm but well-damped ride. The steering offers three levels of assist, and the 225 mm tires balance efficiency and grip.
Inside, the cabin features a 15.6-inch 2.5K touchscreen running the Yunqi smart cockpit, powered by ByteDance's Volcano Engine GPT large language model and iFlytek voice recognition. Front seats come with heating, ventilation, and massage as standard, while rear seats also have heating. The fabric meets OEKO-TEX母婴级 (maternal and infant grade) certification. Safety equipment includes seven airbags, with hot-formed steel accounting for 30% of the body and high-strength steel over 80%, plus one-piece doors, laser welding, and cavity wax sealing.
Autohome's verdict: the ID.ERA 5S is a well-rounded family PHEV with no obvious weaknesses, combining German-style chassis tuning, low fuel consumption, long range, and rare-for-the-price urban NOA, making it a strong contender for families who want joint-venture quality with smart hybrid capability.
Based on reporting by 汽车之家. Edited and published in English by geisou.
