The Volkswagen ID.7 has been revealed ahead of the car going on sale later this year. It’s an electric alternative to the VW Passat, with the longest range of any VW EV and the fastest charging speeds. It gets a new, more powerful electric motor and a luxurious interior that’s very spacious.
Volkswagen ID.7: Styling and design
The Volkswagen ID.7 has been revealed in a steady drip of information, but this is the first time we have seen the car completely undisguised. Form follows function with the ID.7, which has been designed to be aerodynamic (it has a 0.23 Cd rating) and spacious.
And guess what... We've already driven the car...
Volkswagen ID.7: Read Our Review and Watch the Video
Up front, the new model looks almost identical to the ID.3 electric hatchback. You get the smooth nose design and the same strip of LEDs (called the ID.Light) which run the breadth of the front of the car to light up the road consistently. Below, there's a lower bumper with breathers that help channel air around the front wheels for improved efficiency.
There are more aero features around the sides, including recessed door handles, wing mirrors that sit on the doors rather than the base of the A-pillar, flat-faced alloy wheels and a sloping roofline that minimises turbulence as air passes over the back of the car.
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Perhaps most striking is the car’s wheelbase: it’s almost two centimetres longer than a Volkswagen Passat at 2966mm. Expect that to translate into plenty of rear passenger space.
The highlight of the featureless back end is another belt of LEDs, with an intricate design that’s sure to, erm, shine at night. The hatchback boot is another concession to practicality that sets the ID.7 apart from the Passat it will eventually replace.
Volkswagen ID.7: motors, range and charging speeds
With a range of up to 435 miles, the ID.7 can go further than any other VW between charges.
That is mostly down to the huge 82kWh battery – the biggest ever fitted to a VW – although a 77kW option (shared with cars like the ID.4) is also available. It gives the ID.7 a 382-mile range.
Volkswagen is claiming its fastest ever charging speeds – up to 200kW – meaning you’ll be able to recharge the battery from 10-80% in minutes rather than hours, provided you can find a powerful enough charger.
Another first is the ID.7’s 282bhp rear electric motor. It produces a meaty 545Nm of torque instantly, enough to push the heavy ID.7 (it weighs circa 2000kg) from 0-62mph in around six seconds, irrespective of which battery you choose.
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A high-performance GTX model is set to follow soon. Its combination of a front and rear motor (producing around 400bhp) will make it four-wheel drive for 0-62mph in less than five seconds.
All versions of the ID.7 will be available with adjustable dampers and progressive steering. The car’s low centre of gravity should make it feel more willing in bends than SUV alternatives like the ID.4, although our early video review suggests it's not a car you’ll long to drive quickly. Refinement is the VW’s trump card. Its electric motors are almost completely silent and the car’s slippery shape reduces wind noise.
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Autonomous driving aids mean the ID.7 can drive itself on the motorway and in queues of traffic, performing its own overtakes at speeds of over 55mph. The car can even retrace its steps, automatically, for up to 50m with or (using an app) without you in the car.
Volkswagen ID.7: interior design, practicality and Infotainment
The Volkswagen ID.7 gets VW’s latest infotainment and operating system, which is supposed to right the wrongs of the clumsy system of the ID.3, and features a 15-inch display.
A strip of buttons at the top of the screen makes it easy to jump between menus, and the touch-sensitive sliders for the stereo and ventilation system are backlit, making them easier to use at night. Neither function was offered in the ID.3 at launch. The screen itself is slick and easy to use, with unerringly accurate voice recognition.
Volkswagen hasn’t followed the flock by giving you a huge digital instrument binnacle, instead, you get a simple display that makes it easy to focus on readouts that matter like speed and range.
In terms of practicality, the ID.7 feels huge inside. You get more rear legroom than in the BMW i4, and the hatchback boot lid makes loading a doddle. Expect it to have a capacity of around 550 litres, although VW has yet to confirm an exact figure.
The Volkswagen feels sporty from behind the wheel thanks to its swept-back A-pillar, and you get plenty of optional luxuries including heated, cooled and massaging front seats that can extract moisture. A panoramic glass roof that turns opaque at the touch of a button is another option, and you can have a Harman Kardon stereo system with 700W and 14 speakers, including a centre speaker and subwoofer.
Volkswagen ID.7: price and release date
The Volkswagen ID.7 goes on sale in autumn 2023 and is expected to cost north of £50,000. You can expect the GTX version to cost more than £60,000. The ID.7 will bookend ten new EVs that’ll be revealed by Volkswagen in 2026 with the £25,000 ID.2 (previewed by the ID.2all) sitting at the other end of the spectrum.