Volkswagen ID.7: X-ray analysis of the German electric saloon
Available in two battery sizes, it promises up to 424 miles of range starting at £51,580
The latest addition to Volkswagen's electric family is called the ID.7 and is widely regarded as a kind of electric Passat. Available in both saloon and estate versions, it represents a sort of spearhead for the German brand in terms of technology and performance.
Designed for markets far away from our own, mainly the United States and China, it is clearly also being sold in Europe where, to tell the truth, it is doing well considering the type of car it is. Let's look at the details.
Volkswagen ID.7: platform and dimensions
Manufactured at the German plant in Emden, like all cars in the ID family, the ID.7 is based on the MEB platform. In this case, it has been lengthened to have a wheelbase of 2.97 metres and an overall length of almost 5 metres. The Volkswagen ID.7 is in fact 4.96 metres long.
La Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer Pro S
The car has a width of 1.86 metres and a height of 1.54 metres. The dimensions do not change as the bodywork changes, except to a very small extent. Thus, both the hatchback (it would perhaps be more correct to call it a fastback) and the Tourer are practically identical. What does change a little is the starting weight. In the first case 2,109 kg and in the second 2,193 kg.
- Length: 4.96 metres
- Width: 1.86 metres
- Height: 1.55 metres
- Wheelbase: 2.97 metres
- Weight: 2,109 kg (2,193 kg Tourer)
Volkswagen ID.7: Space on board
With a wheelbase of almost 3 metres and a number plate distance of almost 5 metres, it is hard not to expect a spacious passenger compartment. The purely electric nature of the platform, which allows for a completely flat floor, does the rest.
The boot of the Tourer version
In the ID.7, whether saloon or family car, you can travel very comfortably. There are plenty of centimetres for the head and legs. The two body variants differ only in the different rear end. Thus the ID.7 hatchback offers a boot capacity of around 532 litres, while that of the station comes to 605 litres. In both cases the second row of seats can be folded down, reaching up to 1,714 litres in the case of the Tourer.
- Luggage compartment: 532 litres (saloon)
- Luggage compartment: 605/1,714 litres (Tourer)
- Frunk: n.d.
It is a pity that, as with all MEB models, there is no frunk under the long front bonnet. This would have been useful even on such a large car for storing charging cables or small objects.
Volkswagen ID.7: software
The flagship in terms of size and price, the ID.7 is the first to introduce a new infotainment system that adds extra functions and also makes use of a head-up display that is more advanced than the other 'IDs'.
The passenger compartment of the VW ID.7
The software that runs everything is 5.0 and is compatible with remote updates. At the moment, these concern the area of infotelematics, but it cannot be ruled out that in the future they may also modify powertrain-related parameters to achieve greater efficiencies or give additional power injections.
Volkswagen ID.7: battery and range
Speaking of mechanics, the Volkswagen ID.7 is available with two battery sizes. It starts with the 77 kWh battery and goes up to the 86 kWh battery. With both comes a newly developed motor that delivers 286 PS of power and 545 Nm of torque. Alternatively, with the larger battery, one can opt for the GTX version, which has two electric motors arranged per axle (so that the drive is discharged to the ground through all four wheels) and a total output of 340 PS.
The range clearly varies with the powertrain. Thus the 'basic' version of the ID.7, the one with the smaller battery, claims 373 miles according to the WLTP cycle. The same powertrain with the larger battery, on the other hand, reaches 424 miles. The 340 PS ID.7 GTX 4 Motion stops at 358 miles.
| Model | Battery | Power | Range |
| 77 kWh ID.7 | 77 kWh | 286 PS | 373 miles |
| 86 kWh ID.7 | 86 kWh | 286 PS | 424 miles |
| 86 kWh GTX 4Motion ID.7 | 86 kWh | 340 PS | 358 miles |
Volkswagen ID.7: recharging
Depending on the battery adopted, the Volkswagen ID.7 can recharge at different powers. We are of course talking about high-power DC charging. Models with a 77 kWh battery pack reach an output of 175 kW; those with a larger battery pack reach 200 kW. In both cases, therefore, it takes just under 30 minutes to go from 10 per cent to 80 per cent.
The German electric flagship is also compatible with AC charging. All versions, as standard, are fitted with the 11 kW one, which allows a complete fill-up (0%-100%) in about eight hours.
Volkswagen ID.7: qui in versione berlina
Volkswagen ID.7: prices
The Volkswagen ID.7 has a starting price of £51,580. With this figure you get the Pro Match version with 77 kWh battery and saloon body. With the larger battery the offer is divided between the 86 kWh Pro S Match (£55,480) and the all-wheel drive 340 PS 86 kWh GTX 4Motion which costs £62,010.
For the Tourer body versions the range is exactly the same, but the prices are slightly higher. The range goes from £52,270 to £62,700.
More X-ray analysis:
Gallery: Volkswagen ID.7
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