The Volkswagen's ID 7 is the brand's first-ever electric executive car and has the BMW i4 and Tesla Model 3 in its sights. We get behind the wheel for an early drive to see what it's like...
On sale Late 2023 | Price from £55,000 (est)
What do electric Volkswagens and video games have in common? If you guessed ‘arcade-like handling’, we’ll award you a point, but to take home the trophy, we were looking for the fact that they tend to be rushed into production without being as polished as they should be.
Take the ID 3, for example. At launch, Volkswagen’s bespoke electric family hatchback impressed us with its spacious, practical interior and impressive battery range, but it was far from perfect, with a level of material quality that didn’t live up to its punchy price tag and a bug-riddled infotainment system.
Since then, we’ve witnessed the launch of several other ID models, including the ID 4 and ID 5 SUVs, but these haven’t fully addressed our criticisms. Which makes the prototype you see here rather important.
Called the ID 7, it is the largest and most luxurious ID model yet. While we can’t comment on its exterior design due to our test car’s camouflage, we can let you know how it drives and what it’s like inside.
What’s it like to drive?
Two battery options will be available, with a 77kWh or 85kWh usable capacity. The former has an estimated range of up to 407 miles and the latter 435 miles – figures that would allow it to go farther between charges than the BMW i4, Mercedes EQE and Tesla Model 3. It’s a good thing, then, that even in pre-production form (VW claimed our press car was 90-95% finished) the ID 7 is a surprisingly polished long-distance cruiser.
There is virtually no motor whine when accelerating up to motorway speeds and once you’ve reached 70mph both wind and road noise are very well suppressed. Optional adaptive suspension (DCC) also lets you soften the suspension at a touch of a button with the result being a ride that is noticeably plusher than a Model 3 if not quite as wafty as an EQE.
With a single electric motor driving the rear wheels, there’s a respectable 282bhp on tap regardless of what battery size you opt for. Of course, compared to the i4 eDrive40 with its 335bhp, you could argue it looks a little underpowered, but in reality, the ID 7 will deliver enough performance for most drivers.
Dynamically, the ID 7 steers with accuracy and grips hard enough to feel relatively agile, but push harder and you’ll find its limits sooner than you would in the sharper i4 and Model 3. VW has yet to confirm if there will be a sportier four-wheel drive GTX, but we suspect this will be inevitable.
What’s it like inside?
One aspect that doesn’t come across until you see it in the metal is just how big the ID 7 is. With a 2966mm wheelbase (the gap between the front and rear wheels) and a length of 4961mm, it’s even larger than the EQE, let alone the i4 and Model 3.
That leads to an interior that feels airy up front and positively limo-like in the rear. A six-footer will easily fit behind a driver of the same height, and three adults can sit comfortably in the back, thanks to a completely flat floor. Meanwhile, the boot is capacious and has good access, with a broad hatchback opening and a handy height-adjustable floor.
Better yet, interior quality is significantly better than that of any other ID model so far. There’s a pleasing variety of materials, ranging from perforated vegan leather on the seats to suede inserts on the doors and soft-touch plastic on the dashboard. The glossy black trim is backlit, adding some welcome visual glamour – as does the new 15.0in infotainment screen, which dominates the interior.
But before you get too excited, it doesn’t fully resolve the issues that other ID models have suffered. True, the touchscreen’s responses are snappier than before, and its huge dimensions allow you to see a lot of information in one go, but software glitches remain. Not only did the sat-nav give up on us halfway around our test route, but the voice control software accidentally triggered on numerous occasions.
Frustratingly, Volkswagen has also taken one step forward and one step back when it comes to usability, by illuminating the touch sliders for the likes of the temperature control (whereas those in its siblings are unlit and therefore invisible at night) but removing physical air vent controls. Instead of manipulating the vents manually, you now have to adjust the airflow via the infotainment screen or by using voice commands – both convoluted methods.
Keyword: 2023 Volkswagen ID 7 review