Volkswagen has pulled the covers off its latest electric car, the VW ID.7. Filling that saloon or sedan position – although there will also be an station wagon version too – it takes VW’s electrification plans forward a big step. This model gives more interior space than the ID.4, with longer range and immediate appeal as an executive saloon to compete with the likes of the smaller BMW i4 or Polestar 2 – and move away from the electric SUVs that have dominated launches over the last couple of years.

Unveiled globally, it will be launching in Europe and China in 2023, with North America scheduled for 2024.

Design

Long and low, the VW ID.7 has traditional saloon lines, and you’d be forgiven to looking at the ID.7 as an electric Passat. The evolution to this point is easy to trace, with the ID Vizzion and ID Aero concept models previewing what we see here today. Of course, it was also shown off under multi-coloured camouflage at CES in January 2023.

That change in direction from SUV models results in aerodynamic lines, a sleek profile sitting on the MEB platform that has underpinned the other ID models from VW, as well as many others in the wider VW automotive group. But the ID.7 is longer at 4,961mm, meaning there’s space to pack in the biggest battery so far in an ID model.

As seen in many electric cars, the nose is mostly closed, designed to boost the aerodynamic credentials, but also emphasising the fact that there’s no need for air intakes to cool the engine, but this is clearly a VW, with that shoulder line reminiscent of previous Passat models. It’s worth noting that this is a giant hatchback, the whole of that sportback lid lifting to give access to the rear load space. The official capacity hasn’t been confirmed, but it’s certainly large.

Importantly, though, the ID.7 looks a little more like a VW and less like it’s making an electric car statement. This hero of the ID line looks slightly more traditional than the ID.3 or ID.4, for example.

A spacious and minimalist interior

The thing you’ll notice when slip into this car is the space. Starting in the rear, there is serious legroom for those passengers in the back. Many saloons offer greater space in the rear than SUVs and in the ID.7 you really feel it. VW used to refer to the Passat as a limousine and that feeling flows through into the ID.7 – it’s going to be a great place to sit for those long journeys in the back seat. It also benefits from a floor that’s pretty much flat, so the person sitting in the middle rear seat doesn’t have to content with a transmission tunnel.

VW is keen to point out that this is an animal-free interior, built with sustainability in mind, and there are premium finishes in the cabin, boosted with ambient lighting you’ll be able to control when setting a theme for the car. In the front, the ID.7 follows the path set out by other ID models with a reduction in the number of manual controls. But this is also an evolution over previous ID models, with a rearrangement of some of the digital controls, which we’ll talk about below.

VW has picked up on something offered by Tesla, with digitally controlled vents. That means that the interior is free from those plastic vents, giving cleaner lines, but also bringing with it some more advanced functionality. Using the screen you can decide where to position the airflow for both the driver and the passenger, allowing more customisation. This can also be set to the keyfob, so can be individualised to the driver. That means that when you get into the car, the aircon setup will be exactly as you want it, including the direction of the airflow.

Another detail designed to keep the dash clear is the reduction in the size of the driver display. That also reduces the visual clutter behind the display, as VW plans for the large heads-up display to provide all that information. The screen expands to take up more space on the dash, but now pretty much all the controls are now on the display – the few physical buttons on the other ID models have been removed, and you’re basically just left with temperature controls. Note also that the proximity sensors used in previous VWs have also gone – now you have to tap, or of course ask IDA, the digital voice assistant.

First impressions are that the seats are supportive and comfortable, with plenty of adjustability – along with massage functions, while the seats also have sensors to be able to adjust the climate controls based on temperature and moisture, so you stay super-comfortable in all conditions. We haven’t had the chance to drive the car, so we don’t know what the cabin is like on the road, but first impressions are good.

The interior tech

When VW launched the ID.3, it changed direction with the interior tech, hugely minimising the buttons to a few basic functions and pushing the display as the interface for basically everything. The idea was to produce that “smartphone-like” experience, while giving VW the advantage of being able to update the system and evolve functionality by eliminating the buttons.

The reception was mixed, however, and we’d always found it slightly sluggish and not altogether intuitive. The good news is that the VW ID.7 moves to a new generation platform. As mentioned, buttons have been reduced, removing the parking, climate, driving aids and mode buttons onto the display. They sit on the top line of the new display, but they are customisable: if you don’t want the parking assistant button, you can swap it for something else. These are changes we support, because you can set up common functions so much more easily.

The 15-inch central display is more dominant now, more comparable with competitor models, with plenty of customisation. The bottom of the display is given over to climate and those related controls you might want to tap to quick changes for things like seat heating or fan speed, with the main area offering a home button that always returns home and a separate apps button – which is a change of use from the older version.

That means you always know what you’re going to get when you tap the button and that’s a positive change too. Pretty much everything is customisable – just press and hold, and if there are options, you’ll be able to change it. Some might find this a little too advanced, but it’s essentially the same as widgets and home screens on a phone.

To support the new user interface there’s IDA – the voice assistance. This isn’t new to the ID.7 as the voice assistant exists already, but it can access a full range of functions, including opening options on the display for you to control. Previous encounters have been a little hit-and-miss – and we haven’t had the chance to fully test IDA on the VW ID.7, so we’ll reserve judgement for future exploration.

As mentioned there’s huge HUD, which is an augmented view, designed to give you more information to help you navigate and get all the information you need without taking your eyes off the road. You’ll also be able to adapt this using the View button on the wheel. It’s also standard and on all models. Again, we’ve not driven with it so we can’t say how effective it is once you’re on busy or confusing roads.

VW ID.7 range, charging and power

The VW ID.7 will come in two different versions, the ID.7 Pro and the ID.7 Pro S. The Pro will come with a 77kWh battery (82kWh gross), with a 170kW charging rate. The Pro S has a 86kWh (91kWh gross) battery with a charging speed up to 200kW.

That equates to 382 miles (615km) on the Pro and 434 miles (700km) on the Pro S. That puts the ID.7 in a strong place to compete with the likes of the BMW i7, the Mercedes EQE or the Tesla Model 3 Long Range. These ranges are of course approximate and will depend on how you drive and other conditions, but they do point to a car that’s efficient.

What we don’t yet have is any details on acceleration that the ID.7 will offer from the rear-mounted 210kW motor (286PS), but it was teased at launch that there will be a GTX model coming in the future, which will likely have a dual motor, all-wheel drive arrangement.

First impressions

The VW ID.7 marks a change in direction for ID: it feels like an evolution, stepping into a new category and one that VW has seen success with in the past. This is also a category of car that moves on from family SUVs, targeted at more of an executive buyer. At the same time, there’s something familiar about the looks of the ID.7, a hint of the Passat’s lines, with an interior that’s matured too.

The first impressions of the ID.7 are great: this has the makings of a great motorway cruiser and while it’s in a category with fewer competitors, those competitors are some of the most exciting electric cars on the road – the Hyundai Ioniq 6, the Mercedes EQE and the BMW i4.

The price is still to be revealed and we fully expect it to be priced alongside those contemporaries. We’d expect it to be from around $/£50,000.