► 6th ID car to be revealed
► Up to 434 mile range (700km)
► New motor and largest battery yet on the way
You’re looking at the all-new Volkswagen ID.7, the new flagship of VW’s ever-growing electric ID range and one of ten electric models to be launched by 2026. Designed to target the upper-midrange segment, it’s an Arteon-sized saloon that debuts new powertrain tech under the skin, and some much-needed new thinking in its cabin. It’ll be launched worldwide (unlike some of the ID models) and will hit Europe and China this year, with North America to follow in 2024. The ID.7 will be manufactured in Volkswagen’s plant in Emden, Germany.
The latest news is that it will be the third ID model to come with a GTX version. The ID.7 GTX has been tuned dynamically and gets visual upgrades. More on that below
Here’s everything you need to know about Wolfsburg’s new premium saloon:
Same face, new body style
Take a quick look at the ID.7 from the front, and you’d be forgiven for mistaking it for an ID.3: Volkswagen has decided on a look for the ID range, and it’s not straying an inch from it. Just like the original ID.3 or its recently revealed facelift, the ID.7 features short overhangs, a stubby bonnet, flush headlights and a raked windscreen. The styling isn’t just for show, it helps the ID.7 achieve a super sleek 0.23 drag co-efficient. After driving a near production prototype, we must report that this comes with a compromise, though; as with the ID.3. this super-raked look does have an impact on visibility.
Move away from the front, however, and the ID.7 grows into a 4961mm saloon, with a low 1862mm roof. There’s not a huge deal happening at the sides but move to the back of the car and the rear lights resemble something already seen on the Peugeot 408. This isn’t a memorable looking car; this is the considered, understated approach of the ID range, stretched to be saloon-sized.
Give me some tech?
The ID.7 debuts a raft of new technology seen for the first time in any ID car. Powertrain-wise, the electric saloon comes with a new 210kW motor which features stronger magnets, more windings, a higher wire cross-section and improved cooling. The overall result is a bump in efficiency and power, and one we expect to see trickling down to the rest of the ID range in time.
Battery-wise the ID.7 Pro gets a 77kWh (gross 82kWh) battery at launch, good for an estimated range of 382 miles (615km). A Pro S model will arrive later with VW’s biggest battery to date; a 86kWh unit (91kWh gross) good for 434 miles (700km). VW’s new saloon is also the first ID model to get battery charge preconditioning; pop a charger in the nav and the ID.7 will be ready for the maximum 200kW charge rate by the time you get there. Interestingly, this can be triggered manually too – great for those using Apple Carplay or Android Auto.
And inside?
Volkswagen’s most recent infotainment system is an Achille’s heel of everything from the new Golf to the Cupra Born, and the ID.7 represents Wolfsburg’s first opportunity to fix some of its mistakes. The volume bar is now backlit, so you can see where to swipe at night, and the climate controls are now permanently featured on the saloon’s bright 15-inch infotainment screen. The result? You can actually see where to swipe now, and doing something as simple as changing the cabin temperature doesn’t take four screens of swiping and prodding.
VW engineers were also keen to point out the amount of customisation on offer now; there are ‘favourite bars’ for your most-used apps, it’s possible to create your own ‘tiled’ home screens, and you can also customise a ‘car control centre.’ There’s also a range of shortcuts which owners will almost certainly learn and use to speed things up even more.
Elsewhere, the ID.7 drops the pod-style cockpit dials of the ID.3 and ID.4 in favour of a smaller unit integrated into the line of the car’s new ‘Smart Air Vents’ (more on those later). Volkswagen points to a new customisable AR-enabled HUD as the primary display for the driver, with the amount of information on show varying between a full view and a bare bones one.
It’s not all good news though. VW’s Smart Air Vents can be saved to user presents or be used in conjunction with the car’s voice controls – but alarmingly they can only be moved via the touchscreen. The result? If you want to change the direction of the events you’ll need to go into a dedicated screen and drag each one, or call out a setting to the car’s IDA voice assistant.
Sure, they may make the cabin slightly neater, but ultimately these vents are another solution to a problem that doesn’t exist. What’re the chances of them being replaced by standard vents on the second-generation ID.7?
The ID.7’s other party pieces include a panoramic sunroof with electrochromic technology, as well as a massage seats and ambient lighting. A 14-speaker, 700-watt sound system is also offered.
GTX version included
Volkswagen has confirmed that there will be a sporty, GTX version of the ID.7. This isn’t necessarily a massive surprise, given it will follow the ID.4 and ID.5 in offering a model with this trim.
Although VW has described the GTX as being a ‘high-performance’ version of the ID.7, it hasn’t given any details on how much extra performance it will get over a standard model. Rather than being a GTI version, the GTX trims have been more akin to the GTE and GTD versions on other models such as the Golf. Expect a slight uptick in performance perhaps, but nothing ground breaking.
The black and red colour scheme is a theme inside and out, and is bespoke to the GTX. As well as the dark red paintjob outside, it comes with black gloss elements – the roof and door mirrors for example. It extends to the cabin, where you’ll get contrast stitching on the seats, dashboard and door panels.
The GTX will make its first global appearance at the IAA Mobility show in Munich on 5 September 2023.
Anything else?
The ID.7 comes with assisted parking and features assisted lane changing and adaptive lane guidance. You can read our early impressions of a near production prototype here.
Everything you need to know about electric Volkswagens