Volkswagen ID7: electric sedan with 700 kilometers of range

The Volkswagen ID family consists of the ID3, ID4, ID5 and ID Buzz in Europe. So five pieces, but in China Volkswagen sells an ID model that we do not know here: the ID6. That makes the brand new electric sedan that Volkswagen is now showing in a sleek sticker sheet during the CES in Las Vegas to the sixth ID model. After the ID3, the ID7 is the second ID model that Volkswagen labels as a ‘world model’. It is not reserved for one of Volkswagen’s largest sales markets, but will be available in Europe, the United States and China.

You should in fact see the Volkswagen ID7 as the electric alternative to the Passat. It is the production version of the ID Aero presented in 2022, a study model that already seemed quite ready for production. Although the Volkswagen ID7 can only be seen in a colorful camouflage suit for the time being, it can already be concluded that the electric sedan resembles its conceptual harbinger like two drops of water. We see a slightly undulating shoulder line, handles recessed into the doors, a recognizable ID front and visually linked taillights. Incidentally, it seems that the ID7 will eventually also get a Variant brother. An electric station wagon. With the ID Space Vizzion, Volkswagen already gave a preview of this in 2019.

Volkswagen ID7

Volkswagen ID7: 700 kilometers range

Volkswagen does not yet report extensive technical specifications, but the figures that the brand does release are in any case already interesting. Previously, Volkswagen stated an electric range of up to 600 kilometers for the ID7. Now the brand speaks of a range of up to 700 kilometers for the Volkswagen ID7. Like its well-known ID brothers, the Volkswagen ID7 is based on a version of the modular MEB platform. The 2022 ID Aero Concept had a 77-kWh battery in its bottom. We expect that a comparable battery will also be included in this production version, but other packages will undoubtedly become available as well.

Volkswagen does not report how big the ID7 is exactly. We aim for a car length of almost 5 metres. The wheelbase is in any case a generous 2.97 meters. To put that in perspective: the Volkswagen Phaeton (!) had 2.88 meters between the front and rear axle. The current Passat has 20 centimeters less between its wheels and the ID4 and ID5 also make it to about 2.77 meters. The wheelbase of the Volkswagen ID7 therefore corresponds more closely to that of the ID6, which is not available here, actually the extended version of the ID4.

Volkswagen ID7

Interior

Those who are familiar with the workplaces of the ID3, ID4 and ID5 will not fall off their chair in surprise when they see the dashboard of the Volkswagen ID7. Yet there is more than you might initially expect. For example, the outlets of the ventilation system are housed in a stripe that visually runs across the entire width of the dashboard. The climate control itself is also interesting. Volkswagen speaks of an intelligent system that, among other things, is able to take into account the position of the sun in order to cool specific areas in the interior. The outlets are electrically controlled and can therefore not only automatically fan the air from left to right, but also from top to bottom through the interior. Smart Air Vents, Volkswagen calls them. Climate control settings are always displayed in the ID7 at the bottom of the screen. That saves some research.

Volkswagen ID7

The infotainment screen itself has a diameter of 15 inches and is therefore considerably larger than the ones in the ID3, ID4 and ID5, although it is possible that those cars will get a screen of a similar size with an upcoming facelift. Behind the steering wheel is another digital set of instruments, although this is simpler in design and a lot smaller than the screens in already known ID models. The instruments only display the necessary information and are therefore so flat that they are visually concealed in the ‘ventilation strip’ in the dashboard.

The Volkswagen ID7 is one of ten new electric models that Volkswagen will market up to and including 2026. This also includes a compact electric crossover. However, do not expect the Volkswagen ID7 to be the successor to the Passat. The Passat is also simply a new generation. The Volkswagen ID7 for the European market will soon be produced in Emden. The Volkswagen ID7 will be presented in its entirety in the second quarter of this year.