Volkswagen ID.7 – long-term review 2024

In an attempt to implement its post-dieselgate mea culpa, VW rushed the transition to electrification. Too hasty. I enjoyed aspects of IDs 3 and 4 and especially Buzz, but alongside all the good intentions there are also a lot of gremlins. Among them is the hateful UX boss.

The ID.7 comes as a kind of corrective. The aim is not only to position the company’s electric model range in the upper segments of the market, but also to revive the idea that VW, for so long the default choice, is inherently trustworthy. Excitement? This is overrated. The answer to most questions? “VW Golf”.

The world of cars is omnipresent at the moment, but one thing the ID.7 definitely offers: its value. It has competitors like the BMW i5 and the Mercedes EQE in its sights, but also TGs The latest Lifer costs £52,030, well below the price of both. The only options fitted here are 20-inch diamond-turned alloys in ‘Montreal’ black.

At 5m long, this is a jumbo ID, the biggest car VW has built since the late and lamented in some circles (including me, as I’m often tempted by cars in classified ads) Phaeton. But you also have to factor in models like Hyundai’s idiosyncratic Ioniq 6 and of course the Tesla Model 3. Both are smaller than the ID7, but packed with the kind of technical firepower that makes these cars so fascinating.

As a child, I was obsessed with air resistance coefficients, even though I was bad at physics and math. The ID.7 isn’t a looker in the traditional sense, but it is phenomenally slippery: its CD value of 0.23 makes it one of the most aero-efficient production cars ever built. I thought the future could be presented in a more exciting way, but lower drag means more range. Ours is the Pro Match version with a 77 kWh battery, for which VW claims a range of 383 miles when fully charged. Since winter is almost here, we’ll see. It uses the same MEB architecture as other ID models (and the Ford Explorer and Capri), but with a wheelbase extended by 200mm over the ID4.

It also features the most efficient version of VW’s electric powertrain, which can now handle higher thermal loads and reduce friction in its single-speed transmission (it says here). The engine is also the most powerful that VW has ever used: in this car it produces 282 hp and 402 lb-ft, which are sent exclusively to the rear wheels. (For comparison: the GTX version has 335 hp and all-wheel drive.)

The quasi-fastback tourer version in this trim is probably the most peachy ID7, but so far I’m enjoying life with our car more than I expected. The early ID cars were undone by their hopeless HMI, but this thing is just seamless. The connectivity is flawless, I connect my phone in a snap every time, perform functions without lag, and basically do what all new technologies promise but so often fail to deliver: make life easier. And get this: Not only is turning off lane assist and speed limit warning a breeze (there’s a quick access button), but the system is so subtle when you leave it on that you don’t want to tap the screen or yourself in it Head.

That bodes well.