Volkswagen ID.7 Electric Sedan Revealed: All The Details On VW's New EV Flagship
Sedans may have fallen out of favor in recent years, but that isn't stopping Volkswagen from making one its new flagship of the electric ID. line-up. The new VW ID.7 has made its full debut today, promising to give the MEB all-electric platform its best range and greatest efficiency to-date, with estimates of up to 435 miles from certain configurations. It'll also be Volkswagen's most high-tech EV so far, with an augmented reality (AR) head-up display.
Where the ID.3 hatchback and ID.4 crossover gave us a first taste of the MEB architecture VW bet its EV future on, the ID.7 is an altogether more stately affair. Over 16 feet long, and styled with aerodynamics in mind as much as aesthetics, it's a fastback sedan that picks up on cues from the Arteon.
Volkwagen
To that, VW adds a more sculpted hood and a largely grille-free fascia, relying on LED Matrix headlamps and a nose-spanning LED strip to add visual interest. More horizontal lines feature at the rear, where a trunk-spanning LED bar flows into the wraparound LED lamp clusters.
Two batteries and impressive range estimates
It's a good looking EV, certainly, but it's also a slippery one. VW says it has a drag coefficient of around 0.23, aiding with maximizing range. There'll be two batteries, initially: a 77 kWh standard pack in the ID.7 Pro, and a larger 86 kWh version in the ID.7 Pro S. The former will support up to 170 kW DC fast charging; the latter tops out slightly faster, at 200 kW.
Final range figures will have to wait until closer to the EV's launch, but Volkswagen is making some estimates now. The 77 kWh battery, the automaker predicts, should be capable of approximately 382 miles, while the 86 kWh battery nudges that up to around 435 miles. It's worth noting that VW's estimates are based on the WLTP cycle, which tends to be more generous than the U.S. EPA's version of the tests.
Volkswagen
Still, with overall range being a lingering criticism of the ID.4 in the U.S., the idea of a longer-legged electric sedan is a welcome one. VW will use features like automatic battery preconditioning — whenever a charging station is set as the destination — to help minimize time plugged in.
Making maximum use of space
The ID.7 Pro and ID.7 Pro S will each use a newly-developed drivetrain, the first of the MEB-based EVs to do so. It'll have a 282 horsepower permanent magnet synchronous motor along with a two-stage, 1-speed transmission. VW says that it's more thermally stable and that the overall drivetrain can handle more torque than prior versions. Final performance figures will be shared closer to the ID.7's launch.
Volkswagen
Inside, the lengthy 116.8 inch wheelbase adds up to a sizable cabin. It's a new design language for VW's electric models, with a horizontal layout to the dashboard — featuring optional ambient lighting — together with slimmed-down rectangular instruments. They can be smaller, because the ID.7 is the first VW to feature a standard-fit augmented reality head-up display.
Volkswagen
While the small digital cluster — which Volkswagen calls the ID. Display — shows speed and any warning notifications, everything else is projected onto the windshield. Drivers will be able to choose what information is shown, including road lane markings, distance and upcoming turn indicators for the navigation system, speed limits, and more, each projected out in the field of view.
Touch and voice take control
A 15-inch central touchscreen handles infotainment, with a new UI design debuting on the ID.7. A Car Control Center menu can be customized, and pulled up on top of whatever app is currently active. A bottom bar shows HVAC controls, while underneath the touchscreen are illuminated touch sliders for temperature and volume.
Volkswagen
Volkswagen has thrown plenty of gadgetry at its new electric flagship, too. There's a new IDA voice assistant, with broad control over vehicle features — even extending to things like ambient lighting settings, and adjusting the tint of the electrochromic panoramic glass roof — as well as more general knowledge queries thanks to a baked-in data connection. A 700W Harman Kardon audio system with 14 speakers is available.
Volkswagen
So, too, are massage seats and Climatronic seat heating and ventilation, the latter's settings automatically adjusted depending on whether the occupant feels warm or cold. The ID.7 also gets smart air vents, for better heating and cooling of the cabin.
The U.S. will have to be patient
Park Assist — with automated driving in and out of parking spaces — will be standard. Park Assist Pro with Memory Function — which allows the driver to teach the ID.7 maneuvers such as how to get into their garage, and then replay that later on — will be optional. It can be remotely controlled from the VW smartphone app, too, from up to 81 feet away.
Drive-assist feature like Travel Assist will be included, though initially only in Europe. That combines adaptive cruise control, lane keeping, and assisted lane changes. VW will tap vehicle swarm data from other ID vehicles on the route, to figure out potential hazards and similar beyond the driver's view. Swarm data will also be used to improve assisted lane changing. It's worth noting that Travel Assist is still a Level 2, hands-on system, and requires the driver keep their hands on the wheel.
Volkswagen
Drivers in the U.S. will have to wait a little longer to experience the ID.7 from behind that wheel, mind. Just as was the case with the ID. Buzz electric microbus, Volkswagen has a staggered launch plan for the new EV sedan. While it'll arrive in Europe and China in the fall of 2023, North American availability isn't expected until sometime in 2024: we're expecting it to arrive as the 2025 ID.7 in the U.S. and Canada. Pricing for all markets will be confirmed closer to their respective on-sale dates.