THE BIG EXPRESS

The past few years have been tough for Volkswagen. Dieselgate damaged its reputation and its finances. Supply problems meant EV production fell below demand. And customers remain unconvinced by VW’s two-range strategy: traditional names for IC-engined models, but ID brands for EVs.

But the company has pressed on with this strategy, and now has an extensive EV range, with this car, the ID.7, being the latest addition to the ID parade.

It’s Passat-sized, but unlike the latest Passat range, it comes with more than one bodystyle. Passat is now down to an estate only, whereas the ID.7 has both hatch and wagon bodies.

Our tested vehicle is riced at almost £59,000 – a good £10,000 more than an equivalent Passat PHEV – signaling that the ID-7 is a more p-market model, designed to compete against the likes of the Polestar 4 and even the Mercedes-Benz EQE.

It certainly feels like an executive car. Fit and finish is sizeably better than on smaller VW ID.3 and ID.4 models, which share a rather basic interior. On ID.7 plastic are soft-touch and stalks feel solid and classy. ID.7 is still a minimal affair, like most EVs, with a central tablet-like 15in screen controlling most functions. This uses Volkswagen’s latest MIB4 infotainment software, which works well.

The gear selector is a stalk on the steering column, which frees up the centre console for use as storage, cup-holders and inductive phone chargers. There are also two USB-C ports in the front and two in the rear, with total charging capacity for devices of up to 45 watts.

The interior design is well integrated, with a small and simple central dashboard display giving basic information such as speed and range.

There’s also a head-up display which carries sat-nav instructions and speed restrictions. Additionally, this system reads the road, and projects dynamic lines on to the windscreen that show where the kerb and lanes are – helping you stay in lane without annoying warnings. These seem very accurate, and are a big help in poor lighting conditions.

Thankfully the heater controls are displayed all the time on the main screen so you don’t need to hack through menus to turn the air-con down a notch.

The ID.7 Pro S model on test here is a long-range Pro S version. It has a whopping 86kWh battery compared to the 77 kWh battery in the ID.7 Match version. This bigger power pack gives it one of the highest ranges of any electric vehicles on the market.

VW claims WLTP range of 437 miles – though in real-world testing around the streets of Zurich earlier in the year, VW engineers managed to drive for 493 miles on a single charge, at an average speed of 30mph on mixed roads, which is pretty much London to Aberdeen.

It's also an efficient recharger, if VW’s data is to be believed. In 10 minutes of ultra-fast charging, you can add 150 miles of range, providing you can find a rapid charger that runs at 200kWh. A 10-80% recharge takes about 26 minutes using similar equipment.

Other features include Matrix headlights; three-zone air conditioning with smart vents; heated front seats with massage functions and privacy glass in the rear.

The ID.7 is a long car – almost 5m long - and a wheelbase of nearly 3m means short overhangs and maximised cabin space. This translates to plenty of rear legroom. And despite the coupe-like roof line, the ID.7 is a tall car so rear headroom is not a problem. Boot space is generous at 532 litres with the rear seats up, rising to 1,586 with the rear seats down. You’ll have to keep your charging cables in the boot – there’s no “frunk”, sadly.

Like all new cars, there are a number of audible safety warnings which you can turn off, but turn themselves back on again when you restart the car. They’re quieter and less annoying than some cars, but the last thing your customers want are irritating bings and bongs. We’re just going to have to get used to turning them off quickly at the start of every trip, I’m afraid.

On the road, the ID.7 has a big-car feel, and a proper saloon vibe, not an SUV feel. There is exceptional in-cab quietness – just a bit of road noise. The ride is very smooth, despite the 19in wheels. The ID.7 coped very well with speed humps on the route. Handling is exceptional on country lanes – far more engaging than many EVs, and urban mobility is helped by a 10.9m turning circle.

The ID.7 Pro S uses the latest generation VW electric drive system, which uses a 286PS electric drive motor integrated in the driven rear axle Maximum torque is 545Nm, and 0-62mph acceleration is brisk at 6.6 seconds. You can feel the seat-belt tensioners tighten up when pulling away quickly.

One neat tech add-on is an optional electric vehicle route planner, which calculates an optimum route taking into account the current battery charge and the available charging stations along the route. It shows the driver the best charging points and plans the necessary charging stops to make the journey efficient. It also takes realtime traffic data into account to find the fastest and most convenient route. You can programme it on a smartphone app and upload it to the car.

VERDICT

The VW ID.7 is undoubtedly an executive-class car, of a standard above the basic minicab. In fact it’s the closest to an executive saloon that VW has produced since the Phaeton. Can the VW badge still cut it as a premium brand? Why not, in an age of Teslas and Polestars? And while the ID.7 Pro S is not cheap at £55k upwards, it’s cheaper than, say, a Mercedes EQE or a BMW i5, and arguably better suited for carrying people in the back.

It’s certainly better finished inside than the smaller VW ID models, though the interior is typically “EV-ish” with no physical switches and everything via the satnav screen.

Ride and handling are exceptional, as is cabin noise insulation. The ID.7 is genuinely engaging to drive, especially for a big car

It’s practical too, with exceptional range. We doubt that on a wet Wednesday night in November that you’ll get the claimed 437 miles – but the ID.7 should give you 300-plus miles, which will get you from London to Newcastle on a single charge.

The ability to have an electric “splash and dash” of 150 miles of range in 10 minutes is a real advantage – a toilet break doesn’t have to involve spending more money on coffee and burgers!

There’s some very neat technology on the car too – the lane departure system is helpful, rather than irritating, showing the course of the road on the windscreen as part of the headup display.

And we like the route planning system that allows you to integrate the best charging options into your route – helpful for longer journeys.

DATA

Price OTR £58,930

SPECIFICATION

Powertrain Single electric motor

Transmission SIngle-speed auto, rear-wheel drive

Battery pack 86kWh Li-Ion

Power 286bhp

Torque 545Nm

Top speed 112mph

0-62mph 6.6sec

Electric range 437 miles (WLTP combined)

Charging time 9h 0min AC (11kW 10100%)

26min DC (200kW 1080%)

CO2 emissions 0g/km

Length 4,961mm

Width 2,141mm

Height 1,536mm

Wheelbase 2,971mm

Loadspace 532 litres (seats up) 1,586 litres (seats down)

Turning circle 10.9m

Vehicle warranty 2yr/unlimited miles

Battery warranty 8yr/100,000 miles

Insurance Group 38E

VED Band A