√Volkswagen ID.7 sedan prototype: International first drive

The Volkswagen ID.7 has been developed as an electric alternative to the traditional Passat range, but with competitors like the Tesla Model 3 and Hyundai Ioniq 6 already established, can VW match its rivals’ momentum?

Volkswagen has successfully established itself as a key player in the global electric car ranks with the ID.3, ID.4, ID.5, ID.6 and recently introduced ID.Buzz, which together captured 325,100 sales worldwide in 2022.

Now the German carmaker is seeking to build on this foundation with the ID.7, a new electric-powered, liftback-style sedan that is planned to head into European showrooms by the end of 2023, with the promise of an even more practical wagon sibling set for arrival in early 2024.

The name might hint at a luxury offering to challenge the likes of the upcoming BMW i5 and Mercedes-Benz EQE sedan, but the latest ID model aims slightly lower, with the Hyundai Ioniq 6 and Tesla Model 3 considered to be among its direct rivals.

Volkswagen wants you to think of it as an upmarket electric alternative to the traditional internal combustion engine Passat – itself soon planned for renewal with a new-generation model to be launched later this year.

Official pricing has yet to be announced, though Volkswagen has told Drive the ID.7 sedan will start at “significantly less than €60,000” or some $AU97,000 on today’s exchange rate in European markets. Australian sales are yet to be confirmed.

The origins of the new electric sedan can be traced back to the Geneva motor show in 2018, where Volkswagen unveiled the ID.Vizzion concept – at the time, its most futuristic take on how it intended to radically alter its line-up in readiness for an all-out electric car offensive. The definitive styling was subsequently previewed at last year’s Los Angeles motor show, where Volkswagen also confirmed the ID.7 name.

The prototype we’ve been invited to drive remains camouflaged ahead of a planned world debut later this month, but it is clear it carries many of the styling cues already established on other ID models.

Volkswagen says it has put a lot of effort into improving the aerodynamics and acoustic qualities, with tighter panel gaps and tolerances than on the ID.3, ID.4, ID.5 and ID.6. There are also flush doorhandles to smooth airflow along the sides and a prominent diffuser element at the rear to speed the flow of air along the flat underbody.

The packaging advantages of Volkswagen’s MEB electric car platform, which underpins the new model, are evident in its proportions. With the A-pillars set well forward, the ID.7 boasts a much shorter bonnet and a longer curved roof line than the current Passat sedan. It rolls on 19-inch wheels as standard, though buyers will also be able to option the aerodynamically optimised 20-inch wheels shod with the 235/45 front and 255/40 rear Pirelli P-Zero Elect tyres worn by the prototype.

The result is an overall drag co-efficient of 0.23, making the ID.7 the most aerodynamically efficient model Volkswagen has ever placed into large-scale production.

Practicality has also clearly played an important role in the development of the new Volkswagen model, as seen in the decision to forego a traditional four-door sedan body style in favour of a five-door layout featuring a large liftback tailgate that provides excellent access to the boot at the rear.

At 4961mm in length, 1862mm in width and 1538mm in height, the first-ever sedan model from the ID electric vehicle sub-brand is 186mm longer, 30mm wider and 55mm higher than the current Passat sedan. It also rides on a wheelbase measuring a considerable 180mm more than that of Volkswagen’s traditional internal combustion engine sedan at 2966mm.

Compared to the Ioniq 6, it is 106mm longer, 18mm narrower and 43mm higher, and it also uses a 16mm longer wheelbase.

Like the ID.4 and ID.5, Volkswagen has developed the ID.7 to support both single-motor rear- and dual-motor four-wheel-drive models.

The initial single-motor rear-wheel-drive Pro and Pro S launch models confirmed for the UK receive a newly developed electric motor also planned to be offered in other ID models later this year. Mounted within the rear axle, the synchronous unit delivers 60kW and 235Nm more than the existing electric motor used in the ID.3 and rear-wheel-drive versions of the ID.4, ID.5, ID.6 and ID.Buzz, at 210kW and 545Nm.

The boost in reserves is achieved through a revised rotor, updated coil design and a new external water heat sink – the latter aimed at reducing heat build-up under extended constant throttle running.

Drive is sent through a reworked single-speed gearbox. Similar in design to the twin-stage unit used by other ID models, it operates in combination with a new inverter featuring an updated software package for what Volkswagen describes as more efficient conversion of direct current (DC) electricity stored in the battery to alternating current (AC) electricity provided to the electric motor.

The electric energy is provided by a 77kWh and 85kWh lithium-ion battery in the ID.7 Pro and ID.7 Pro S respectively.

They’re essentially the same NCM (nickel, cobalt, manganese) batteries offered in the recently introduced ID. Buzz, with 12 individual modules and pouch cell construction – all integrated within the floor structure of Volkswagen’s highly versatile MEB platform.

Official range figures are yet to be revealed, though Volkswagen says the 77kWh battery provides the ID.7 with a WLTP range of approximately 615km, with the 85kWh unit claimed to offer around 700km. By comparison, the 53kWh and 77kWh batteries offered with the Ioniq 6 provide official WLTP ranges of 429km and 614km.

The maximum DC charging capacity of the ID.7’s 77kWh battery is put at 170kW, with the 85kW unit able to accept a higher 200kW charge.

Underneath, there’s a MacPherson strut (front) and multi-link (rear) suspension with an optional Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) Plus system with electric damping control across 15 different settings via the Driving Dynamics Manager menu within the infotainment display.

Stepping inside, a high waistline and relatively shallow glasshouse provide you with an agreeably secure and well-enclosed feel. This is further enhanced by low-set front seats and a fairly tall centre console running back along the centre line of the cabin.

Even in this prototype, the interior reflects a higher level of perceived quality than previous ID models, too, with less hard plastic and more appealing materials throughout. The standard ambient lighting provides up to 10 different background colours and can be extended to 30 with an optional package.

Embedded within the ID.7’s newly designed dashboard is a small digital instrument display as well as a head-up display unit with augmented reality functions for the navigation.

The main highlight, however, is a new 15-inch infotainment display – a feature that is set to become a familiar sight on many Volkswagen models within the next year as part of a concerted effort to give the German brand a more contemporary image through more advanced digital functionality.

Mated with the latest version of Volkswagen’s MIB software, it receives a new home page layout, giving it greater ease of use and more intuitive operation than the existing system, as well as a host of new menus and improved speech recognition through a further developed “Hello Volkswagen” prompt programmed to reacts to casual conversational commands.

The multi-function steering wheel, with optional heating, is borrowed from other ID models. Despite widespread criticism, Volkswagen also has stuck with the fiddly slider volume control seen on other recent new models, though it now features illumination in a bid to make it more effective. It is still recalcitrant, though, often refusing to react to a determined tap command.

A new development is the so-called Smart Air Vent. Part of an optional Climatronic air-conditioning system, it provides automatic vertical and horizontal control of the air vents to ensure maximum cooling and heating properties. There’s also an optional 700-watt, 16-channel Harmon Kardon sound system with 14 speakers, as well as new 14-way electronically adjustable ergoActive front seats with heating, ventilation and massaging functions.

Owing to those forward-set A-pillars, the driver sits well back from the cowl, and the dashboard boasts a good deal of depth, giving the ID.7 an instantly different feel to the Passat. There are also small quarter windows in the forward section of the long front side windows.

In line with its larger dimensions, the cabin is noticeably roomier than that of the Passat, particularly in the rear, where passengers are treated to limousine-like levels of legroom. As in other ID models, the floor is completely flat and devoid of dedicated footwells.

The nominal boot capacity underneath the cargo blind at the rear is put at 535L, some 51L less than that offered by the Passat sedan, but 134L more than that of the Ioniq 6. It can be extended by folding the 40:20:40-configured rear seat down, though Volkswagen is yet to confirm the overall capacity.

The liftback-style tailgate opens automatically, providing a wide aperture for loading. As in all ID models up to now, though, the loading lip is relatively high owing to the packaging of the electric motor within the axle at the rear.

Unlike its Hyundai rival, which boasts 45L of luggage space up front, the new Volkswagen has no provision for a front luggage compartment or frunk as it’s commonly termed.

With a twist of the gear selector – a column-mounted stalk instead of the rotary dial at the end of the instrument display on other ID models – we’re ready to get our first taste of Volkswagen’s sixth electric-powered ID model. One notch gets you the Drive mode and two notches the Battery mode, the latter triggering stronger brake energy regeneration for so-called one-pedal driving and higher return of kinetic energy into the battery.

Further drive modes – Eco, Comfort, Sport and Individual – accessed through the infotainment display serve to alter steering, throttle, drivetrain and, in so-equipped models, the electronic damping control responses.

Make no mistake: this is quite a big and heavy car. But it hides its size and weight well with general ease of use and the sort of straightforward dynamic properties that should see it appeal to a wide range of buyers. They’re attributes that have seen the Passat prove popular for half a century now, and they’re right at the forefront of the driving character with the new ID.7.

With 545Nm of torque on tap the moment you nudge the throttle, the ID.7 is obligingly smooth and very responsive in Sport mode. Despite a kerb weight of over 2000kg, it gathers speed quickly and in quite a determined fashion. There is urgency from the off and, with a torque-vectoring function providing selective drive to each rear depending on prevailing grip, excellent traction.

Volkswagen is yet to reveal any performance figures. However, the ID.7 sedan appears to comfortably match the accelerative qualities of the Ioniq 6, which boasts an official 0–100km/h time of 7.4sec in base guise.

Once up to speed, it delivers luxury-car-like levels of rolling refinement. Any prevailing wind buffeting and tyre roar are well isolated from the cabin, giving the ID.7 appealingly quiet and relaxed properties. Excellent longitudinal stability and the promise of a long range under gentle driving in Eco mode mark it down as an excellent long-distance proposition.

An undefined feel to the brake pedal in the prototype we drove leaves something to be desired. In stop/start urban driving, it is better to switch to Battery mode and allow the brake energy regeneration to do the work for you.

Our time with the ID.7 prototype was fairly limited and on unfamiliar Spanish roads. However, it was sufficient to determine there is an appealing rear-wheel-drive fluency to its handling. The steering is well weighted, delivering direct properties if little in the way of proper feedback.

Despite the long wheelbase, Volkswagen has decided against providing its latest ID model with rear-wheel steering functionality to sharpen its agility. Nonetheless, it reacts well to quick changes of direction. With strong front-end grip and quick-acting adaptive damping properties to the DCC Plus system helping to rein in body movement, you can string corners together with confidence. Ultimately, though, the dynamics are limited by weight.

Long-travel springs give the ID.7 a soft and cosseting ride in Comfort mode, though it can be caught out over undulating roads, where it sometimes takes time to settle due to its considerable weight. The secondary ride, however, is very good, with outstanding shock absorption and isolation of road noise making for smooth and quiet qualities on all but badly pockmarked roads.

It is still at the final prototype stage and full details are yet to be revealed, but the ID.7 sedan is already shaping up as Volkswagen’s best electric model yet. A roomy and practical five-seater with urgent and highly refined drivetrain qualities, well-judged dynamic properties, a generally smooth ride, contemporary digital features and a relatively long range, at least in the initial rear-wheel-drive model driven here.

There are some early criticisms, though they are mostly outweighed by the latest ID. model’s overall driving appeal and ease of use. We’re going to need more time behind the steering wheel before we give it the definitive thumbs-up. However, it represents clear progress in Volkswagen’s stated aim to become the world’s leading manufacturer of electric cars on the back of its parent company’s pledge to invest up to $AU289 billion in development within the next five years.

Along with Europe, Volkswagen sees big potential for the ID.7 in the US and Chinese markets, where it is due to go on sale in early 2024.

Production is planned to initially take place at Volkswagen’s Emden manufacturing plant in Germany – a site that has traditionally manufactured the Passat, with Chinese market models set to hail from factories run by Volkswagen and its joint venture partners FAW and SAIC in Changchun and Anting respectively.