We get to drive Volkswagen’s upcoming flagship ID.7!
Not long after we spent some time with the ID.7 in Milton Keynes, we got the invite over to Spain to have a covered drive in the 5m long all-electric saloon. We were given a few more details, all under a strict embargo of course! Some of those details we are now allowed to share with you, and we will give you the rest as soon as we can!
Is the ID.7 powerful?
The iD.7 will have a significantly more powerful motor than its predecessors in the ID. range. For example, the ID.4 GTX is the All Wheel Drive variant of Ireland’s most popular electric car in 2022. It has two motors for a combined 220kW output. The ID.7’s single motor is 210kW. Of course, in time there will be an AWD variant with the GTX badge. For now, 210kW is plenty!
We tested the ID.7 on rugged and steep hills in the Spanish countryside just outside of Alicante. Terrain like this always demands some power and torque, and the ID.7 certainly wasn’t lacking. The seamless acceleration of an electric drivetrain also came in handy, with the car having all of its power and torque on tap. It also makes for a smooth experience with no engine noise and vibration as it faced the steep inclines.
Steering was precise and nicely weighted. The size and the bulk of the car prohibits it from feeling particularly sporty, but the combination of power and the low centre of gravity still make it a very enjoyable drive when you push on a bit.
Great seats!
Volkswagen are rightly proud of the ergoPremium seats in the ID.7. They are a real step up from what we have gotten to know in the ID. range. They are very comfortable with excellent padding. But it goes far beyond that as they are heated and cooled. It was quite warm on the Mediterranean coast when we were testing the car. The air cooled seats provided a nice break from the sun beating down.
What really elevated the seats are the massage functions. There are a number of settings so you can focus the massage on a certain part of your body. You can also increase or decrease the intensity. As you would imagine, the seats are electric with multiple points of adjustment. It’s fair to say that the ID.7 is being elevated to a more premium product than we had expected.
Upgraded infotainment
Modern cars are featuring bigger screens with greater levels of functionality and connectivity. The ID.7 is no exception. Critics of the infotainment system in previous ID. vehicles rightly pointed out some of the deficiencies. The slider controls on the screen weren’t illuminated so people struggled to use them at night. Usability was lacking as people struggled to understand how to navigate the system. The notion of ‘intuitiveness’ wasn’t the ID. range’s strongest feature.
But all has changed in the ID.7 and we’re delighted to report that these complaints no longer apply. Firstly, the screen now features permanent shortcuts and climate controls. This is a huge boost to the usability of the system. The bottom part of the screen features quick access to heating controls, heated seats and other climate features. At the top of the screen, there are a number of shortcut buttons to the radio, navigation and drive assist functions. You can also adapt these shortcuts to show the features you like to use the most.
On top of that, the ID.7 has a nice feature that allows you to use both Apple CarPlay or Android Auto with the car’s own software. You can easily toggle between which display you’d like at the push of a button.
Final thoughts
Although we were treated to the full experience with the ID.7, we are under strict embargo on much of the details. The full reveal is coming and we will be sure to bring you much more details then, including battery and range, pricing, interior space, the futuristic sunroof and much more!
If you want to get an idea what the ID.7 looks like, check out the video on our YouTube channel here where we show as much detail as we possibly can!
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