Volkswagen ID 7
All-new electric flagship is an executive car with an official range of up to 384 miles On sale Early 2024 Price from £55,570
Dan Jones dan.jones@haymarket.com
Volkswagen’s IQ Light adaptive headlights are optional
Driving position feels lower than that of the Tesla Model 3
As with the nose, the ID 7’s tail has a full-width light bar
THE POPULARITY OF Friends: The Reunion and Still Open All Hours demonstrates how viewers love it when their favourite show is given a new lease of life, even if the passing of time means certain changes are inevitable. In theory, then, the new Volkswagen ID 7 has a ready audience; it takes the formula of the popular VW Passat saloon and brings it right up to date, packing in all of today’s must-have tech.
The Passat saloon – VW’s executive car offering for nearly 50 years – has been off our screens (and out of our showrooms) since 2022. However, while an all-new Passat estate will arrive in 2024, the saloon’s place is being taken by the ID 7, and that name signifies a switch from combustion to fully electric power.
And VW certainly hasn’t made the change half-heartedly; the ID 7 has a 77kWh battery as standard, giving it an official range of 384 miles. That’s only a little behind the Tesla Model 3 Long Range (on the same-size 19in wheels), and farther than rivals such as the BMW i4 eDrive40 and BYD Seal can officially take you on a single charge.