The new all-electric Volkswagen ID.7 just made its world debut in Berlin. This is Volkswagen’s first EV sedan and it sits at the top of the Volkswagen ID. family lineup for now.
Being the second model to be built on the German automotive giant’s Modular Electric Drive Matrix (MEB) platform after the ID.4, the ID.7’s body measures almost 5,000 mm long, with a wheelbase measuring 2,970 mm.
For context, this compact executive EV is basically longer than the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, BMW 5 Series and the Mercedes-Benz E Class.
On the outside, the ID.7 features a fastback design with a roof that slopes at the rear, a popular trend in the current automotive scene. In order to provide a longer range, Volkswagen has spent effort in designing the ID.7 to be aerodynamic. This results in a drag coefficient of about 0.23.
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Powering the car is a Volkswagen Group in-house developed A-PP550 electric motor that produces 281 hp. This is by far the most powerful found in a Volkswagen ID model.
Thanks to Volkswagen’s engineering and design efforts, the ID.7’s aerodynamic design and efficient drivetrain is able to churn out up to a targetted 700 km range (WLTP). In addition to that, the ID.7 also features efficient thermal management that allows the car to have good range.
Despite the healthy targetted 700 km range, charging is of course still required to keep the ID.7 running. In this regard, charging can be done at a maximum rate of 200 kW with DC charging, enabling the car to be juiced up from 10% to 80% in just 20 minutes.
Moving inside, you will find a spacious interior, thanks to the long wheelbase. What’s more, the ID.7’s interior doesn’t only look and sound roomy but is also modern, simple yet stylish. It is claimed that the interior of the ID.7 is free from animal leather.
Volkswagen also claimed that the ID.7 provides exceptional travel comfort through premium features usually found in more premium cars. These features include interior ambient lights and a panoramic sunroof with switchable smart glass. This enables the panoramic sunroof to, as the name suggests, switch between opaque and transparent settings via touch control or voice command with the IDA voice assistant.
The ID.7’s seats are also available with the brand’s Adaptive Seat Climatronic function as an option. This seat option provides cooling, heating and drying functions, as well as a German-Campaign-of-healthier-backs-approved massage function. Developed and improved based on customers’ feedback, Volkswagen designed the ID.7’s centre console with a 15-inch infotainment display and an Augmented Reality (AR) head-up display (HUD).
The German automobile manufacturer even reimagined the airconditioning system for the ID.7, positioned at the upper half section of the infotainment system. Volkswagen enables the climate control to be controlled either via voice command, the backlit touch slider located below the infotainment display, or the infotainment display itself. What’s even more interesting is the air vents swing up and down automatically according to the climate.
A 700-watt Harman Kardon sound system is also fitted to the ID.7. This consists of 14 loudspeakers, including a front centre speaker as well as a subwoofer in the rear boot.
Volkswagen innovated the ID.7’s safety features by integrating its own developed Travel Assist with swarm data. This system is essentially a combination of adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist but collects data such as localisation landmarks, lane markings as well as path driven, to the cloud digital map.
The map then supplements the onboard camera to keep the car driving on the right side of the road even when the centre line on the road is missing. The Travel Assist’s functionality will also improve as more ID. drivers’ data are collected, provided owners permit it of course. Furthermore, lane changing is also supported on multi-lane highways when above 90 km/h. The all-electric Volkswagen also features automatic parking as well as memory function over a distance of up to 50 metres.
The ID.7 EV sedan is scheduled to be launched in Europe and China in Autumn 2023, while the North American market will see its launch in 2024.
As for Malaysia, Volkswagen Malaysia has already previewed the Volkswagen ID.4 at the Volkswagen fest in 2022. The ID.4 that was previewed in Malaysia was in the Pro Performance guise. Buyers looking out for EVs with a similar footprint can opt for the Kia EV6 or the Hyundai Ioniq 5.
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