The 2025 Volkswagen ID.7 has just made its official debut. The sedan, built on the MEB platform, will come to the US in 2024, only after it arrives in Europe and China. It will be built in Germany. To start, it comes in either S or Pro S trims, with Pro getting an 82-kilowatt-hour gross rating (77-kWh usuable) claimed to be good for 382 WLTP miles (615 km), and the Pro S getting a 91-kWh gross capacity (86-kWh usuable) good for 435 WLTP miles (700 km). Peak DC charging power is said to be 170 kW. Size-wise, it's 195.3 inches (4,961 millimeters) long - about 2 inches shorter than a Tesl Model S, 10 inches longer than Model 3. Drag coefficient is as low as 0.23. Power comes from a new, more efficient 282-horsepower (210-kilowatt) rear motor. There's no mention of an AWD version, though it's very likely to be introduced at some point. The driver gets a small instrument display with minimal info. However, the car comes standard with augmented reality head-up display and a 15-inch center screen. Cool party tricks include a roof with a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal layer that allows it to switch between opaque or transparent either via a button or the voice controls. Turned off, the roof is opaque. The 14-way seats also sound pretty sweet, with auto heating, cooling, and a massaging system with 10 air cushions (premium version adds two more cushions for working on the occupant's pelvis and spine). No word on price yet.
Looks nice - wish my ID4 had that polarized roof, but at least the ID4 does have a standard sun shade. The ID7 software also looks better, though to be honest, my ID4 on 3.1 or whatever has never been that bad. It's been quite stable, and since I use Android Auto, the VW software is mostly irrelevant while driving. It does need better route planning, but I would just use ABRP anyway. Makes me wonder if the ID7 will slot in ABOVE the Id4 pricing though?
Station wagon version to be offered in 2024: https://ecomento.de/2023/04/18/vw-id-7-elektroauto-kombi-soll-2024-auf-den-markt-kommen/
I like it. Not enough to trade in our ID4 and pay more, but if I didn't have an ID4, maybe? It's a sedan, but with a hatchback. I keep wondering why VW hasn't brought the ID3 to our side of the pond. An ID3 hitting 275-300 miles, but lower cost than the ID4, could be a good sell if it got the tax rebate. As much as I like the current crop of EVs, what we really still need is lower priced options competing with the Bolt.
The ID.7 seems kind of a flagship car - intended to replace the Arteron. So it will probably be expensive, and available in limited numbers. Personally I think the ID.3 would be a great car, but VW knows full well that smaller cars like the Golf just don't sell that well in the U.S.. That's just how Americans are. My wife has currently a Golf, and her real preference is for an ID.3 size of vehicle.
