MANE, France – Volkswagen’s flagships have traditionally are available in many alternative sizes and shapes.
Within the early Sixties, the model experimented with an enormous, boxy sedan powered by a rear-mounted flat-six engine carefully associated to the unit that powered the unique Porsche 911. Often called the EA 128 internally, the mannequin remained on the prototype stage however set a ball rolling that the stately Phaeton caught in 2002. The second-generation Phaeton was developed, examined, and finally canned. Volkswagen returned to the drafting board armed with a modular platform designed for electrical automobiles to create a brand new flagship.
Unveiled earlier in 2023, the 2025 Volkswagen ID.7 isn’t a flagship within the Phaeton sense of the time period. Its mission isn’t to ruffle BMW- and Mercedes-colored feathers; that’s nonetheless Audi’s job. It’s a Volkswagen flagship reasonably than a flagship Volkswagen. Coincidentally, it’s additionally the Wolfsburg-based firm’s first electrical sedan.
Including a sedan to the vary of ID-branded EVs unlocks two key benefits. First, clients in world markets now have a battery-powered various to the Passat (which lately went wagon-only in Europe) and, to some extent, the Arteon. Second, in comparison with a crossover, a sedan usually weighs much less and has a decrease drag coefficient, so it delivers extra driving vary. Engineers put an enormous give attention to extending the time between charging stops in the course of the improvement course of. The ID.7 consequently boasts a drag coefficient of 0.23, a determine that locations it between the BMW i4 (0.24) and the Porsche Taycan (0.22).
Visually, the ID.7 falls in step with present members of Volkswagen’s EV line-up nevertheless it’s not a Xerox copy of, say, the ID.4. It’s additionally not retro just like the ID.Buzz; it’s its personal factor. It’s characterised by sharp-looking headlights linked by a lightweight bar, a particular arch-shaped roof line with a strip of grey trim, and a rear gentle bar. It’s not fairly a scaled-down Audi A7, nevertheless it’s extra fascinating trying than the final Passat.
One element that you could be not totally grasp till you see the ID.7 on the street is its measurement. It’s not a small automotive. It measures 195.3 inches lengthy, 73.3 inches extensive and 60.5 inches tall. It’s greater in each path than the now-retired American-market Passat, itself a really giant sedan, and it’s about the identical measurement as the brand new Mercedes-Benz E-Class. As with different EVs, the wheelbase stretches additional than these ICE-powered sedans of comparable total size – it’s truly an inch longer than a last-generation Chevy Tahoe.
Stretching the wheelbase to SUV-like proportions provides the ID.7 an inside that’s extra spacious than you would possibly assume, even considering its not-so-nimble exterior dimensions. There’s loads of house in each path, no matter whether or not you’re sitting within the entrance or within the again, and you’ll carry 18.8 cubic ft of stuff within the giant trunk accessed by an enormous hatch. That’s a higher quantity than within the Passat. Folding down the rear bench yields 56 cubes. There isn’t a frunk, however then comparatively few EVs even have a helpful frunk at this level.
Sandwiched inside that wheelbase is the lone battery alternative: an 82-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion pack. The vary quantity for the U.S. market received’t be printed till nearer to the ID.7’s on-sale date, however the European determine checks in at 386 miles. Ours can be decrease, as European numbers lean towards the optimistic facet of the dimensions. Volkswagen claims zapping the battery pack with about 127 miles of vary takes roughly 10 minutes at a 175-kilowatt charging station, although I wasn’t in a position to put this declare to the check.
Underpinning the ID.7 is similar MEB platform that underpins different ID Volkswagens, albeit with a brand new, oil-and water-cooled electrical motor referred to as AP550 that’s rated at 282 horsepower and 402 pound-feet of torque. These figures make it essentially the most highly effective motor within the Volkswagen arsenal. Rear-mounted, it spins the rear wheels by way of a one-speed transmission, delivers a zero-to-62-mph time of about 6.5 seconds, and unlocks a prime velocity of 112 mph. An all-wheel-drive variant with two electrical motors can be accessible when the ID.7 goes on sale in 2024 (possible as a 2025 mannequin). We’d additionally see a 91-kilowatt-hour battery pack added ultimately.
Driving the ID.7 within the south of France, on a diversified assortment of roads together with some that I take frequently, confirmed my preliminary impressions: there’s no want for a Sport drive mode. It’s there, and it does make the throttle response sharper, however this isn’t a automotive that wishes to be hustled. There’s a Jetta GLI for that. No, the ID.7’s greatest attribute is consolation. Like just about each electrical automotive, it delivers fast, linear acceleration off the road, and even at freeway speeds it’s moderately quiet – there’s not a variety of wind noise, which is partially as a result of low drag coefficient mentioned earlier. The seats are comfy and supportive, and there’s one hell of a sound system; it’s possible you’ll as nicely be touring in your lounge.
Surprisingly, Volkswagen achieved this journey utilizing an ordinary metal suspension system. There’s a strut-type setup within the entrance and a five-link structure within the again. Whilst you received’t discover air springs, you’ll discover quite a lot of {hardware} and software program filtering out street imperfections. Volkswagen notably redesigned its adaptive damping know-how (DCC) with a brand new controller, and the system repeatedly adjusts the damping power on every wheel to provide the ID.7 a easy journey. This massive sedan is completely satisfied to glide alongside for miles on finish.
That’s to not say the ID.7 can’t take a nook. It suggestions the dimensions at 4,788 kilos, so it’s not gentle, however the battery is the heaviest a part of the automotive by a protracted shot and it’s mounted immediately underneath the cabin, the place it lowers the middle of gravity and evens out the burden distribution. This packaging provides the ID.7 comparatively flat cornering on the expense of the rear-biased dealing with you’d count on given the drivetrain configuration.
Volkswagen dialed in a brake vitality recuperation operate nevertheless it’s both on or off; you may’t select from totally different ranges of regeneration like in some electrical automobiles. Off, with the gear selector set to the “D” mode, the ID.7 coasts if you elevate your foot off the throttle. On, with the gear selector set to the “B” mode, it slows down sooner than a comparable gasoline-powered automotive if you elevate off the accelerator. One-pedal driving is feasible in the event you’re not driving aggressively, and I realized that regen is the explanation why the ID.7 can make the most of old-school rear drum brakes, however the capability to dial in numerous regen ranges (even simply “low” and “high”) would nonetheless be appreciated. Regen additionally provides the ID.7 the marginally odd and virtually online game controller-like brake pedal really feel you discover in lots of plug-in hybrid and electrical automobiles.
Normal on the American-market mannequin, the head-up show presents an augmented actuality (AR) operate that builds on the fundamental set of data you usually discover in these techniques with interactive navigation instructions. This isn’t new, BMW presents the same know-how on lots of its automobiles (such because the iX), however have in mind we’re speaking a couple of Volkswagen. That is how the model defines “flagship” this time round: upmarket options and luxury in a extra attainable package deal. Higher but, the head-up show works stunningly nicely. It reveals information corresponding to the present velocity and the velocity restrict comparatively near the driving force and shows navigation instructions a little bit additional away. It’s intuitive and simple to make use of, to the purpose the place I hardly regarded on the instrument cluster (a small digital rectangle) throughout my time behind the wheel.
The sensible air vents, that are managed by way of a menu within the infotainment system’s 15-inch touchscreen, should not as intuitive and simple to make use of. On one hand, I get the “new tech” facet – I can already hear future ID.7 house owners asking a neighbor “can your [insert make and model] do this?!” Then again, it’s tech for tech’s sake, and I’ve by no means thought “damn, I wish these air vents were electronic” whereas driving. Your mileage might fluctuate, however Porsche has already moved away from related screen-controlled airvents after making an attempt them out within the Panamera and assembly buyer distaste. It’s laborious to see Volkswagen house owners feeling in a different way.
Past the air vents, the ID.7’s new infotainment system represents an enormous step ahead in comparison with the software program discovered within the ID.4 and GTI. Its residence display screen options tiles that correspond to a menu, permitting it to concurrently show navigation, music and battery state of cost. It’s pretty straight-forward to make use of, however the touch-operated sliders for quantity and temperature stay. Even when they’re now illuminated, they’re nonetheless inferior to bodily controls extra simply discovered with out trying. It is likely to be too late to #savethemanuals (though, there’s an uptick within the take charge!) however is it too late to #savetheknobs?
With a usable quantity of vary, a snug inside, and a big serving of know-how, the ID.7 makes a great case for itself as Volkswagen’s flagship. Paradoxically, it is going to land as a rational alternative within the electrical phase: there aren’t many battery-powered sedans in the marketplace, and most come from luxurious manufacturers.
Volkswagen sellers throughout the nation will start receiving the ID.7 in the course of the second half of 2024. Consumers will initially have two trim ranges referred to as Professional and Professional S, respectively, to select from. Pricing hasn’t been introduced but, nevertheless it’s cheap to imagine the most affordable variant will begin at roughly $50,000 excluding incentives. That may make it the model’s costliest mannequin on our shores. Flagship, certainly.