New VW ID 7 Tourer gets up to 426 miles of range
Want even more space, battery capacity and charging speed from an ID 7? Best try the wagon
So the VW ID 7 isn’t the most exciting EV in the world. And you know what? Doesn’t matter. Because in taking advantage of what EVs can do so well - it’s massive inside, will go a long way on a charge and is genuinely relaxing to drive - the big Vee-Dub is still quite likeable. Nothing wrong with getting the job done, after all.
Expect more of the same from this new estate version; VW adding even more ID 7 good stuff to the Tourer. A bigger battery for the Pro S model (86kWh against 77kWh for the Pro, still with 286hp) means 200kW charging is possible where it was 175kW before, and range is rated at 426 miles ‘according to forecasts’. Win-win. The boot is now 605 litres with five bods on board (plus 73 litres) and a chunky 1,714 (up 128) with the rear bench folded. Which will be handy for tip runs this summer.
Elsewhere the Tourer introduces an optional Wellness In-Car app which aims to improve wellbeing while driving or during breaks (like waiting in a maddening queue for a charger). Fresh Up, Calm Down and Power Break are the presets available to begin with, adjusting the ventilation, lights, seats and sounds for a better mood. There are even seats to get with pressure point massage. Never has a car sounded better suited to dealing with the stresses of parenthood. VW doesn’t explicitly state the fact, but the ID 7 seemingly has a lot in its favour as a family bus. Mainly by keeping whoever’s behind the wheel as zen as possible.
There are a tonne of accessories, too, because that’s what estates should have - it’s not only SUV drivers allowed to pretend they have interesting lifestyles. There’s a bike carrier that can be folded away in the boot (and is sturdy enough to hold two e-bikes), there’s a roofbox with another 460 litres of carrying capacity and a load of luggage dividers. So summer holiday ought to be a cinch. A panoramic sunroof with smart glass is also offered, making the glass opaque or transparent in a sec thanks to a polymer-dispersed liquid layer.
The rest of the outside is probably exactly how you expected an ID 7 Tourer to look. No swoopy Shooting Brake stuff here, really: it’s a big old wagon for carrying big stuff. It’s arguably a little more stylish than the saloon, however, the shape just a bit less plain and a wee bit more pleasing to the eye. In fact, the dimensions are identical, which must be rare for a hatch/estate combo (and perhaps explains why the standard ID 7 looks a tad off): 4,961mm long, 1,862mm wide and 1,536mm high, with a 2,971mm wheelbase. 19- or 20-inch wheels are there from launch, with some 21s to follow. VW reckons its ‘avant-garde Tourer is a fusion of a classic estate in the format of the Passat and a particularly dynamic shooting brake such as the Arteon.’
Elsewhere, the wagon is as per the ID 7 hatch, with the 15-inch MIB4 infotainment screen, augmented reality head-up display and the IDA voice assistant with ChatGPT. Really is the perfect thing for lugging kids around, because the only thing that knows more about the world than a teenager is AI, so that’ll come in handy. There’s the usual battery of driver assistance tech, too, to help you cruise, change lanes, park, pay attention and so on.
The introduction of the ID 7 Tourer suggests VW certainly isn’t done with conventional cars just yet, even when it comes to electric. With the pair of 7s plus the new Passat estate as well, those who don’t want an SUV for the family are pretty well served (though of course, VW can do you plenty of those, too). With the hatch already on sale, expect the ID 7 Tourer to follow soon. Best get planning that Eurocamp trip right away.
You'd have to get 5 m/kwh. A Tesla 3 in real world will see 4.5 m/kwh (generally regarded as one of the most efficient EV's out there).
Never in a month of Sundays is anyone seeing 426 miles out of this. Regardless of how mild it is. Unless its flat and they don't go over 35 mph..
How are they even getting to these crazy mileage figures?
You'd have to get 5 m/kwh. A Tesla 3 in real world will see 4.5 m/kwh (generally regarded as one of the most efficient EV's out there).
Never in a month of Sundays is anyone seeing 426 miles out of this. Regardless of how mild it is. Unless its flat and they don't go over 35 mph..
How are they even getting to these crazy mileage figures?
That would give this 241 miles in the worst possible conditions.
I would suggest in normal UK weather this would do an easy 300 miles as an average which isn't bad, however 400+ is a pipe dream.
Until then, I'll stick with my 2016 Skoda Superb
It's probably a bit bigger than I need, but good that there's a choice of EV estates now. Range is going to be plenty for most people. Solid 250-300 all year round no matter how you drive it.
-> “New EV’s are too expensive”. A year later - “used EV’s lose too much money, they are too cheap”
-> ‘Enough EV SUV’s ! - where are the estates”? A year later the EV estates come out - “they are too big for British roads”
I’m waiting for moans next year :
-> EV’s travel too far, people only need 250 miles.
-> There are too many chargers sitting there not being used.
Also, yes this car is bland. It’s replacing the Passat, not a Lambo Aventador
I am sure with all the EV articles, I like others are becoming less and less interested in PH, maybe time for PH to have a dedicated EV site for those.
In cold weather I always preheat the car using the app. Doing this, the screen is clear from the cabin heating alone by the time I actually sit in it.
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