VW ID.7 is a streamlined electric saloon with 435 miles of range

At almost 5m long with a 3m wheelbase VW’s new saloon flagship is bigger than the Passat to which it is an all-electric cousin and eventual successor. The ID.7 is a crucial model in saloon-crazy markets like China and the US but on its way here too, tipped to start at around £50,000. It goes on sale this year. 

But really 435 miles – sufficient to get you from Goodwood to Scotland – on a single charge? It sounds like a random number in miles (more rounded as 700 in its kilometre equivalent) but it sticks to the WLTP protocol that all the car-makers measure these things by. As VW says though, it’s still an “aim” rather than a certainty. 

It’s achieved by having just one motor, a sleek body with Cd of 0.23 and the biggest battery that VW has so far fitted to an ID model. It’s an 86kW job in top form, though other, smaller battery sizes will also be available. Charging can take place at an impressive 200kW, vastly cutting down recharging time – always assuming you can find a charger that powerful.

Will the ID.7 be a bit sluggish with just one power unit? The motor delivers 286PS (210kW) to the rear wheels for 0-62mph in around six seconds, so brisk enough for a saloon with luxury as its main emphasis. In now familiar ID fashion, a twin motor four-wheel drive GTX performance variant is surely a cert to come later.

Tick a few options boxes – there’s sure to be a lot – and that £50k starting price will soon balloon. Luxury kit developed for the ID.7 includes a panoramic roof with dimmable “smart” glass, seat massaging, an augmented reality head-up display, assorted self-parking options, and a 700-watt Harmon-Kardon audio set-up.

The ID.7 also comes with a big 15-inch screen fronting a new – and supposedly more driver-friendly – operating concept. The breakthrough? Banish physical buttons altogether. It’s a move that many owners will not approve of, but at least the ID.7 offers a way of configuring the big screen so that you can choose to have icons for the most-used functions always visible. 

It is worth noting, however, that there has been so much reaction against virtual buttons that VW has confirmed it will relent with future models and include a sprinkling of actual knobs, probably on the steering wheel as previewed by the ID2 concept.

These first pictures show the ID.7 to be a handsome thing with a fastback rear end and very distinctive wheels but nothing that tries to be flashy. Quality and restraint are the watchwords inside too, while there should be absolutely no shortage of legroom thanks to that long wheelbase. There’s a large lift-up tailgate at the back, a good-sized boot and fold-down rear seats, so expect a typical VW practical side. 

The ID onslaught goes on! The 7 is the third ID model to be launched this year and one of 10 still to come by 2026. That’s just four years short of VW’s avowed intent to have an 80 per cent electric car share in Europe by 2030. The Passat has always been a favourite with Brits so it will be interesting to see if they adopt the ID.7 as its natural-born successor.