It’s crazy how quickly the electric vehicle market is becoming just another SUV, crossover and truck market. Sure, those are the types of vehicles most Americans are buying these days. But believe it or not, some of us are interested in going electric without feeling like we’re driving something huge everyday. For us folks, the all-new 2025 Volkswagen ID.7 is about to be a promising option.
And while it’s easy to assume the ID.7 is nothing more than a lower and downsized variant of the ID.4 crossover that’s been on sale for a couple of years now, this sleek five-door has a lot of important upgrades and firsts for VW’s electric family. Here, that includes a new and extra-large battery pack that should offer a ton of long-distance range.
The ID.7 is based on the same MEB electric platform as the rest of the ID cars. But it’s the first with a newly developed electric drive system that is, according to VW, significantly more powerful and efficient than what was in the company’s previous EVs. Now, I could write about magnets, enhanced stators and larger wire cross-sections, but the stuff people actually care about is power and range.
A Handsome Range King
Let’s get this out of the way first: the ID.7 looks pretty good. There are very few, if any, surprises since VW started showing off the camouflaged prototypes a few months ago, or the original ID.Aero concept car. But regardless, the final product is handsome. The ID design language works a lot better with these proportions than with the bulbous ones of the ID.4, or even the ID.3 hatchback in Europe. (Now, the ID.Buzz is another matter; as a side note, why isn’t that on sale yet? That thing’s taking forever to hit the streets.)
VW is being cagey on the ID.7’s North American specs—though it did confirm the car will be sold here—but on the European-spec side, it’ll come with either a 77 kWh or a new 86 kWh battery (compare those to the 62 kWh and 82 kWh batteries we can buy on the U.S.-spec ID.4.) The latter is the biggest one VW has built yet.
VW says the ID.7 should net 382 miles (615 km) on the 77 kWh battery and 435 miles (700 km) on the 82 kWh battery. Now, note that this is on the different and very optimistic European WLTP testing cycle; American range numbers rated by the EPA should be lower. But for comparison’s sake, the current 77 kWh ID.4 Pro Performance in Europe is rated up to 329 miles (531 km) on the WLTP cycle.
In other words, the ID.7 should be something of a range king. Right now in the U.S., the top ID.4 range is 275 miles. Expect the ID.7 to push VW into the 300+ mile territory easily, which is great because the competition is heating up on that front; the new Hyundai Ioniq 6 delivers up to 361 miles of range in rear-wheel-drive SE form, and the Tesla Model 3 nets a maximum EPA range of 358 miles. It’s looking more and more like if you want range on your EV, you’ll go with a sedan or hatchback over a truck or a crossover.
But this is no compact car, either. With a length of 195.3 inches, it’s a whole 11 inches longer than a Model 3 and 14 inches longer than a Polestar 2. It’s closest in size to the Ioniq 6, but still a bit bigger; it’s close to all of those cars in width, however. But that handsome profile also provides for a super-low 0.23 drag coefficient.
One thing I really like about the ID.7 off the bat is the trunk. VW calls this vehicle a “sedan,” so I’ll do the same, but let’s be clear: This thing is a fastback, and that’s awesome. That hatch opening definitely trumps a lot of traditional sedan trunks that sacrifice practicality to their crossover relatives. Even the Ioniq 6 is a bit of a disappointment on that front.
In terms of powertrain, the only specs we’ve been given on this new electric motor are 282 horsepower and a maximum torque output of 402 lb-ft going to the rear wheels. A more powerful all-wheel-drive dual motor version is expected to join the lineup at some point. We do know the ID.7 will come in two flavors, Pro and Pro S, with the latter having the bigger battery pack.
Lots Of Tech Upgrades, But Fewer Buttons
VW is arguably the original legacy automaker to announce an aggressive push into the EV world (largely because it screwed up so badly with the whole diesel-cheating thing.) But the competition is quickly heating up across the board, and Tesla is still nothing to be messed with. So VW’s deploying some ID-family enhancements on the ID.7 that we haven’t seen before.
Take the cockpit. The ID.7 dumps the ID.4’s screen in front of the driver for a more tasteful display built right into the dashboard. [Editor’s Note: I don’t know if I’d say tasteful. That’s a honkin’ big screen there. -DT]. The center screen here is now up to 15 inches from the ID.4’s 12-inch screen, but VW seems to have responded to everyone’s gripes about the haptic touch panels by getting rid of even more buttons. Besides the ones on the steering wheel, there are few to be found here. I’m not happy about this.
On the plus side, the infotainment system’s menu setup has been totally revised, and VW says the climate and heated seat controls are always present on the screen. That’s better than nothing, I suppose.
Air conditioning is pretty high-tech here, at least; the ID.7 gets smart air vents with electronically controlled vertical and horizontal motors that “open and close interactively and distribute air quickly over a large area of the interior through dynamic movement.” Also, the car starts cooling off as you walk up to it, if you set it up thusly.
The ID.7 also gets a ton of crazy ambient lighting color options—up to 30 in Europe!—and “pre-programmed light ‘atmospheres’ such as Vitality or Euphoria.” I don’t know which one is right for me. I’ll have to think about it.
Production And Sale
The ID.7 will be built in Germany and sold in Europe this fall, with the U.S. and China expected to follow in 2024. That means it won’t qualify for any EV tax incentives here in America, at least for now; VW is staying mum on North American production although it already builds the ID.4 in Tennessee. It’s possible the ID.7 could be added to that factory or another one at some point. There are also no details on pricing quite yet for any market.
For America, I’m especially curious about price and the official range numbers. But off the bat, the ID.7 could be a promising competitor against the Polestar 2, Model 3, Ioniq 6 and a few others. Why let the crossovers have all the fun, right?
Hatch! This is about perfect for what I’d need from an electric car. Long range, lots of cargo room and probably efficient. All but the price.
According to a quick search, China has a 13% VAT. I’m betting this will start in the mid $40’s here if it’s produced in TN. Which isn’t horrible these days. Now that the rich are the only people buying new cars so every car has to be “luxury” or “premium” or some horse puckey.
It’s an electric Arteon, though that’s no bad thing.
https://imgcdn.zigwheels.my/large/gallery/exterior/29/1561/volkswagen-arteon-side-view-428440.jpg
That’s a big no for me dawg..
Get your f*cking haptic buttons and cheap disco ambient lighting and give me buttons.
I’m no fan of the interior LED color lights, either. But I would imagine they would impress a lady on a first date.
The prediction for the Chinese made version version by Car News China is CN¥378,000 or around US$55,000. So it’s no Passat…
I like the lighting options, and the exterior’s not bad, but can we please go back to VW’s former logical button-with-screen layout? Let Tesla keep taking the “too many functions on the touchscreen” L and go back to interiors that just…work.
I also DESPISE the “iPad on a desk” layout that almost all manufacturers use now, though that battle is probably over. The Mk7 had a nice little screen in the center stack that did just the right number of things and didn’t need to be any larger. The screen was complemented by well-placed and solid-feeling physical buttons. Nice little spinny Volume and Temperature knobs, no need to look down to use them. I’ll buy the last ICE R (can’t have a charger) but not unless they get the controls right again.
It looks so bad! There are ways to integrate screens into a dashboard. I actually like the Taycan’s “oops, all screens” dash—it’s all integrated into the design and the layout is pretty easy to use. A screen doesn’t have to look slapped onto the dash! You don’t have to do an ugly dashboard tombstone or give people awful flashbacks to their godawful office cubicle!
I like the way they did the gauge cluster, but everything else about the interior looks as bad as that white steering wheel will after a week of use.
It’s a new high tech color changing wheel!
After 1 year it’s now light grey
3 years and it’s beige
5 years in and you’ve got yourself a nice yellow wheel!
Having a long range doesn’t mean much if the trunk is tiny. Anything less than 30 c/u feet is pretty much a hard pass for me at the moment. My v70 spoils me, and with two kids, it’s nearly at capacity as it is.
You’re not supposed to put the kids in the trunk
Totally agree. The only thing keeping me from buying an Ioniq 6 is that car’s tiny cargo capacity. This fixes it.
There’s supposed to be a wagon version coming too. Whether it makes it across the pond to the US is another matter…
This looks good, but I’m serious when I say that any future EV purchase of mine will be influenced by how well the tablet is integrated with the center stack. There has GOT to be a better way of doing it so you can still see & reach everything without looking like an iPad got stuck on after the design phase.
A more handsome Model 3 with better panel gaps is what I see (and maybe some Accord).
Can we give Volkswagen some praise for actually building it as a hatchback, instead of a hatchback shape with a mailslot trunk opening, like most automakers are doing these days?
I like the EV6, but don’t trust Hyundai/Kia.
I like the Model 3 and Tesla’s superchargers, hate the culture and ownership group.
I like the new GM EV’s, but they’re all too big or expensive.
I might give this a shot, on the basis that VW has a good dealer network and is a touch more reliable than the Korean’s.
The Bolt is too big?
It’s really tough to find a Bolt since it’s so cheap with the rebate. I’m in the Detroit Area and there are 3 Bolt EUV’s listed within 50 miles of me this morning. When I would call to see one, they were always sold already. I couldn’t even find one to test drive.
My apologies, I didn’t put the Bolt on the list as I find it’s range to be a bit too low for me. I travel for work, anywhere from 200-400 miles in a day and having a decent range to work with the amount of time and chargers available is key.
I’ve owned a Model 3 for almost five years. I understand the perceived culture thing — but truly believe that most of that is the result of a loud (obnoxious) but small minority of owners. It only takes a tiny percentage to taint the perception of the rest. In my experience, owners are minding their own business and being pretty quiet.
You said Taint. 😀
‘taint that kind of taint!
I am trying to get over the stigma, as I do enjoy the Tesla. The other problem I have is repairs seem to still be an issue if you like to do them yourself. I can’t see needing a lot of repairs on a Tesla, but I digress. It’ll probably come down to an ID.7 or Model 3.
The upcoming Equinox EV may be the ticket
Make it a wagon you cowards!
I agree. Crossovers being built are too large for what they do on a daily basis. This vehicle screams out to make a long roofed model! If it’s lighter than a crossover, I would think it would increase vehicle range for a given motor/battery configuration.
I was so tempted by the Buick wagon we had for one hot minute. Regal TourX? I think?
I know 2 people with them and they are pretty damn nice
VW is making a station wagon (“tourer”) version in 2025. However, there is no word on whether or not this version will make it to North America.
Surprised to see so many positive comments about the styling, to me it’s about as dull as a car gets.
Yeah, all I see in Nissan Sentra.
It’s… fine. Just bland. Some of the details are nice, but most are so generic. Cover up the badges and it could be anything. I find the roofline kind of weird and awkward too. Same with the Merc EQS, I’m guessing it’s for some kind of aerodynamic reason.
Prediction: the touch screen will be this car’s failure point that sends it to the crusher when it is 20+ years old. That would be an epic waste.
20 years? This is modern VW we’re talking about. If anything 10 is optimistic.
I was gonna say six.
I said 20+ because that is around the time you won’t be able to get replacement parts, at any price. Of course, it could come much sooner than that, and depending upon the replacement cost, may total the car by itself even if it’s still available.
The service/replacement industry for parts like this is going to be really interesting. The auto industry operates on such different timelines than tech. Add that to the fact that the tech mfg companies are Tier 2 or 3 (or 4) suppliers. The OEMs are going to be screaming at their Tier 1s to guarantee replacement parts. The Tier 1s are not going to have the leverage get the tech companies to fundamentally change their business models to mfg the same tech for the 15 years the OEMs want …
I think auto manufacturers in Europe have to stock parts for at least a decade or two as mandated by their laws. Who knew big government is good for the consumer?
Pretty sure that’s a common misconception, the EU requires availability of replacement parts for certain categories of domestic appliances for different terms under their right to repair directives, but I don’t believe it applies to cars
The newest car in my fleet (2022) still has a vent control knob that has actual cables that move the position of the flapper in the HVAC system. Without even looking at it, I can feel the position I’m in. It’s kind of awesome and yet simple. I’m guessing it will still work in 20 years and requires no subscription. Call me a Luddite, but I’m OK with that.
My 00s BMWs had their dot matrix LCDs delaminate after a decade. They were a pain to get fixed (removing the instrument cluster, AC and MID etc) send them off to get worked on that was nearly $1k. At least with LCD panels, it is lower labour (just unscrew and unplug). If I recall a Model 3 panel is ~300-400, for when people accidentally break them.
Early Tesla Model S had their eMMC storage burn out due to excessive write events (I think due to logs?). The upside is getting PC industry standard parts is relatively painless to source vs propreitory, limited run parts. Different magnitude of economy of scale at play. Finding eMMC is trivial vs sourcing chips that might be out of production, it is still a pain in the ass, but it is not unobtainium.
I’m taking a very educated guess here and saying it was way too late into the development cycle for this to get more physical controls on the interior. There’s years of design, prototyping, sourcing, engineering, testing, and vetting that have to be done and I don’t thing VW was going to let this car be delayed like that.
The white steering wheel is just begging to be covered in Cheeto-dust.
I like the exterior a lot, but I’m still not sold on the “slap a giant screen in the center”. I like at least a little integration into the dash design and I still like physical buttons for commonly used items.
I bought a 2021 330e last week, and I was looking at the 2023 changes and found myself preferring the 2021-22 screens so much more. BMW eliminated the cowl over the instrument panel for 2023 and went to a larger of a screen for the infotainment (it was already 8.8″ and now it’s 14.9″!), as well as just a screen for the instrumental panel too. They also eliminated the physical buttons for HVAC, heated seats, and preset buttons (which are pretty cool in the BMW because you can set them to any screen function in the infotainment rather than just radio presets). You just get a volume knob, track advance, and defrost buttons now and everything else is in the screen.
We drive so little that a 20 mile electric only range on a PHEV makes more sense for us than a full EV. I like being able to run quick errands and commute on electric, but just fill the gas when I need it. I wish it had a bit more range (my first gen Volt was about perfect for me), but it’s still enough for a typical day for my wife and I.
BMW presets are stellar.
It is an ok looking car, not bad, but I wouldn’t call it sleek. The waistline (or the lower section of the whole body) is too high apparently to fit the skateboard battery. And the front end is just boring.
I feel the whole VW’s ID-identity is kinda… Off. The cars try to look futuristic in their minimalism, but in ID-family case it makes the cars feel and seem just cheap, at least for me. I predict these designs, especially the crossover ones, are going to look dated pretty soon.
I see ID.4s somewhat frequently and they already look dated. They’re just weird bulbous things that try to look futuristic…but in reality they just look like what designer from 5-10 years ago would imagine a future EV to look like. Most of these Jetsons ass first gen EVs are going to look awful in a few years. I think buy here pay here lots are going to be overflowing with them after their value inevitably tanks as more capable and better looking EVs continue to come out.
Making them look dated quickly is the entire point of the design. This way, people are encouraged to trade in the old one and buy the next one when the body style changes.
It’s a predatory philosophy of design. I prefer timeless designs that look good 50 years later. Jaguar E-Type, Citroen DS, Ferrari 250GTO, ect. Car companies deliberately avoid this in the present.
Can’t we get the ID.3 first? Not everyone wants a huge massive expensive EV. The Chevrolet Bolt sales resurgence has shown that there is huge demand for small basic EVs with decent range.
I wonder how competitive it would be without the tax credit though.
I got a feeling Canada will get the ID.2 (Golf) first.
So they got rid of the haptic buttons in favor of buttons on a screen with no feedback at all.
The hatchback design is awesome. I am 100% hooked after owning an S5. I can comfortably fit two large dogs in the back of my car, plus 4 people in the cabin. It’s as close as I can get to a sporty Audi Avant in the states. More cars need to adopt this design, especially ones that already have the roofline for it, like the Accord, CT5 and Ioniq 6.
Great looking car, I hope the dual motor has 400+ HP because I can see giving up my S5 and finally get on the electric bandwagon.
I like it, won’t buy the first year, but a step in the right direction for those who take long trips.
Have they resolved the ID.4’s myriad of tech issues? If not, centralizing even more in the infotainment seems like a bad idea.
Ah who am I kidding, centralizing everything in the infotainment is bad no matter what. I have to wonder how long it will be until the NHTSA mandates physical buttons for at least climate control. It’s flat out dangerous to have that on a touchscreen.
In typical German fashion they have paid the issues and negative press no mind and are doubling down on all of the bad tech. There were stories floating around about VW actually listening and changing things but everything suggests they’re not bringing back buttons but rather updating the haptic stuff and how the screens are laid out. To me it’s rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic but for whatever reason it doesn’t seem to be negatively impacting sales so I think if you want a VW you’re just going to have to accept that this is part of their ethos for good at this stage.
The ID.4 was panned pretty hard across the board and yet they’re selling every single one they can make despite it being an objectively mediocre product. Brand loyalty is a hell of a drug and unfortunately I get the sense that normies aren’t as phased by this stuff as we are. I think they get into these tech hell world interiors and are like WOW THIS LOOKS SO COOL! LOOK AT ALL THE COLORS! IT REMINDS ME OF TESLA!
Your post echoes the sentiment of the following meme:
https://i.imgur.com/HHpsydc.png
I’m also in agreement.
Haptic bullshit on the steering wheel + no buttons=no dice, forever and always. Ze Germans are hellbent on dying on this “put every function in a tablet like Tesla” hill and remain ridiculously stubborn as always but pretty much everyone else has figured out that no one outside of tech bros wants this. It’s distracting, convoluted, and needlessly complicates something that’s worked for the better part of a century.
Not to mention the “slap a tablet on the dash” just looks like shit. It’s possible to integrate the screen into the dash.
I’m assuming the reasons for it are (1) easy to design, (2) easy to install, (3) easier to replace. But it’s fucking ugly.
“It’s distracting, convoluted, and needlessly complicates something that’s worked for the better part of a century.”
I think you just described the German automotive engineering/design philosophy for the past +100 years 🙂