Is the Volkswagen Passat replacement the best one you can have especially in electric form?
Exterior – Front
So, the styling on the new Volkswagen ID.7 still resembles any ID car. It feels like it has a personality and a face which I do like. On this one it does look happy, but it also looks sporty at the same time. We have a set of LED Digital headlights that are very thin which makes this car feel wider. We also get a light bar which is standard on every Volkswagen now and we also get the White Volkswagen Logo to symbolise that it is electric. Lower down we get a reasonable central air vent and some sporty side vents to aid aerodynamics. We also get a swoopy bonnet again to aid aerodynamics, but the overall style is possibly one of the best we have seen from any Volkswagen.
Exterior – Side
Moving round to the side and this is where the elegant side starts to show. We get this sharp but swoopy crease that comes from the front of the car and goes all the way to the back. This looks like the ID.4 which I do quite like. We also get flush door handles and a black contrast roof and wing mirrors. We also get black sills too. There is also a lot of glass too with very slim pillars also making it easier to see out of. Finally, we also get a set of sporty wheel designs to keep this car fresh.
Exterior – Rear
Moving round the back and again we get a very modern design. We get a black bar that houses the taillights and light bar. What I am not sure though is that when the lights are off, they are white in colour. That I’m not sure about but when they are lit up, they look amazing. We get a sporty looking integrated spoiler and a sporty bumper with again more gloss black. So, then a very handsome looking car. Can the powertrains be as good as this. Let’s find out.
Car and engine specs and price
So, the powertrain options are very simple at the moment with the ID.7. This is because there is only one option and one trim level. This is called Pro Launch Edition. This uses a 77kWh battery pack with a 282 bhp single motor setup on the rear wheels. This gives the car a 384-mile range which isn’t bad and a 0-62 time of just 6.5 seconds. There will be a longer-range version called the Pro S coming out in a few months and this will increase the range to 430 miles which is very good in an ev. Finally coming out nearer the end of this year will be the performance focused ID.7 GTX. This will have a dual motor setup giving it 4-wheel drive and a bhp rating closer to 400. The price of the new Volkswagen ID.7 starts at £55,870. Let’s have a look at the interior.
Interior – Design
So, getting inside the new Volkswagen ID.7 and we get a sense of simplicity with its design. We get a central air vent design that stretches the width of the dashboard and a smaller one lower down, but all of this is controlled electronically by the infotainment system. Talking of the infotainment system, this is the new MiB 4 software which is much better than before and is very easy to use. The screen is 15 inches in size which is a slight distraction, but it is great for navigation. What is new though is that the voice assistant is going to be a lot smarter or a lot more annoying depending on how you look at it as it is now using Chat GPT. You can also opt for a Harmon Kardon sound system which has 14 speakers and sounds quite good. Infront of the driver we get a clear heads up display that is easy to see and we also get a small digital instrument cluster that is integrated into the air vent which makes this interior feel minimalistic but I would of liked a bigger one like what the new Passat and Tiguan has as that would of made it feel like a proper vehicle interior but I do still like this one. The centre console is very minimalistic with plenty of storage inside it. We also get very comfy seats with very premium materials. We also get premium materials on the dashboard too which I like. What I am not sure about though is the steering wheel. Yes, it is the new steering wheel, but it has the touch sensitive buttons. That should be changing within a few years though. Let’s have a look at the rear seats.
Practicality
So, getting into the rear seats and we get a decent amount of legroom and headroom. You also get very premium materials and gloss finishes in the back too with metal feeling speaker grill covers. You can also fit 3 people in the back in comfort as it is on an ev platform. You also get some air vents as well as your own climate control system, heated seats and also an armrest. Lets have a look at the boot.
Boot Size
So, opening the boot and we get a class leading 532 litres of boot space with the seats up. With the seats down you get 1,586 litres which is more than enough for most people. The only downside is though, is you don’t get a front boot, so you have to store the charging cables in the boot which takes up a bit of space.
Summary
So, what do I think of the new Volkswagen ID.7. well it is a very good car from Volkswagen and it does beat some of its rivals, mainly the Hyundai Ioniq 6, Tesla Model 3, and maybe the Polestar 2 but it feels like it equals out with the BMW i4 and Mercedes EQE which is where I would place this car. I can see it as a replacement for the Arteon too. What I am interested in though is the ID.7 GTX. We shouldn’t have to wait too long to see it but lets hope it looks good and sporty.
Exterior 5/5
Interior 5/5
Practicality 5/5
Total 15/15
Model | Volkswagen ID.7 Pro Launch Edition |
Engine | 1 Electric Motor, 282 bhp, 77kWh, Rear Wheel Drive, 384mi Range, 0-62 = 6.5 Secs |
Trnasmission | Automatic 1 Speed |
Price | £55,870 |
On Sale | Now |
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