Review: Volkswagen ID.7 GTX Plus
What is it?
Volkswagen is a company that is expanding its ‘ID’ electric vehicle line-up and wants to be the leader when it comes to EVs.
Recently, a flood of battery-powered SUVs has hit the market, but the German firm is opening up to a wider audience by targeting the electric estate market with the ID.7 Tourer.
The ID.7 Tourer sits in a rather small category with only the Audi A6 e-tron and BMW i5 Touring directly rivalling this big family wagon.
Today, we’re driving the GTX Plus model which is the flagship model when it comes to performance, looks and standard equipment.
What’s new?
The ID.7 is available as a five-door fastback or as this more practical five-door Tourer estate model.
All versions come with Volkswagen’s latest on-board technology as well as sitting on the same MEB platform as the smaller ID.3 and ID.5, but features a longer wheelbase, helping to improve interior space.
It also features Volkswagen’s latest design language with its smooth and aerodynamic body shell, to help it cut through the air, helping to improve efficiency.
What’s under the bonnet?
There are several setups available with the ID.7 Tourer, but our GTX Plus model comes equipped with an 86kWh battery with dual electric motors, which features Volkswagen’s 4Motion four-wheel drive system.
In terms of power, it produces a total of 335bhp and 402Nm of torque, while 60mph is dispatched in 5.3 seconds and the car will run out of puff at 112mph.
Volkswagen claims the car can travel up to 357 miles between trips to the plug and that 200kW DC rapid charging is compatible, allowing for a 10 to 80 per cent top-up to take around 25 to 35 minutes.
What’s it like to drive?
The ID.7 Tourer may be a large car, but it can hold its own on the road, impressing in almost every area.
At motorway speeds, the car is quiet and refined, managing to absorb any road, wind and tyre noise from entering the cabin. The ride is smooth, but it can get a little fidgety over potholes, due to our test car’s larger wheels and the steering has a decent amount of weight to it, to make it feel more connected in your hands.
Our GTX Plus car also has a decent amount of punch from its electric motors, meaning it can perform well whether it’s at higher speeds or around town.
Plus, with decent visibility, it makes the car a lot less of a headache to manoeuvre around narrow city streets.
How does it look?
From some angles, the ID.7 has a hint of some of the Chinese EVs out there with its curvaceous body shape and rear LED lightbar.
However, this Tourer model looks even better than the standard fastback car with its two-tone roof, roof bars and silver trim that runs from the A to the C-pillar.
You still get the same flush door handles and slim front headlights that incorporate a thin light bar that runs across the front of the bonnet.
Our GTX Plus car also stands out over the rest of the range with its 20-inch wheels, black roof and door mirrors, to give it a sportier edge.
It may not be the most dynamic design, but the Tourer version of the ID.7 is a more handsome car compared to the fastback, for sure.
What’s it like inside?
The ID.7 Tourer excels when it comes to interior space as the longer wheelbase makes rear-seat occupant space cavernous, with acres of head and legroom for passengers. The flat floor makes it easier for three to sit abreast, too.
The materials used throughout are good too, with there being Vegan-friendly plastics used, which feel high-quality and the ergoActive seats are great for long-distance driving as they provide a lot of support and are very comfortable.
With the Tourer, you also get a massive boot capacity, with the car providing up to 605 litres, which beats almost all of the competition, and that space extends to 1,948 litres, making it the best-in-class when it comes to practicality.
What’s the spec like?
You’re not going to be short of equipment whichever model of ID.7 Tourer you go for as even the entry-level car comes with 19-inch alloy wheels, LED matrix headlights, an electric tailgate, massaging front seats and a rear view camera.
Our GTX Plus model has everything you could possibly need, including a Harman Kardon 12-speaker premium audio system, ventilated massaging front seats, sports bumpers, heated front and rear seats and 20-inch alloy wheels.
However, with prices starting at £51,795 for the entry-level car, the ID.7 Tourer is a lot cheaper than other cars in this class, such as the BMW i5 Touring, which start at just below £70,000.
Our flagship GTX Plus comes in at just over £62,500, making this Volkswagen look like excellent value for money.
Verdict
There’s plenty to like about the ID.7 Tourer. It’s efficient, has a solid-looking design, is very practical and if you get the hot GTX Plus model, it’s rather engaging too.
It undercuts the competition on price and with a decent level of interior space and high-quality materials used throughout, this electric family workhorse seems to tick all the right boxes.
It’s also got a good amount of electric range and can be charged at an impressive 200kW, making the ID.7 Tourer a very capable and impressive all-round EV.
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