Nestled into the cockpit of the Volkswagen ID.7, the German model’s new flagship electrical providing, it didn’t take lengthy for me to appreciate the car brings a brand new stage of premium to the “individuals’s automotive.”
The mid-sized sedan affords the perfect of each worlds: a near-silent, comfy cabin for leisurely cruising and the advantage of instantaneous torque, energy, and the effectivity that comes with electrical powertrains. It additionally sports activities Volkswagen’s improved Dynamic Chassis Management, and the system works exceptionally; extra on that later.
I had the chance to spend a couple of hours driving an ID.7 in Southern France final week and I walked away genuinely impressed with Volkswagen’s new top-of-the-line electrical sedan. However is that this four-door adequate to chop it in a world owned by SUVs?
Exterior Design
Name it “trendy magnificence” meets “aerodynamic effectivity.” The ID.7’s glossy strains and refined contours current a up to date aesthetic that embraces the everyday simplicity of the Volkswagen model whereas emitting a way of sophistication. The design language is not far off the ID.4 crossover in numerous methods, however as smaller vehicles and sedans typically do, this one simply wears it higher.
The sedan’s distinctive front-end design is characterised by daring but understated glossy LED headlights and a slender LED strip for daytime operating lights. The flip indicators are built-in into the highest of the housing and there are additionally facet air curtains in entrance of the wheel housings to scale back drag.
The aerodynamic components included into the outside, evident in its streamlined silhouette and sculpted physique, are geared toward optimizing effectivity with out compromising the car’s visible enchantment. It really works, because the designers have been in a position to obtain an impressively low coefficient of drag of .23.
Round again, the ID.7 sports activities a particular horizontal LED strip, that stretches into the wraparound LED taillights. Each the rear bumper and the decrease diffuser are accented with high-gloss black paint.
Like its smaller ID.4 sibling, the ID.7 doesn’t have a entrance storage compartment, or frunk because it’s typically referred to as. That is unlucky as a result of EV patrons typically search for that extra cupboard space. Fortunately, the ID.7 does have plenty of storage room behind the rear seats, and the absence of the frunk will likely be much less noticeable.
Inside
The ID.7’s cabin was designed from scratch with a concentrate on spaciousness, consolation, and superior know-how. Excessive-quality supplies and a thoughtfully laid-out inside contribute to an inviting and opulent ambiance. Due to its 117-inch wheelbase, which is 5 inches longer than that of the Arteon, the ID.7 affords extraordinarily beneficiant house for each the entrance and rear passengers.
The minimalistic design of the dashboard is dominated by the all-new 15-inch horizontally oriented middle touchscreen. It’s the biggest touchscreen supplied on any Volkswagen car and is identical measurement as that on the Tesla Mannequin 3 and Mannequin Y. There’s a small driver’s show and a regular head-up show that provides augmented actuality with interactive navigational instructions, which I discovered to be very clear, even throughout the daylight.
I do know seating consolation is subjective, however the ID.7’s fabric seats hit the spot for me. They’re extraordinarily comfy and supportive in all the proper locations, and that’s earlier than you utilize the usual seat heating, air flow, or massaging options. The entrance seats provide over 40 inches of headroom and that, mixed with the panoramic glass roof, makes the inside really feel even bigger than it’s.
Talking of the roof, the elective glass roof is electrochromic and makes use of a layer of a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal that enables the glass to immediately swap from clear to opaque at your command.
The entrance seat massaging system has eleven various kinds of therapeutic massage, and every permits you to choose the depth and period of your pampering. I’ve had a couple of decrease again surgical procedures stemming from an auto accident in 2012, and the decrease lumbar therapeutic massage setting felt heavenly.
I usually do not use massaging seats in vehicles as a result of I can not get them to therapeutic massage the proper spot, however the stage of customization within the ID.7’s commonplace seat therapeutic massage system may be very spectacular, and I used to be in a position to get it personalized completely.
Infotainment and Driver Help
Volkswagen’s present MEB-based EVs are usually excellent automobiles, however to this point they do have one main flaw: software program. Volkswagen is aware of that, and in 2022 the corporate fired the Volkswagen Group’s Chairman, Herbert Diess, over the lingering software program issues (amongst different issues.)
Nevertheless, with the ID.7, Volkswagen is taking an enormous step ahead to right the issue with its software program 4.0.
Model 4.0 is an enormous enchancment over the model’s present software program, and I spent a whole lot of time exploring whether or not I might overload the system by switching screens quickly and scrolling by means of the choices as quick as I might. Fortunately, the system was up for the problem, and was in a position to sustain with my rapid-fire instructions.
Wi-fi Apple carplay and Android Auto are commonplace. The structure of the tiles is straightforward and simple to navigate with the choices listed throughout the highest left facet of the intense, crisp, 15-inch touchscreen. Alongside the underside of the display, you’ll discover local weather management choices and beneath these, simply off the sting of the touchscreen, there’s capacitive local weather management settings which at the moment are backlit.
That’s an enchancment that was impressed by complaints that ID.4 homeowners had as a result of the capacitive controls on that car aren’t backlit, inflicting homeowners to have problem adjusting the settings at midnight.
Volkswagen’s Journey Help superior driver’s help system (ADAS) is commonplace and features a host of security options together with adaptive cruise management, cross-traffic alert, lane hold help, and computerized lane altering. Nevertheless, I struggled to get the lane-changing system to work correctly as did different journalists that I spoke with on the drive occasion.
Volkswagen’s new APP 550 electrical motor is extra highly effective and extra environment friendly than its predecessor
Highly effective Sufficient
I had the chance to drive the rear-wheel drive ID.7 which employs Volkswagen’s new APP 550 motor. The brand new powerplant offers 281 horsepower and 402 lb-ft of torque, which may propel the 4,788-pound sedan from zero to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds with an electronically restricted prime velocity of 111.8 mph. Whereas that might not be quick sufficient for the dragstrip, the ID.7 is greater than highly effective sufficient for nearly any proprietor’s wants. The twin-motor all-wheel-drive model is predicted to ship 551 hp, which ought to reduce the zero to 60 mph time all the way down to about 5 seconds.
Smash the accelerator and also you’ll discover that instantaneous torque of the electrical motor pushing you again into the motive force’s seat. It’s not fairly as neck-snapping as we’ve skilled in another high-powered electrical automobiles, however there’s greater than sufficient there to shortly speed up previous one other car when vital, even at freeway speeds.
The brand new APP 550 everlasting magnet synchronous motor has extra energy and elevated effectivity partially resulting from a rotor with robust everlasting magnets that provide a excessive thermal load capability, a brand new stator with thicker copper windings, a water warmth sink for the skin of the stator, and a brand new, mixed oil and water cooling system for greater thermal stability. The result’s a motor that produces extra energy and does so utilizing much less vitality, permitting the ID.7 with the identical 77 kWh battery pack to go farther on a single cost than the smaller, lighter ID.4 can.
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Charging The ID.7
The ID.7 employs the identical 11 kW onboard charger used within the ID.4 for AC charging. When coupled with a 48-amp charging supply, the ID.7 with the 77 kWh (usable capability) battery will recharge from a totally flat battery to 100% charged in about eight hours. ID.7s with the bigger, 86 kWh battery will take an extra 45 minutes to an hour.
Nevertheless, it’s an especially uncommon event when an proprietor must cost from 0 to 100% as a result of, with each day house charging, you solely have to replenish what you used that day.
With a 48-amp house charger, you need to replenish about 40 miles of driving vary for each hour you cost. Subsequently, when you have been to drive 60 miles sooner or later and plug the ID.7 in at evening, it will be totally recharged in about 1.5 hours.
As for DC quick charging, the charging velocity will depend upon which battery you’ve. The 77 kWh battery can settle for a peak charging price of 175 kW, whereas the bigger 86 kWh pack will cost at speeds as much as 200 kW. Volkswagen quotes 10% to 80% charging instances of 28 minutes for the 77 kWh fashions and solely 25 minutes for ID.7 geared up with the bigger battery since it may well cost at greater speeds.
Volkswagen is among the final remaining EV producers that have not already introduced a transition to Tesla’s North American Charging Customary (NACS) connector, however at this level, that looks like solely a matter of time. The ID.7 will launch in mid-2024 with the J1772 connector for AC charging and use the CCS1 connector for DC quick charging. My guess is by 2025 they’ll start putting in NACS charging ports on the corporate’s EVs, simply as the remainder of the business will.
Volkswagen ID.7 cost port
I used to be in a position to cease at a DC quick charger alongside the pre-planned drive route and cost my 77 kWh ID.7 from 44% to 82% in 20 minutes, which seems to be in keeping with Volkswagen’s estimates, contemplating I plugged in at a excessive state of cost.
Charging from 10% to 80% in underneath half-hour means the ID.7 will likely be a very good street tripper, supplied yow will discover a working 350 kW DC quick charger alongside your route. If it is advisable to choose a 150 kW charger, count on to attend roughly 5 minutes longer to succeed in 80%.
The ID.7 additionally has a battery preconditioning characteristic that may routinely activate when you’ve a DC quick charger set as your vacation spot within the navigation system. You can too flip it on manually if you would like. This characteristic permits the battery to just accept its most charging price, and shorten the time wanted to cease to cost.
Free Charging
I requested Volkswagen representatives if the ID.7 would include the identical free limitless charging plan on the Electrify America community because the ID.4 has, and to my shock, I couldn’t get a transparent reply. I used to be advised that Volkswagen is planning to supply an Electrify America plan however hasn’t determined what kind it is going to take. Fascinating. Might it’s that Volkswagen is realizing that these free limitless plans are detrimental to the EV business? Here is hoping. I believe that all the manufacturers within the Volkswagen Group pivot from these free limitless charging plans and provide one thing finite. I’m all for providing free charging incentives, however there have to be limits in place as a result of the unintended penalties of the few accessible and dealing quick chargers being clogged up by locals getting their free juice will solely worsen.
Volkswagen ID.7 gear selector with drive and B-mode for stronger lift-off regenerative braking
On The Street With The VW ID.7
One of many greatest surprises in my time with the ID.7 was its Dynamic Chassis Management (DCC) system. Volkswagen added a brand new controller to enhance its adaptive damping know-how because the system repeatedly adjusts the damping pressure on every wheel. The motive force may also alter how mushy or agency of a trip they want throughout the 4 totally different driving modes: Eco, Consolation, Sport, and Particular person.
The ID.7 employs the identical regenerative braking technique because the ID.4 and would not provide one-pedal drive as many different electrical automobiles do. One-pedal driving is adopted barely in a different way by the varied EV producers that provide it, however mainly, the car has robust lift-off regenerative braking pressure, sufficient to deliver the car to a cease in an inexpensive period of time after which maintain the car in place with out rolling.
Volkswagen is among the OEMs within the minority that do not provide this in style characteristic on its electrical automobiles. As a substitute, the ID.7 has two ranges of regenerative braking which are set by the gear selector. In common driving mode, the extent of brake regeneration is noticeable, however gentle.
If the motive force prefers stronger regenerative braking pressure, they will choose the B driving mode which will increase the regen power significantly, however not sufficient for a real one-pedal driving expertise.
Does Volkswagen Have A Winner In The ID.7?
I believe so, nevertheless it appears each car within the grocery store parking zone lately is both a big SUV or a crossover. So the query is, are there sufficient U.S. patrons eager about sedans to even discover the ID.7?
For the one who simply would not wish to dwell with an enormous, tall automotive, the ID.7 will get a ton proper. The car drives very nicely, and the DCC system affords a driving expertise appropriate for any style. The vary of changes you can also make from mushy to stiff is actually exceptional and the heated, cooled, and massaging seats are excellent for lengthy drives. The rear-wheel ID.7 with the smaller, 77 kWh battery must be EPA vary rated at over 300 miles, and when the bigger 86 kWh pack turns into accessible that may take the ID.7 even additional.
With out understanding the pricing I can not say whether or not the ID.7 is an efficient worth, however it’s a darn good automotive – maybe the perfect Volkswagen sedan that I’ve ever pushed. It might not be the flashiest factor on the street, nevertheless it’s greater than sufficient.