Haunting wind tunnel work—the kind once reserved for race cars and supercars—has become an essential part of building modern electric vehicles like the Volkswagen ID.7.
Aero can go a long way to accelerating EV adoption. It’s not just the key to longer range and better efficiency. It helps to keep the battery packs smaller, the vehicle’s footprint lighter and thus lower the price. And it can help keep the cabin quiet and highlight the serenity of the electric vehicle.
Boxy electric SUVs can also be trendy, but first and foremost is the ID.7, as it has already been previewed in concept form. ID.Aero and was later revealed as this camouflage prototype before CES in Las Vegas earlier this year. It shows how aerodynamics can guide form and function, and it works—with ample space for five people and their cargo, and an expected range of approx. 350 miles with just 77 kWh of battery in a model that is expected to debut in late 2024 in the United States, for the 2025 model year.
Volkswagen ID.7 prototype (European spec)
Volkswagen ID.7 prototype (European spec)
Volkswagen ID.7 prototype (European spec)
VW boasts that all this attention in the wind tunnel has resulted in a drag coefficient of just 0.23. It’s one of the most aerodynamic cars it calls 5-meter sedans.
And while sedan usually means it has a trunk lid, this one is a hatchback – a kammback, some might say, when you look at how much the height of the rear spoiler actually extends.
What is the ID.7 size?
Profile can call sedan, but the proportions are different. At 195.3 inches long and 73.3 inches wide, while with a 116.8-inch wheelbase, the ID.7 is roughly as long as a Tesla Model S, Lucid Air or Mercedes EQE, but as wide as a Model 3 or Hyundai Ioniq 6 When I first saw the ID.7, even without showing all of its design details, my first impression was that it was shorter than it actually was.
Volkswagen ID.7 prototype (European spec)
What messes with those stereotypes is the height of the ID.7. It’s 60.6 inches tall—taller than any sedan—Toyota Crown is the only current product with such proportions. In the case of the ID.7, it’s all about balance, in mounting the battery pack and MEB components underneath, and installing the most aerodynamically sleek look possible while also providing all the interior space a car of this size must have.
Although ID.7 has not applied the refactoring MEB+ . Architectureit offers many of the same improvements as promised to it, with a new motor, a larger battery pack, and faster charging.
Upgraded VW ID.7 . engine and battery
The new engine produces 282 hp and 429 lb-ft of torque—much more than the ID.4’s 201 hp and 229 lb-ft. It belongs to the same series but is actually a new motor, with more coils and stronger magnets than the current ID.4 motor, and it is oil cooled as well as water cooled, instead of just doing cool with water. A new inverter also aims to operate with less heat build-up and capture more energy from regenerative braking.
Volkswagen ID.7 prototype (European spec)
Finally, all-wheel drive will be available on the ID.7, and that means adding the same lower-power, asynchronous unit from the ID.4.
Also debuting on the ID.7 and enabling a WLTP cycle range in Europe of 435 miles, is a larger battery pack. With a net 91 kwh and 85 kWh available, the larger package uses 13 modules and 208 prismatic cells—compared to ID.4’s 12 modules and 288 pocket cells, which adds up to a net 82 kWh and 77 kWh available.
The larger 85 kwh battery pack charges with a capacity of up to 200 kw, allowing 10-80% to be charged in about 25 minutes, while the 77 kwh pack reaches 170 kwh. VW said that Two-way charging is on the way for its MEB EV, but it has yet to provide an update on how and when this will arrive.
The smaller 77 kWh pack in the ID.7 will be offered first in Europe, and when it arrives in the US, it will be the only battery available.
Volkswagen ID.7 prototype (European spec)
ID.7 performance: playful and classy
My driving loop with ID.7 was short—about 45 minutes, on remote mountain roads near Alicante, Spain, where cyclists stopped with confused faces, snapping photos Can look like an art car.
In less than 18 miles, most essays and hairpins spin under 40 miles per hour. A quick burst of 60 mph that slows locals and the occasional road bike ride is enough to emphasize that there’s a lot of right to pass from the single-engine layout.
Even that is enough to see the power of the ID.7: It emphasizes a luxurious, quiet active ride, while also precise handling but not quite as sporty. In short, VW has tweaked the ID.7 to feel like a big car. It’s one of the best-tuned of any large, luxury sedan—on par with the Mercedes EQE sedan and Lexus ES, but without the need for air suspension. Staggered width tires (255 at the rear, 235 at the front in our test car with 20 inches) can play a role when you push it to the limit, but with a passenger on board and the prototype state of our car, we tackled it at breakneck speed.
The optional adaptive dynamic chassis control system is also helpful, making this large vehicle feel leaner on tight turns and roundabouts, while eliminating rough surfaces and double roughness. When.
Volkswagen ID.7 prototype (European spec)
The various adjustments between Eco, Comfort, Sport and Individual offer a wide range of driving styles but most notably, throttle sensitivity suffers. As with the ID.4, there aren’t many regenerative braking options here or one-pedal driving; you only have ‘D’ to slide, with a little bit of deceleration for petrol models and ‘B’ for more.
The long wheelbase, suspension, and weight of nearly 4,600 pounds in testing — up to 4,800 pounds in dual-engine form — also offer a sense of composure and weight.
We can’t share our thoughts on rear-seat accommodation or passenger space there yet, but given the large door trims and long cabin dimensions, it’s sure to be impressive.
Volkswagen ID.7 prototype (European spec)
ID.7 interface and comfort
Debuted on the ID.7 as a “reinvented” cockpit design. Just like ID.4, ID.7’s dash emphasizes the horizontal, but a few key design differences distinguish it. The interface takes on the ID.4’s touchscreen controls, but adds backlit touch sliders below the display for key climate functions. A large 15.0-inch touchscreen sits in the center of the dashboard, with a very small panel providing basic information like speed and alerts. The rest of the gauges have been moved upwards—into the head-mounted augmented reality display that will be standard on all versions of the ID.7.
Other highlights in the cabin include optional 30-color ambient lighting, 700-watt Harmon Kardon audio and next-generation ErgoActive seats that include massage, heating and cooling—with the latter able to Adjustment between backrest and bottom cushion. The smart vents can be repositioned by dragging your finger across the touchscreen, and they work with voice controls that expand to respond to specific needs: Example : You can say “My hands are cold” to have warm air on your hands and the heated steering wheel activates the wheels.
Volkswagen ID.7 prototype (European spec)
The screen interface itself has been redesigned compared to the one used in ID.4 and ID.Buzz. While it feels more complicated than ever, what I’ve learned is that there are more redundancies and more ways to customize it for your everyday use. It keeps a locked tray of climate control buttons at the bottom of the screen, while users can create their own tray of shortcut icons at the top. You can scroll from side to side between up to five different screen tiles, arranged as you like—for example, one for family errands, another for one-on-one trips me, another box is for calling a car.
ID.7 Price and Features
The ID.7 will be built in Emden, Germany, for the US, which means it won’t be eligible for the Refurbished Clean Car Credit, and with the US version 18 months away, the price. and trim levels have yet to be established. Volkswagen calls the ID.7 a premium model.
Volkswagen ID.7 prototype (European spec)
Based on what has been said about how it will fit into the market, we see it landing between Hyundai Ioniq6 And Mercedes-Benz in terms of price and market position—and as an all-electric alternative to the Toyota Crown or perhaps the Nissan Maxima. If Nissan’s Maxima returns to all-electricity in a few years, it could be the ID.7’s most direct rival.
All in all, it’s more comfortable than an SUV, it goes further while requiring less time to connect to a charger, and it looks smart.
So there is hope for cars after all.
