Overview

This is the Volkswagen ID.7, the firm’s new flagship electric car. It’s a large five-door hatchback that replaces the stylish Arteon Coupe and Passat Saloon, and arguably picking up the mantle of the long-gone Phaeton. It’s altogether larger than the big selling Tesla Model 3, and aimed at a different set of buyers.

Whether you’re one of those is down to you. It has acres of room inside, a huge boot, and takes up a lot of road space. And that would put it up against the BMW i5 and Mercedes-Benz EQE, which are rather more expensive than VW’s more down-to-earth offering.

Although the aforementioned cars are firmly in the ID.7’s sights, other rivals are the BYD Seal and Hyundai Ioniq 6.

It looks, and is, essentially a big ID.3 with short overhangs, a stubby bonnet, flush headlights and a raked windscreen. The styling isn’t just for show either as it helps the ID.7 achieve a super sleek 0.23 drag coefficient.

It also gets Uprated motors and control systems in a move to improve the already excellent efficiency. There’s more to come, too, as it’s one of 10 EVs to be launched by the firm by 2026.

Currently just the generously-equipped Pro Match trim is available, and with that you get three-zone air conditioning, head-up display, heated front seats with massage, a heated steering wheel and 19-inch alloy wheels. You can further option it up with the Exterior Plus Pack, which includes adaptive suspension (DCC) and progressive steering.

So it’s a big car at a reasonable price in terms of metal for money, but is the ID.7 good enough to tempt you away from its superstar rivals? Click through the next few pages to read everything you need to know about the Volkswagen ID.7, including its practicality, how much it costs to run, what it’s like to drive – and whether we recommend buying one.