Volkswagen ID.7 - Boot space, comfort & practicality

The Volkswagen ID.7’s large hatchback body gives it a practicality advantage over rivals in this large EV class that stick with the saloon format. All ID.7 models come with front and rear parking sensors, plus a 360-degree camera system to help with visibility when parking – although the latter has a low-resolution feed, in our opinion, for a car costing over £50,000. There are LED matrix headlights that provide very good visibility at night while also adjusting the beam pattern to avoid dazzling oncoming traffic.  

Dimensions and size

The car’s length alone means the Volkswagen is a much more spacious car than a BYD Seal or Tesla Model 3. The ID.7 is 241mm longer than the Model 3, and 161mm longer than a Seal, so factor that into your calculations about where you’ll park it. The ID.7 isn’t as wide as the Seal, but it is taller than both of its rivals.

Seats, leg room, head room & passenger space

Adults who are six feet tall will have no trouble getting comfortable in either the front or the back seats. The vast length of the ID.7 is really felt in the back where kneeroom is limo-like, and (according to our tape measure) headroom is far more generous against the likes of the Tesla Model 3. The well-equipped Match trim comes with electric front seat adjustment, including electric lumbar adjustment, memory settings, and seat depth adjustment, so there’s plenty of scope to find a comfortable driving position.

Families with young children who need child seats will be pleased to find ISOFIX child seat mounting points conveniently hidden behind some removable plastic covers on the outer positions of the rear seats. There’s also an ISOFIX position on the front passenger seat to provide some flexibility in where you can put child seats.

Boot space

Despite the ID.7’s saloon shape, VW has fitted a roof-hinged hatch, which works wonders for accessibility when loading bigger items. The boot opening in the ID.7 is much bigger than the narrow, letterbox-like opening you’ll find in both the BYD Seal and Tesla Model 3. The ID.7 has a big boot, with 532 litres compared to the Model 3’s 425-litre maximum.

The VW’s seats fold almost flat in a 60:40 formation should you find yourself on an IKEA run. All models get a variable height boot floor to remove the annoying load lip, and provide a space beneath the floor where you can store the charging cables, or even the parcel shelf if you need to remove it. There is an ID.7 Tourer estate on the way, which should prove to be one of the most versatile EVs around.