Volkswagen ID.7 review: a practical EV with a good range

Quick verdict

People will quite rightly cross-shop the Volkswagen ID.7 with the all-conquering Tesla Model 3, though in reality, the Volkswagen is a much larger car. The maker has worked hard to right its early-EV wrongs, and the cabin, technology and general driving experience in the ID.7 easily justify this model’s £50k-plus price tag. The ID.7 has every right to be considered in the same sentence as cars from industry leaders like Tesla – as well as bigger, more practical rivals costing considerably more.

Volkswagen ID.7: price, specs and rivals

Even if the reaction to Volkswagen’s early EV efforts was a little lukewarm, you could hardly accuse the brand of resting on its laurels. Following limp launches for the VW ID.3, VW ID.4 and VW ID.5, the bold-looking VW ID.Buzz won us over with its charming personality and practical interior.

Next came the turn of VW’s EV range flagship. The Volkswagen ID.7 may look sleeker than its bus-bodied sibling, but this saloon-cum-hatchback is a full 249mm longer than the Buzz. That means, despite the 7’s circa-£50k price, it’s more closely aligned with the Tesla Model S in terms of size, than a Tesla Model 3.

Whereas it merely matches the Tesla from a handling perspective, it punts it into next week when it comes to practicality, and there will even be an estate version to really ramp up the versatility of the ID.7. While the Volkswagen wins points for practicality, it still sits in second spot with regard to its electric range and charging speeds when compared to the Model 3, which is a shame considering the ID.7 is more expensive. 

All rear-wheel drive ID.7 models come with a single 282bhp electric motor, but there’s a choice regarding battery size, and - therefore - range. The entry-level Pro uses a 77kWh (useable) battery pack, which is the same set-up you’ll find in ID.4 and ID.5, but the slippery shape of the ID.7 means it offers better efficiency and range (up to 383 miles) compared with its bulkier SUV-style siblings. If that isn’t sufficient for you, then an even larger 86kWh (useable) battery pack in the Pro S model, affording up to 437 miles of range, plus an increased charging speed to keep the rapid charge time under 30 minutes.

A high-performance GTX model offers swifter acceleration thanks to a twin-motor four-wheel drive system delivering 335bhp. It comes exclusively with the larger of the two battery sizes to give it a decent range despite the additional weight of its four-wheel drive system.

Every ID.7 comes in well-equipped Match trim, featuring matrix-LED lights, 19-inch wheels, plus three-zone climate control, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 15-inch Discover Pro infotainment system, and an augmented-reality head-up display. Frustratingly, a range-preserving ‘energy efficient’ heat pump is a £1,050 option, a feature that’s standard on both the cheaper BYD Seal and Model 3.

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The ID.7 is definitely the most grown-up of Volkswagen’s all-encompassing electric-car range – a feeling that continues as soon as you set off. Laminated side windows make this an almost eerily quiet car at low speeds, but even on the motorway, this 4.96-metre-long five-door remains impressively refined – despite our test model being fitted with the largest 20-inch wheels.

Yet that sense of being isolated from the outside world doesn’t come at the expense of body control. The ID.7 has an inherently wide track which aids stability, but we also found the optional adaptive suspension (which comes as part of the £1,000 Exterior Pack) provides excellent damping. Even with those larger wheels and in the firmest of its sliding scale settings, the ID.7 is remarkably comfortable and feels resolutely tied down at all times. In its softest setting, it feels positively serene, floating over the uneven surfaces that rivals like the Hyundai Ioniq 6 and Polestar 2 would fidget over. As you’d expect, this makes the ID.7 an incredibly refined long-distance cruiser.

Even in the pouring rain and in single-motor guise, the ID.7 provides all the traction you’d need. For those after something even more surefooted, a dual-motor GTX with the additional traction benefits of four-wheel drive is also available.

Performance is sufficient, if some way off the class best. Getting from 0-62mph in 6.5 seconds (6.6 seconds for the heavier Pro S version) isn’t anything to be sniffed at, but you’ll need the costliest GTX version with 335bhp in order to have a faster car than even the entry-level Tesla Model 3 RWD or single motor Polestar 2. The 5.5-second acceleration time of the GTX is still more than swift enough in the real world but it isn’t going to eclipse the sub 3.0 second 0-62mph time of the cheaper Tesla Model 3 Performance. All versions of ID.7 have a top speed of 112mph is more than enough in the UK, and would only be important in countries with an unlimited top speed on their motorways.

In short, the ID.7 does a good job of hiding its size, but it just lacks the agility of a Model 3 point-to-point, tending to lean over more in bends and feeling lazier to respond to quick changes of direction. 

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The slippery shape of the Volkswagen ID.7 means that the larger 86kWh Pro S version has a range of up to 437 miles, which is higher than the Long Range Model 3 and single motor Long Range Polestar 2. The ID.7 should perform well for company car drivers paying benefit in kind (BIK) tax, and private buyers will like its residual values, which are better than some of its main rivals. It’s a shame that the ID.7 doesn't provide a heat pump as standard to improve efficiency further. Read more about the VW ID.7's range, charging and running costs…

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Let’s first address the elephant(s) in the room. Volkswagen’s ID cars came under heavy criticism for their lacklustre interior quality, plus fundamental technology and infotainment failings. With the ID.7, the maker is looking to right those wrongs.

Indeed, from the driver’s seat, all appears well. The general cabin ambience has been lifted to a level that easily competes with cars in this class; there are soft-touch materials on the doors and dash, and the seats offer plenty of support. The main controls are a little confusing at first – the wipers are embedded on a stalk to the left of the steering wheel, rather than the right, for example – but at least they’re not buried within the touchscreen like on the Tesla.

One thing that is now lost within the screen is the adjustment of the central air-vent controls. As has been the case for decades now, you had simple manual controls to direct where the air flow went, but VW has followed Tesla's example of automating this adjustment and sticking it within the screen. In our view, it just makes what was once an easy adjustment needlessly complicated.

Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment

The Volkswagen ID.7’s big, bright, 15-inch central display instantly feels more responsive than in the maker’s previous electric offerings. The menu layout still has some controls buried deep within sub-menus, but at least the large screen in the ID.7 allows some frequently used functions can be on permanent display, such as the climate controls at the bottom of the screen.

Volkswagen has deemed it appropriate to backlight the adjustment sliders for the climate temperature and audio volume settings found at the base of the screen, which means you can now find them at night. They’re still touch-sensitive, which means they’re not as easy to adjust on the move as the physical climate controls of the Hyundai Ioniq 6. Overall, we still prefer the BMW i4’s click wheel to control the infotainment, because it's easier to use while on the move. 

Wireless smartphone connectivity and a wireless phone charging pad are standard. All ID.7s come with a nine-speaker audio system with DAB radio, but you’ll need to pay for the pricey £2,000 Interior Pack to get the upgraded 12-speaker, 700-watt Harman Kardon sound system.

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The hatchback version of VW ID.7 has an enormous 532-litre boot, plus its wider opening puts it ahead of its less versatile saloon rivals when it comes to loading taller items into the boot. The ID.7 also has a number of well-thought-out details, such as a place to store the luggage cover when it isn’t needed, a standard fit adjustable height boot floor, plus rear seats that almost lay down flat. There’s also much more space inside for taller adults than in many of its rivals, marking the ID.7 out as a true family-orientated EV. Read more about the VW ID.7's boot space, comfort and practicality…

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The Volkswagen ID.7 is too new to have appeared in our most recent Driver Power owner satisfaction survey. However, the Volkswagen brand has its work cut out because it finished even lower than its 2023 manufacture score (27th out of 32), finishing in a disappointing 29th position out of 32 in our 2024 survey. That narrowly put it ahead of Ford (29th), but behind Skoda (23rd), Hyundai (17th), and BMW (14th).

The standard three-year/60,000-mile manufacturer warranty might reassure you, although it is shorter than Hyundai's five-year/100,000-mile warranty and Kia's seven-year/100,000-mile warranty. Even the Volkswagen group’s own Cupra brand now offers a longer five-year/90,000-mile warranty, so we hope that VW looks to extend the length of cover it offers.

At least the Volkswagen ID.7 should be a very safe place to put you and your loved ones if you do end up in a collision. It received the maximum five-star rating from safety experts Euro NCAP in 2023, with higher scores in all areas compared with the BYD Seal. 

As you’d expect with such a high score, the ID.7 comes loaded with safety features and assistance technology. There’s autonomous emergency braking (AEB) to help mitigate or prevent low-speed collisions with other vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians. You also get adaptive cruise control to keep you a safe distance from the vehicle in front, as well as lane keep assistance to help maintain your positioning within the lane. 

Blind spot monitoring alerts you to vehicles approaching alongside you when you change lanes. It also works while you're parked at the side of the road to prevent you from opening a car door and stepping out into the path of a vehicle approaching you. The ID.7 comes with a rear cross-traffic alert system to let you know of vehicles crossing your path as you go to reverse onto a busy main road.

Should you buy a Volkswagen ID.7?

As we already mentioned, people looking at the Volkswagen ID.7 are likely to be comparing it with the Tesla Model 3, and if ease of charging away from home and overall efficiency are of your major concerns, then the ID.7, unfortunately, comes up a little short. That’s not to say it can’t handle a long trip because both versions of ID.7 use a sizeable battery pack (77kWh or 86kWh) and relatively fast charging speed can make that happen, but the Model 3 is just that little bit further ahead in terms of getting the most from your volts according to our real-world testing, and its infrastructure is second to none.

However, the ID.7 is leagues ahead of the Model 3 (and many of its other rivals) when it comes to practicality. It’s significantly bigger, meaning it can cope with family life much better, especially if you have older (and taller) children. Comfort is also a major plus point, especially if you can run to one with adaptive suspension. True, it can’t out handle a Model 3 or BMW i4, but to the sort of people who just want something that's comfy and refined, that won’t matter very much.