2024 Volkswagen ID.7 is an EV built for long drives

In a country like ours where EV charging stations are still few and far between, those who are making the early switch to all-electric vehicles want maximum range. Well, Volkswagen just revealed one that could easily take you from Manila to Pagudpud without ever needing to charge.

Enter the ID.7 – Volkswagen's first global midsize EV sedan that offers both comfort and impressive battery range.

For starters, the ID.7 is available in two trims – Pro and Pro S. While it sounds like a smartphone, the Pro has an 82 kWh battery that provides up to 615 kilometers of range in the WLTP cycle. It supports 170 kW DC charging to quickly replenish the juice consumed by its 282 horsepower electric motor.

Meanwhile, the Pro S offers a greater EV range. Propelled by the same electric motor as the Pro trim, the bigger 91 kWh battery of the Pro S gives the ID.7 up to 700 km of driving distance on a single charge. It also has a greater DC charging capacity of 200 kW.

Size-wise, the ID.7 measures 4961 mm long, and 1862 mm wide with a 2966 mm wheelbase. For reference, the ID.7's numbers are close to the size of the Mercedes-Benz EQE sedan.

Volkswagen designed the ID.7's bodywork with the idea of minimizing wind drag to maximize driving distance, hence the A-pillar being moved forward and the C-pillar being pushed as far back as possible. While being labeled as a sedan, the ID.7 is more like a liftback or a hatchback with the way its trunk opens.

Step inside the ID.7 and you'll see a very minimalist design. Just the small instrument cluster and a 15.0-inch infotainment system with illuminated touch controls serve as the major details of the ID.7's dashboard. That is because all the other details are shown through an augmented reality heads-up display. To adjust the information on the HUD, the controls are found on the ID.7's steering wheel.

Volkswagen also offers power front seats with 14-way adjustment, heating, cooling, and massage function, as well as a panoramic sunroof with a smart glass panel as optional equipment for the ID.7. In terms of advanced driving features, Volkswagen has the Travel Assist system that includes adaptive cruise control and lane change assist.

The ID.7 will be built at VW's Emden plant in Germany and is scheduled to begin production by the second half of 2023. Currently, there are no pricing details yet, but VW says European and Chinese markets will get first dibs on the ID.7 by around late 2023 before coming to North America in 2024.

As for the Philippines however, Volkswagen has not started offering electrified models yet in the country, so expect to wait (a long time) before VW's ID models arrive in the country.