Buyers in markets outside the US can walk into a Volkswagen dealership and drive a range of electric vehicles ranging from the ID.3 hatchback to the ID.6 three-row SUV. Here in the US, we’re not so lucky – our only option is the compact ID.4, with the ID.Buzz van on the way. But soon the third member of the ID family will be available in America, and that’s a sedan!
The Volkswagen ID.7 joins the VW lineup in the US and makes its undercover debut this week at CES in Las Vegas. This is the first time that VW has officially revealed the ID.7 nameplate, and while the final production body is covered in what they call “digital camouflage,” its size and scope should help explain what the ID is all about. 7 will look like when it arrives.
The ID.7 uses the same modular electric drive matrix (MEB) platform found across the Volkswagen Group’s EV lineup, but isn’t as compact as the ID.4. The ID.7 has a wheelbase of 116.9 inches and stretches to a total length of 194.5 inches. That makes this EV more than three inches longer than the Arteon, and VW promises a roomy and luxurious interior thanks to that extra length.
“With the new ID.7, we are expanding our range of electric models into the high end segment,” said CEO Thomas Schafer. “The sedan will offer high-end technology and quality.”
As part of VW’s push to improve its interior technology, the ID.7 promises a new 15.0-inch touchscreen, illuminated touch sliders, an augmented reality head-up display and even digitally controlled air vents that automatically adjust the temperature inside the car. depending on how hot or cold it is outside. “Hello Volkswagen” voice control will also be available on the ID.7 to control basic functions.
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Unfortunately, the “digital camouflage” that covers the exterior of the ID. 7 won’t be available to buyers, but it’s interesting. It’s actually paint – at least 40 layers’ worth. Approximately 22 areas on the vehicle are electrified under a top coat of paint (using electroluminescence) to create a unique light show.
But that camouflage still masks most of the ID.7’s final design clues. If you want a better idea of what the final product will look like, check out the ID.Aero concept from 2022. It should give an accurate picture of what the ID.7 will look like when it goes on sale.
For now, things like battery size and power output remain unknown, as well as price, but VW says the ID.7 will travel around 435 miles (700 kilometers) on a generous European WLTP cycle. That figure will be lower in the US, using the EPA’s scale, of course. VW will sell the ID.7 in China and Europe as well as in North America.