► New VW ID.7 Tourer revealed
► Massive boot space, long range
► EV estate goes on sale in the summer
Volkswagen has launched its first battery-electric estate car: the ID.7 Tourer. The new EV wagon promises plenty of space and lengthy pace as well as featuring a glowing face.
Why ‘Tourer’? Previous VW wagons have either just been called estates (or ‘Variant’s in Europe) or, in the case of the Arteon, a Shooting Brake. Well, according to VW’s name wizards, the ID.7 Tourer’s low-drag body shape design is meant to be somewhere between the two, and VW wants to imply to potential buyers that it’ll go a long distance, too. You can go on real tours, geddit?
Anyway, it’s fair to assume that a lot of the ID.7 Tourer is already standard with the ID.7 hatch. The long, sleek bodywork and solid-feeling interior remain, as does a pretty leggy powertrain.
Like the regular ID.7, the Tourer can also be had with a clever panoramic glass roof with an in-built, polymer-dispersed liquid crystal shade (much like Porsche’s Variable Light Control) and the new-generation MIB4 infotainment system will very soon include ChatGPT functionality augmented into the IDA voice assistant.
So, is there anything different about the ID.7 Tourer?
Well, let’s start with the elephant in the room: the additional boot space. That inflated backside compared to the regular ID.7 allows a maximum boot space of 605 litres with the seats up or 1714 litres with them folded down, making the ID.7 Tourer the biggest electric estate car in terms of boot volume. An i5 Touring – arguably the ID.7 Tourer’s closest rival manages 570/1700 litres with the seats up/down, while other EV estates currently on sale like the Taycan Sport Turismo and Cross Turismo, Astra Electric and e-308 estates or the MG5 don’t come close. Maybe Audi’s upcoming A6 Avant e-Tron could best it.
The ID.7 Tourer is the first car in VW’s range to feature both a front and rear glowing logo (the Touareg was the first to have a rear one and the Mk8.5 Golf was the first to have one at the front) and it debuts VW’s new Wellness app. The Wellness app lives inside the infotainment system and works similarly to Mercedes’ Energising Comfort system (which we’ve tried before), using light, sound, HVAC and massaging functions to either freshen you up, calm you down or even help you nap while the car charges.
Any info about the ID.7 Tourer’s range and performance?
As well as a 77kWh battery pack, the Tourer also introduces a larger 86kWh battery (which will also become available on the regular one), with the latter promising to boost range up to 427 miles. Go for the 77kWh battery and you can charge at up to 175kW on a DC charger, while the 86kWh version can be zapped with up to 200kW.
Regardless of battery, the ID.7 Tourer launches with one rear-driven e-motor for now, developing 282bhp, but expect an ID.7 Tourer GTX to arrive later this year.
When can I buy an ID.7 Tourer?
Not until later in 2024 for the UK, with orders likely opening up in the summer. While prices are unconfirmed, naturally expect a slight price difference between the Tourer and the regular ID.7.