LAS VEGAS - Volkswagen is once again preparing to expand its range of branded electric vehicles. The next addition to the family is a battery-powered sedan called the ID.7 that's due to arrive in the US in 2024, with sales in Europe theoretically beginning at the end of this year (although we're told there's a good chance that's until early 2024).
While the nameplate is new, the idea of an electric sedan the size of a Passat is not. Volkswagen gave us an early taste of the ID.7 when it unveiled a sleek design study dubbed the ID.Aero in June 2022. Now here at CES in Las Vegas, the production look can be seen, albeit under some pretty massive camouflage. In fact, instead of the usual vinyl wrap, the car features a 40-layer electroplating. The shape of the concept car is similar to the concept and showcases a car about 194 inches long with a very long wheelbase, giving it plenty of interior space. It's clearly an Arteon-style hatchback.
Unlike that car, the ID.7 will have rear-wheel drive as standard because it rides on the same modular MEB platform as the ID.4 and ID.Buzz, among other electric cars. Volkswagen says this will be the sixth member of the ID family worldwide. Full technical details haven't been shared here in Vegas, but VW said it will have an estimated range of 700 km (434 miles) on Europe's most generous WLTP test cycle. That still probably puts it within the 300-mile range in the US, which is evidence of a more slippery sedan/hatchback shape than the ID.4. VW says its towing efficiency will be in the 0.23 or 0.24 range.
From a driver's perspective, the ID.7 stands out from other badged electric vehicles in several key ways. The digital instrument cluster is notably integrated into the dashboard rather than mounted to the steering column, and Volkswagen has vowed to offer a long list of tech features such as a reworked infotainment system displayed on a 15-inch touchscreen and, most importantly, with reworked menu tiles. and other updates. The touch-sensitive climate and audio controls will also be illuminated, unlike the ID.4 and GTI, but unfortunately, VW works with the touchscreen air vents. An augmented reality head-up display joins the in-car tech updates along with a climate control system that automatically engages when it detects a driver approaching.
After basking under the lights at CES, Volkswagen's ID.7 will debut without the psychedelic camouflage in the second quarter of 2023. It will be sold in the US, China and Europe - unverified reports claim that the new sedan will replace the Arteon in the Volkswagen Group American Fagin. Pricing has yet to be announced, and there's no word on where the associated model will be built in America.