Modern ‘streamliner’ EV sedans like these haven’t always proven to be as spacious as conventional executive options, but the ID 7 avoids that pitfall. Taller adult occupants can sit very comfortably in the car’s excellent front seats, but can also travel in the back without slouching much.
A Hyundai Ioniq 6 impresses with its legroom, but a high floor and low roof don’t make it great to spend time in. This does not apply to the ID 7. There is slightly less legroom, but you can relax in the back because you are not forced into an uncomfortable position.
The same goes for the front. Although you don’t sit as low as in an internal combustion sedan, you don’t get the feeling of being boxed in, as in the Ioniq 6, or of sitting in a bathtub, as in the Mercedes EQE.
And unlike the Ioniq 6 and Tesla Model 3, the trunk (532 liters with quite a bit of space under the floor) is accessed via a large hatch, rather than the sedan’s trunk lid.
The car’s dashboard layout is defined by the integration of two key pieces of digital technology: VW’s latest generation 15-inch touchscreen infotainment console and a large color augmented reality head-up display that delivers instrumentation and navigation cues precisely. in your natural view. line of sight and is very good.
The new touchscreen, meanwhile, is an all-consuming system that integrates almost all of the car’s climate control and driver assistance functions – something we’re usually critical of. However, thanks to some fairly fundamental improvements to top-level navigation that Volkswagen has made in consultation with its customers, the touchscreen is much easier to use than VW’s previous ‘MIB’ generation systems.
Permanently displayed, user-configurable menu bars give you direct access to frequently used functions at the touch of a button. Turning off the now mandatory speed limit assist system is a one-second, two-touch process, without swiping or scrolling (and even if you leave it on, it’s surprisingly progressive and discreet). Almost any function you want can be displayed right on the home page (a long press can replace almost any button with another one you find more useful), or can be accessed with the tap of a finger. We complained; VW listened – and acted. And the same software will be used on the smaller 13-inch screens of other VW models too, commendably.
Mind you, in terms of premium material appeal, the ID 7 doesn’t quite feel on the same level as the BMW i5. There are too many prosaic materials in prominent places for that, and the design drives away switchgear that could add tactile appeal in too many areas. The ID 7 feels very much like an enlarged high-end Golf, and not like a more expensive premium product in itself.
But given Volkswagen’s positioning of the ID 7 as a long-distance EV, the seats will really make a difference. The ones in my test car were the optional Ergoactive ones, and they are absolutely fantastic. Soft but supportive, with plush velor upholstery and heating and ventilation (which can work simultaneously), they’re the opposite of the slightly lumpy seats in the Ioniq 6.