Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer (2024 - ) Electric review

The list price of the ID.7 Tourer looks expensive when you compare it to a Passat, but it is considerably cheaper than more premium electric options like the BMW i5 Touring or Audi A6 Avant e-tron. The ID.7 estate still feels very plush and only costs a fraction more than the saloon-like ID.7 hatchback. Running costs will be low if you can charge at home using a dedicated EV tariff. However, the asking price means you’ll incur the ‘expensive car supplement’ which adds hundreds of pounds to your VED (or ‘road tax’) for several years. On the plus side, company drivers will get substantial Benefit In Kind advantaged for going fully electric.

Volkswagen has a mixed reliability reputation and some of its earlier electric ID models suffered a few glitches here and there. Volkswagen offers an average three-year/60,000-mile warranty on all its cars, but the battery gets its own cover for eight years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first, which does give some peace of mind. You can also take reassurance from the shared foundations between Volkswagen, Skoda, Cupra and Audi. Plus, the ID.7 has fewer moving parts compared to a petrol equivalent, so there’s less to go wrong.

The ID.7 sits at the top end of Volkswagen’s range and, as such, comes with a long list of safety features as standard. This includes front emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with the ability to steer and stop, blind spot monitoring, a 360-degree camera, and the car will even park itself for you if you are brave enough to hand over control. During our time with the ID.7 Tourer we took it for a long drive in torrential rain on the motorway where it felt reassuringly solid. The water was coming down in sheets, but the ID.7 Tourer’s combination of safety systems filled us with confidence and allowed the car to see the road ahead better than we could. We also found the ID.7 didn’t tell us off as much as many other new cars and it provided a little bit of wriggle room before audibly warning us about speed limits. However, we have docked a point because you’ll need to add an optional package to get curtain, side and central airbags.

Both the saloon and the estate versions of the ID.7 are nearly five metres long, but the shape of the latter maximises interior space. Front passengers can make the most of the power adjustable heated and massaging seats while in the back you can sprawl out in limo-like comfort. For ultimate luxury you can tick the box for the Interior Pack Plus option, which adds a Harman Kardon sound system, ventilated front seats and those all-important extra airbags. Meanwhile, moving to Pro S Match Plus trim or above unlocks the option of a large panoramic roof with fancy glass which goes opaque at the touch of a button. With the rear seats in place the boot is vast with plenty of useful hooks and optional netting for stowing items. However, pull on a couple of handy levers to fold the seats down and you’ll create a cavernous void with a lovely low lip for easy loading.

All models come with a large head-up display, which we love as it allows you keep your eyes focused on the road ahead. However, if you want to tweak the temperature, change the radio station, or adjust your heated seat, it’s a different story. These features require you to use either the touch-sensitive sliders, the Tesla-size screen, or to try your luck with the voice assistant, all of which are rather distracting. In VW’s defence, the user interface has improved since the first-generation ID models, but we think the “smart” air vents which require you to angle them by dragging icons on the screen are a step too far. You’ll probably just set them up once and leave them alone, mind. We do like the ambient lighting and the strip of light across the dashboard which glows to mimic the sat-nav’s instructions. This will also light up when charging to show progress which is a nice touch. Additionally, the ID.7 Tourer comes with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless phone charging and a heat pump as standard to help maximise range in the winter.

Entry-level models have a smaller battery while higher grades gain a larger battery which in the real world should be able to go as far as Birmingham to Edinburgh on a single charge. Pro Match Plus and Pro S Match Plus versions are both rear-wheel drive and get ample power for gliding around town, getting up to motorway speeds, and safely overtaking. Alternative you can turn things up a notch by choosing the range-topping GTX Plus 4Motion model with all-wheel drive and a touch more oomph. This also gains sportier looks with adaptive suspension and selectable drive modes as standard, but it does come at the cost of range. Due to this we’d recommend going straight down the middle with the Pro S Match version like the one we had on test. The ID.7 Tourer delivers its power effortlessly and feels agile despite its size. The low-slung stance inspires confidence in the corners and makes the car a joy to drive whether you are on the motorway or a country lane.