Volkswagen ID.7 - long-term review

Conclusion? This is Volkswagen’s best EV, and by some distance. After a bumpy few years, here’s a VW that remembers what VW is actually good at. It’s well-made, inside and out, all its major contols are expertly calibrated, and there’s a superior sense of well-being that’s reassuring in a world gone nuts.  Not exciting, granted, but good enough overall to have you thinking that sometimes excitement is over-rated.

The ID.7 is designed to be a supremely comfortable, long-range electric saloon. That’s what I used it almost exclusively for, regularly crawling along the M25 yet largely isolated from the existential dread that goes with that specific form of torture, enjoying its ability to finesse away several hundred miles with only a podcast for company. Call it a half-price S-Class.

Yet it’s also surprisingly agile and entertaining, steering, handling and riding in a way that’s BMW 5 Series-adjacent. Its propensity for flat cornering, the fluent ride, and impressive body control belie its sizeable mass. Not that I went chasing that many corners, to be honest. As ever in an EV, efficiency becomes more relevant, and we averaged 3.7 miles per kWh. That would increase in warmer weather, so reckon on around 320 miles of range fully charged. More than you really need, in truth. In our car’s Pro Match spec, its charging is limited to 175 kW, but from 10 to 90 per cent we averaged a rate of 133.

The UX is vastly improved following VW’s reputation-trashing early adventures. The smartphone mirroring never missed a beat, and exiting it to return to the DAB is an easy process once sussed. As is disarming the speed limit warning and lane assist, achievable with two button pushes. Even if you leave the systems on, they’re gentle in their admonitions, unlike the hectoring horror show that is a Kia, Lexus or Toyota. There are also some thoughtful touches. For example, mileage milestones are marked with messages; did you know that the Nile was 4,130 miles long? The ID.7 does.

Now let’s talk about the problems. Prime amongst them are the brakes which blend friction and regen with only adequate efficacy. Sure, you get used to them after a while, although they’re never less than wooden in feel. Get back in the ID.7 after a stint in something else, though, and you’ll wonder if VW forgot to fit any brakes. Bottom line is, the car stops OK. But it needs more feel.

The remote locking function was glitchy, sometimes working smoothly, on other occasions taking its sweet time. Not a deal-breaker but irritating. As are some of the clear cost-saving measures. Two touch-sensitive switches control all four windows, and the controls for the door mirrors often had a mind of their own. There are no physical buttons for the air con, everything being ceded to the central touchscreen. Push the climate button and you get an impressive graphic representation of the entire dashboard, on which you then have to fiddle about to get the appropriate air vent to do the appropriate blowing. I gave up early on and simply used the ‘smart’ bar which offers short cuts such as ‘defog windows’ or ‘warm feet’. Not that smart, really.

As Elon Musk continues the greatest act of self-sabotage since Viking king Olaf the Hairy accidentally ordered 80,000 battle helmets with the horns on the inside, Tesla’s rivals can and should take full advantage. Seven months with the VW ID.7 confirms that it’s high on the list among them, a brand-appropriate riposte to the SUV tyranny, and a comfortable, roomy and versatile machine. Sure, it’s subtle looking and doesn’t shout about its prowess. But right now that’s an admirable USP.