Volkswagen learned from its mistakes and with the ID.7 it finally managed to turn an electric car into a car – Garáž.cz

I still remember my first contact with the ID.3 model. It would probably be a bit strange if I didn’t remember it, it happened in 2019 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. It was a big event at the time, understandably, Volkswagen showed the first model from the key ID series, which was – and still is – to become the driving force and basis of the offer. The premiere of the ID.3 was compared in importance to the launch of the first Golf.

Be that as it may, my first contact with the ID.3 was not exactly enthusiastic. I expected a revolution among electric cars from VW, that they would build “das elektromobil”, which would become a benchmark in practically every direction. Instead, in Frankfurt I was looking at a strangely unremarkable car with a very cheap interior, which subsequently did not convince even with rather unstable software.

But this was it, this year’s modernization – although it certainly doesn’t catch the eye at first glance – ID.3 helped a lot to make a significant breakthrough. A few decent changes to the body and finally the three looks at least a little interesting. The quality of the interior has also greatly improved and cozied up, here the progress compared to its predecessor is definitely the biggest. And after a few optimizations, perhaps the software is already cutting goodness. And most importantly – thanks to the new basic version (and not badly equipped at all), the three will fit under a million.

And why am I writing all this? When I get to sit down and drive the ID.7 electric flagship? Because you can clearly see from the news that Volkswagen has learned a lesson thanks to the ID.3 and in the case of the ID.7 came up with an electric car that has managed without obvious childhood illnesses and unfinished business. A few niggles could be found, I’ll get to them, but overall it was one of the most enjoyable electrical experiences so far.

It is probably clear to everyone that an electric car is essentially silent. But a virtually silent drive system does not necessarily mean that it is really quiet on board the electric car. Here we have aerodynamic noise, from the chassis… And it is precisely in these respects that the ID.7 excels. The nearly five-meter-long liftback can create a truly remarkably comfortable micro-world, into which practically no outside influences penetrate.

It was most noticeable on the highway, where at speeds of around 140 km/h there was actually absolute calm on board. The bodywork with an air resistance coefficient of 0.23 cut the air like a knife, the asphalt practically did not rustle under the wheels… An extremely luxurious ride!

The organizers also prepared a few turns for us in the vicinity of Marseille, here, of course, we had to contend with five meters in length and 2.2 tons of weight, but I can’t say that it was downright unpleasant. I would even say that the ID.7 didn’t feel downright blunt in the corners and that it just didn’t rush out of the corner when I picked up the pace a bit.

However, I would appreciate the damping setting the most. It was very clear that the electric car does not have to deal with a higher body structure, which in combination with heavy batteries in the floor often means swaying, dipping the bow, in short, you roll on the road rather than drive. The ID.7 is far more refined, more balanced, its driving performance is very close to its internal combustion counterparts. Like Arteon.

So far, only one version is available in the Czech Republic – with an electric motor with a power of 210 kW, a torque of 545 Nm. In the future, there will be a four-wheeler and, apparently, a fast GTX version, and a larger battery is also expected. At the moment, 77 kWh should be enough for you. Even with this capacity, however, you can reach a standard range of just over 600 km, with a stated average consumption of 14.1 to 16.3 kWh / 100 km. We drove for more, I mentioned the highway, a lot of bends and in places some stronger acceleration (acceleration to 100 km/h in 6.5 s had to be tested – with the dynamics of the ID.7 it really doesn’t have a problem), my colleague and I got to about 18 kWh for 100 km.

I would guess that plus or minus five hundred kilometers the ID.7 could handle even in winter. We’ll see! The version with a power of 210 kW and a 77kWh battery can be charged with a power of up to 175 kW, so you should squeeze two hundred kilometers into the battery in ten minutes. Under ideal conditions. Preheating of the battery will take care of them, so you will arrive at the charger with a battery ready for maximum charging power.

With the ID.7, Volkswagen succeeded in what I expected from the ID.3. That the vast experience of an established car brand will also be reflected in electric cars and it will come out with a product that will turn electric cars into cars. From software to hardware. In the ID.7, I felt the superstructure given by the background of one of the largest car manufacturers. Whether it’s durability or tuning the chassis, which Tesla will be working on for years to come, the seven is in the still young ID family. finally a real VW.

Inside, of course, it’s digital over digital, in this direction there was no revision of the approach at Volkswagen, as for example at Skoda, which added a trio of Smart Dials controls to the new Superb and Kodiaq. In the ID.7, practically everything happens via the fifteen-inch centrally located display. But we also have good news. The infotainment environment, response speed and graphics cannot be compared to the initial mistake in the ID.3, Volkswagen has moved on a lot.

And self-reflection actually happened after all. The touch bar in the lower part of the display is finally backlit, and in the upper part of the display we can find icons of popular functions, where you can, for example, deactivate increasingly annoying security systems. This is certainly a very welcome shortcut not only for me. You don’t have to hunt anywhere in the menu, but one tap on the display connects you to the management of all assistants, and then you just click away the unnecessary ones. Yes, with each subsequent boot. But let’s be happy that it can be turned off for now. Once they ban this, it will be bad.

But it wouldn’t be the Volkswagen of the last few years if it didn’t come with some stagecraft. Namely, that he hasn’t talked her out of it yet. Controlling the side windows with a pair of buttons (you switch between the front and rear) survived even into the ID.7 model. Sure, you basically have three-zone air conditioning, which in the vast majority of cases will ensure satisfactory temperature comfort, but there are certainly still plenty of situations when you want to air out the car quickly. And then you get confused in switching between the front and rear windows one or two times.

Well, we finally got the backlit bar, maybe with the facelift, separate buttons for the rear side windows will appear.

I will also praise the quality materials and overall cozy atmosphere. This was not the case with the ID models either. self-evident, however, as a five-meter limousine, the seven-wheeler does not want to take risks and offers a corresponding interior right from the start.

And that place! Especially on the back seats, thanks to the almost three-meter wheelbase, there is an excess of centimeters for the legs, with a height of 181 cm, I didn’t lack headroom either. A limousine indeed. And also practical. I have already mentioned the liftback body with the large fifth door, the basic volume of the trunk is 532 liters.

At least for now. There is only one version available on the Czech market – as I wrote above, it is the ID.7 Pro with an electric motor with a power of 210 kW and a battery with a capacity of 77 kWh. Prepare at least CZK 1,569,900. The basic features include a head-up display with augmented reality, three-zone air conditioning, nineteen-inch alloy wheels, a heat pump, wireless connectivity, inductive phone charging or heated front seats and steering wheel.

If you want something extra, you have to between equipment packages. Of the individual additional items in the configurator, I found only twenty-inch alloy wheels (CZK 13,500), metallic (from CZK 19,400) or tow wheels (CZK 27,200). Then you have to between packages. The one marked Interior for less than seventy thousand includes seats with massage, ambient lighting and better upholstery. The Plus interior for CZK 124,800 adds, for example, heated rear seats and ventilated front seats (with electric control) or a Harman Kardon sound system. And this way you can continue via exterior packets in similar sessions. I understand, simplifying the menu will reduce production costs, but if you only want an adaptive chassis (which you should), you have no choice but to reach for at least the Exterior Plus package and you’re in for ninety thousand.

Overall, however, the Volkswagen ID.7 is a really great electric car. And a car. I look forward to a longer meeting in the Czech test! The novelty can be ordered now, the first pieces will arrive in January.