Volkswagen has revealed its new estate version of the ID.7 electric fastback. Dubbed the ID.7 Tourer, the more practical model is designed to offer greater boot space and rear headroom, without seriously impacting the range offered by the combination of lithium-ion battery and 286hp electric motor.
Big boot
Key to the ID.7 Tourer's appeal is the increased luggage capacity made possible by the extension of the car's roofline. Although the dimensions are much the same as those of the fastback, and the car looks near identical from the front, the rear end has grown to provide greater carrying capability.
With the new rear window and tailgate, which retains the full-width light bar, the ID.7 Tourer offers 73 litres more boot space than the fastback when all five seats are upright. That 605-litre total doesn't seem a huge increase, but it's only measured to the window line. Drop the second row of seats and fill the cars to the rafters, and you'll find the ID.7 Tourer offers 128 litres more cargo space than the fastback.
But even that doesn't tell the whole story because the true advantage of an estate car is the accommodate bulkier items than you can fit in a hatchback.
Big battery
While boot space is clearly of critical importance to the ID.7 Tourer, it isn't the sole consideration. Volkswagen is also trying to maximise range while increasing luggage space, so the Tourer has been designed with aerodynamics in mind.
It's also the launch vehicle for the ID.7's new Pro S battery pack, which is larger than the standard Pro system offered in the ID.7 fastback at launch. Both systems, which share a 286hp electric motor, will be available on both versions of the ID.7, but the Tourer has the honour of launching the new battery.
The ID.7 Pro fastback has already impressed with the 621km range provided by its 77kWh battery, and the ID.7 Pro S models will get another 9kWh of usable energy storage to play with.
The long and short of it is the Pro S powertrain is expected to increase range by something in the region of 70km for both body shapes, while the Tourer versions are expected to be marginally less efficient than their fastback siblings.
Volkswagen hasn't issued like-for-like figures to help us compare and come to rock-solid conclusions, so these numbers are based on educated estimates. Assuming similar efficiency for both the Pro and Pro S models, that increase should put the ID.7 Pro S fastback's range at around the 690-695km mark. And we know the 86kWh ID.7 Pro S Tourer is expected to manage 685km on a single charge, so the maths seems to check out.
What we do know is both systems will offer similar performance, as they both use the same rear-mounted electric motor, and they will both be able to charge from 10 per cent to 80 per cent in less than half an hour, thanks to 175kW charging in the 77kWh Pro models and 200kW charging in the 86kWh Pro S.
Big sunroof
While there are obvious differences between the ID.7 fastback and estate models, the two cars will certainly share plenty. Chief among these similarities will be a dashboard and an interior, with both cars getting the 15-inch touchscreen and augmented reality head-up display we've already tried in the ID.7 fastback.
Both ID.7 variants will also be available with a massive sunroof with a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) layer integrated in the glass. That means the glass can change from transparent to opaque almost instantly, whether the driver uses a touch control in the roof, or the Ida voice assistant tech integrated into the touchscreen.
Speaking of Ida, that's standard on all ID.7 models, too, and it's soon to be integrated with Chat GPT technology. That won't change much for the driver per se, but it will allow greater detail to be added when Ida is asked a question. It also raises safety and security questions, but Volkswagen says Chat GPT will have no access to vehicle data and will delete any questions and answers immediately for added security.
Big plans
Volkswagen hasn't yet told us exactly how much the ID.7 Tourer will cost, but it's expected to cost a little more than the standard ID.7, which starts at €56,490 including incentives in Ireland. And it's expected to come with a similarly flush standard specification, including the head-up display, massive touchscreen and climate control, as well as ample driver assistance systems.