Volkswagen ID.7 REVEALED to challenge the Tesla Model 3

VW’s latest electric ID model – the Volkswagen ID.7 – is revealed as Volkswagen takes aim at the Tesla’s Model 3.

We’ve heard of the death of the saloon car for years, with car makers shifting their focus from saloons to SUVs as drivers proclaim their love for a car that sits as high as a Transit despite the inferior dynamics.

But one car maker selling shedloads of electric saloons is Tesla, so VW reckons they need a car to tackle the Model 3, and maybe even the Tesla Model S.

The answer is the new Volkswagen ID.7, VW’s latest electric ID model and a saloon car which is a bit bigger than the Model 3 and a bit smaller than the Model S. That should do the trick, VW hopes.

Despite the reveal of the ID.7, there’s not a huge amount of technical information on offer, but we do have some highlights.

Power comes from a new electric motor at the back delivering 282bhp, with a 77kWh battery and 382-mile range in the ID.7 Pro and 82kWh battery and 435-mile range in the ID.7 Pro S. Neither will challenge Tesla’s performance, although expect a more powerful GTX model in time.

The ID.7 looks very much a part of the ID family, with a front end little different from the ID.3, with the rest pretty much generic VW saloon, with a very slippery shape to (0.23Cd) help range, a sloping roof and rear hatch with full-width light bar, with black roof and black door pillars.

Inside, there’s a new 15″ touchscreen which VW reckons addresses some of the complaints about infotainment in their latest models, with always available HVAC controls and actual backlighting so you can see what you’re going when it’s dark, and a smaller digital instrument display integrated in to the dash. But in what’s likely to be another function mis-step, you’ll have to dig through the menus to adjust the air vents. Really?

Other interior highlights include a Panoramic roof which switches from opaque to transparent, massage seats, augmented reality HUD

Charging rates will depend on which model you choose, but VW says the Pro will manage 170kW and the Pro S 200kW.

VW boss, Thomas Schäfer, said:

With the ID.7 we are taking the next step in our electric offensive. The limousine offers a high level of comfort and long ranges. Already by 2026, we will offer the widest electric range of all manufacturers in Europe – from the entry-level model for less than 25,000 euros up to the ID.7 as the new top model within the ID. family. Our goal is to achieve an electric car share of 80 per cent in Europe by 2030. As from 2033, Volkswagen will produce only electric vehicles in Europe.

No word on prices yet, but we’d expect the ID.7 to start at around £55k when it goes on sale in the autumn.