Volkswagen is finally making its new ID.7 electric car official, a large electric sedan that will go hunting directly on the land of the Tesla Model 3. Already partially unveiled at CES in Las Vegas, it is now announcing its technical characteristics and numerous high-performance features. tech. On the program: a range of 700 km for the new battery.
Unlike other manufacturers, Volkswagen does not want to hear about synthetic fuels and instead believes in 100% electric. The firm already has a full range, with the ID.3, ID.4, ID.5 and ID. Buzz, pending the arrival of the production version of the ID.2all concept and the city car for less than 20,000 euros. Last January, the manufacturer also revealed its ID.7, during the CES in Las Vegas. But the sedan was still camouflaged and did not give any technical information at the time and we did not know its final design.
Model 3 Slayer
Now we finally know more about the electric sedan, now officially presented. 4.96 meters long and 1.86 meters wide, this newcomer is between the Tesla Model 3 and the Tesla Model S and displays dynamic proportions. And for good reason, it is the lowest car in the ID range, with only 1.54 meters in height. Unsurprisingly, the new ID.7 inherits a front end similar to the other vehicles in the family, particularly in terms of the lights, which are however more stretched.
These are once again linked together by a luminous band, interspersed with the brand logo in flat design. The shield is sleek and a little different from the rest of the range. At the rear too, the designers have brought a bit of novelty, with a unique light signature, which stretches all along the trunk. In profile, the sedan displays the slender silhouette of a large coupé, with its steeply sloping roofline.
Volkswagen’s press release also states that the Cd (drag coefficient) is only 0.23a value strictly identical to that of the Tesla Model 3. If the Volkswagen ID.7 is not yet at 0.20 of the Mercedes EQS, it is still part of the most aerodynamic cars on the market. A feat that we owe, among other things, to the handles integrated into the bodywork, as well as to the clean lines.
A reinvented driving position
Since many years, the ergonomics of the driving position of cars in the range is strongly criticized. The manufacturer knows it, and even made its mea-culpa a few months earlier. Better still, it has now corrected its main faults and shows it in this new ID.7. If the overall presentation does not bring any real revolution, the on-board technologies are indeed evolving. First of all, the sedan is the first car in the range to feature the augmented reality head-up display as standard.
This displays various information on the windshield, while the markings or the maximum authorized speed are projected directly on the ground, in front of the car. A brand new digital handset is also making its appearance, associated with 15 inch touch screen, easy to use. If not specified, it should be compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The top bar provides access to several shortcuts, while the homepage can be customized. The voice command system has also been improved and can understand even more complex sentences.
The sedan also emphasizes comfort, with the arrival, among other things, ofa new seat temperature management system, which allows you to automatically manage the latter. Note that the massage function has also been improved, as has the management of the air conditioning. This distributes the air better in the driver’s compartment, while the ventilation or heating switches on as soon as the driver approaches the vehicle.
The latter is also equipped with a Harman Kardon sound system with 14 loudspeakers of 700 watts and a glass roof that can darken automatically, like on the Porsche Taycan. On the other hand, the manufacturer has not yet communicated on the trunk volume. I’wheelbase of 2.97 meters nevertheless announces a generous space on board.
Two versions on the program
A few days ago, we already announced some technical information on the new Volkswagen ID.7, which some of our colleagues were able to test in preview. And now the firm is finally formalizing the characteristics of the sedan, which will be available in two versions, called Pro and Pro S. Both variants should develop the same power, namely 210 kW or 286 horsepower, using an all-new engine. What will differentiate them will therefore be the size of the battery.
Customers can opt for theID.7 Pro with a pack of 77 kW net (82 kWh gross), offering a range of 615 kilometers according to the WLTP cycle. The Pro S version planned a little later will carry a new battery of 86 kWh net (91 kWh gross) which will allow it to travel about 700 kilometers. It is this battery that should be found on the future ID electric van. Buzz in extended version. In a dedicated article, we go back in detail to the reasons for this excellent autonomy, superior to that of the Tesla Model 3.
The charging power will vary between 170 and 200 kW depending on the version. If the time required to fill the battery has not been indicated, this should be fast thanks to the pre-conditioning.
Of course, the new Volkswagen ID.7 is also equipped with level 2 autonomous driving, known as Travel Assist, integrating adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assistance. Combined with GPS guidance, this system can now detect bends and roundabouts. It also now features assisted lane change, which allows the car to overtake simply by engaging the turn signal. The car is also equipped with assisted parking, which automatically records parking maneuvers to reproduce them.
What launch date?
For now, the price of the new Volkswagen ID.7 has not yet been communicated, but it should be around 50,000 to 70,000 euros. However, the sharp drop in prices at Tesla could prompt the brand to review its pricing policy. Manufactured in the German factory in Emden, thehe electric sedan based on the MEB platform will be launched in the fall in Europe.
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