The VW EV will be a direct rival to the BMW i5 Touring overseas.
Volkswagen has taken the wraps off the ID 7 Tourer which is first born electric Wagon from the German carmaker. This adds to the sedan lineup that was revealed in April last year. The VW ID 7 Tourer will go on sale in Europe in the second half of 2024, and will take on the upcoming BMW i5 Touring and the Audi A6 e-Tron Avant wagons.
- ID 7 Tourer will be an alternative to ICE-powered Passat Wagon
- Gets multiple battery, range options
- Gets Chat GPT equipped voice assistant
Volkswagen ID 7 Tourer: electric all-rounder of the new era
Designed as a sleek electric estate, the ID 7 Tourer is meant to broaden the appeal of the flagship EV. The ID 7 Tourer is 4,961mm long, 1,862 mm wide and 1,536mm tall, and is proportionally identical to the ID 7 sedan. But it is shorter, wider and taller than the next-generation Volkswagen Passat, for which the Tourer serves as an indirect electric alternative.
It has a 545-litre boot, marginally smaller than the BMW’s i5 Touring’s 570 litres, but that rises to 1,714 litres with the back seats folded. Visually, the Tourer builds on the aerodynamically optimised styling of the ID 7, with its long, rakish silhouette netting a drag coefficient of 0.24 – just 0.1Cd more than the sedan.
Volkswagen ID 7 Tourer: range, battery options
Two battery options will be on offer, the Tourer Pro will arrive with a 77kWh battery capable of charging at speeds of up to 175kW for a 10-80 percent charging time of around 28 minutes.
Topping the line-up is the Pro S, which utilises Volkswagen’s larger 86kWh battery for a WLTP range of 685km – just 14.5km less than the sedan, and the longest range of any electric estate on sale. The S can also charge slightly quicker, with a maximum speed of 200kW.
Both versions feature Volkswagen’s latest APP550 electric motor, developing 286hp on the rear axle – which should give a 0-100kph time of just under 7.0 seconds. A performance-oriented, four-wheel-drive GTX variant is expected to be added later.
Volkswagen ID 7 Tourer: interior and features
Inside, the Tourer uses the same 15-inch touchscreen infotainment display as the sedan, which was heavily updated in a bid by Volkswagen to improve its usability, graphics and processing times. It also gets Volkswagen’s new IDA voice assistant system, which uses ChatGPT to offer more ‘human’ and conversational interactions – although this will come as an over-the-air update post-launch.
Optional features include an electronically controlled panoramic roof, which can either be made opaque or transparent at the touch of a button, massage seats, and a new Wellness app, which adjusts the lighting, stereo and climate control for a calmer environment when needed.
Volkswagen EV line-up for India
Volkswagen will bring the ID 4 SUV to India, however, its launch seems to be delayed, with a price announcement slated to take place either by the end of this year or sometime next year. Skoda, on the other hand, is also readying the market launch of the Enyaq SUV in India, which will take place in the second half of this year.
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