Despite the SUV marking the end of an era for many now-defunct body styles (MPVs and small sporty roadsters, we miss you), it looks like the station wagon – or station wagon – could be making a comeback. Well, VW certainly thinks so.
The German brand has just lifted the lid on its latest ID.7 Tourer – a long-body estate that builds on the existing fastback sedan platform and has all the hallmarks of a classic estate, with a touch of sleek shooting-brake… albeit with electric underpinnings, rather than a dirty diesel or petrol engine lurking under the hood (or bonnet, y’all).
Despite Volvo (arguably the last word in estate cars) claiming it will no longer produce them, Volkswagen believes the ID.7 tourer nicely expands its electric portfolio and offers “generous space and long range”. We wholeheartedly agree.
Although the ID.7 Tourer has been teased before, we now know that there’s up to 605 liters of storage space with the rear seats intact, and up to 1,714 liters with the rear seats folded flat. VW would also like to point out that in this transport mode the loading space is almost two meters long.
VW will also sell you a bunch of accessories to make organizing that load space easier, from modular luggage compartments to a stowable bike rack, which fits easily onto a swiveling tow bar, which itself can hold 75kg in chunky ebike goodness.
With initial launch underway in Europe, the ID.7 Tourer will later be offered first in Pro and Pro S specifications, both capable of developing 210 kW (286 hp) from an engine driving the rear wheels. The Pro model will get a 77 kWh battery pack, while the upcoming Pro S will get a much larger 86 kWh pack that will allow up to 200 kW of charging from the right socket.
VW predicts that the larger 86 kWh battery in the Pro S model will be able to travel up to 685 km (or about 425 miles) on a single charge, while charging even the larger units from 10 to 80% is expected to take less than 30 minutes will take from fast and ultra-fast stations.
Tune in and leave
The ID.7 Tourer will also be one of the first VWs to benefit from in-vehicle ChatGPT, something the brand unveiled at CES this year, while its own IDA voice assistant has been significantly improved to handle natural voice input more easily . .
In fact, the entire MIB4 infotainment system has been given a refresh, making it easier to navigate and infinitely more customizable, allowing owners to customize the screen to their liking. We tried it in the standard ID.7 and found it a breeze to use – no more searching for core functionality hidden deep in submenus, you can just pin it to numerous places on the home screen.
Finally, VW introduces the Wellness In-Car App for its ID.7 range, which offers a range of preset functions to relax or recharge the driver during a long journey or charging break.
For example, ‘Fresh Up’ activates a “stimulating sound, refreshing air conditioning (through the automatic air conditioning and seat ventilation), an invigorating back massage and blue and turquoise zones of the backlight,” according to VW.
There are also Calm Down and Power Break modes, where the infotainment system displays a handful of relaxing animations when the car is stationary.
Currently there’s no official word on the price, but expect it to cost more than the approximately £56,000 (approximately $50,000 / AUS$95,000) of the ID.7 fastback sedan, which is already on sale.