Modern ‘streamliner’ EV saloons like this haven’t all the time confirmed fairly as roomy as standard government choices, however the ID 7 avoids that pitfall. Taller grownup occupants can sit very comfortably certainly within the automotive’s wonderful entrance seats – however may additionally journey within the again with out slouching a lot.
A Hyundai Ioniq 6 wows you with its leg room, however a excessive flooring and a low roof don’t make all of it that nice to spend time in. Not so within the ID 7. There’s marginally much less leg room, however you’ll be able to correctly chill out within the again, since you’re not compelled into an ungainly place.
The identical goes for the entrance. While you don’t sit fairly as little as you’d do in a combustion-engined saloon, you don’t get the feeling of being hemmed in, as within the Ioniq 6, or of sitting in a tub, as within the Mercedes EQE.
And in contrast to with the Ioniq 6 and Tesla Model 3, the boot (532 litres with an honest quantity of house beneath the ground) is accessed by way of an enormous hatch, fairly than a saloon bootlid.
The automotive’s dashboard structure has been outlined by the inclusion of two key bits of digital know-how: VW’s latest-gen, 15in touchscreen infotainment console, and a big color ‘augmented reality’ head-up show that places instrumentation and navigation prompts proper in your pure line of sight, and is superb.
The new touchscreen, in the meantime, is an all-dominating system integrating virtually the entire automotive’s local weather management and driver help features – one thing that, as a rule, we’re usually important of. Thanks to some pretty basic top-level navigability enhancements that Volkswagen has made on account of consulting with its prospects, although, the touchscreen is a lot simpler to make use of than VW’s earlier ‘MIB’-generation methods.
Permanently displayed, user-configurable menu bars offer you direct, one-touch entry to often accessed features. Disabling the now-mandatory velocity restrict help system is a one-second, two-touch course of freed from swiping or scrolling (and, even in the event you go away it on, it is surprisingly progressive and discreet). Pretty a lot any perform you need can both be displayed straight on the ‘home’ web page (an extended press allows you to swap out just about any ‘button’ for an additional you will discover extra helpful), or accessed inside one finger prod of it. We complained; VW listened – and acted. And this identical software program will go onto the lesser 13in screens of different VW fashions, too, reward be.
For premium materials attraction, thoughts you, the ID 7 doesn’t fairly really feel on the identical stage because the BMW i5. For that, there are too many prosaic supplies in distinguished locations, and the design drives out switchgear that would add tactile attraction in too many areas. The ID 7 feels very very like an enlarged high-end Golf, fairly than a dearer premium product in itself.
However, given Volkswagen’s positioning of the ID 7 as a long-distance EV, what is going to actually make the distinction is the seats. Those in my take a look at automotive had been the optionally available Ergoactive ones, they usually’re really very good. Soft however supportive, with a luxurious velour upholstery and heating and air flow (which may run on the identical time), they’re the alternative of the marginally knobbly seats within the Ioniq 6.