TOUR MANAGEMENT (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

Volkswagen widens the aspirations for its all-electric luxury ID.7 with this more versatile Tourer version. Jonathan Crouch drives it.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 40

The ID.7 Tourer aims to offer a slightly more versatile take on Volkswagen's largest ID electric model. As a plush compromise between a pricey large executive EV station wagon and a more compact EV estate, it certainly has its place.

Backgroundword count: 137

We've had large electric estates; like the BMW i5 Touring. And more compact ones - like the MG5 and station wagon EV versions of the Peugeot E-308 and the Vauxhall Astra Electric. Now time for something in-between. This Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer. As the name suggests, it's an estate version of the ID.7 hatch and enters production just as another similarly-sized large-ish Volkswagen - the Arteon Shooting Brake - leaves us. Being an EV, this Tourer isn't a direct replacement for the Arteon Shooting Brake (which was combustion-based and sometimes a PHEV). But the design spirit that links the two products is similar, even if the ID.7 Tourer is arguably less original to look at. That originality didn't help that old Arteon model sell in decent numbers though. Will this Tourer do better? Let's take a closer look.

Driving Experienceword count: 307

As with the hatch, there are three ID.7 Tourer variants from which to choose. All mainstream sales will be of the two rear-driven versions, which both use a rear-mounted 286PS motor. Either the base 'Pro' model with a 77kWh battery and 372 miles of range; or the 'Pro S' version, which has a larger 86kWh battery with 422 miles of range. That bigger 86kWh battery is also used by the top dual motor GTX 4MOTION flagship model, which manages up to 357 miles of range and gets AWD courtesy of an extra motor at the front that boosts total output to 340PS. 0-62mph in the GTX Tourer takes just 5.5s, which is just over a second quicker than the single motor models, on the way to the 112mph top speed that all ID.7s share. Whatever your choice of ID.7, on the move you choose between four main drive mode options - 'Eco', 'Comfort', 'Sport' and 'Individual'. And if your Tourer features DCC Adaptive Chassis Control adaptive damping (which is optional with the single motor models), these settings will control ride quality too. Through the turns, this ID.7 really feels its long wheelbase size and prodigious 2.2-tonne weight, but thanks to the low centre of gravity and the grippy Bridgestone Potenza Sport tyres, there's plenty of cornering traction and a precise feel via the vegan leather steering wheel from the bespoke variable-assistance steering rack. Unlike on, say, a BMW i5 Touring, you can't add a rear-wheel steering system, but thanks to its rear-driven (so naturally tight-turning) format, this Volkswagen doesn't really need it. More significantly, unlike most rivals (but as usual with ID models), there's very little driver control offered here when it comes to regenerative braking settings - there's certainly no 'one-pedal'-style driving mode: just the usual gear selector 'B' setting, which noticeably increases off-throttle speed retardation.

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