World premiere of the VW ID.7 Tourer: The Variant just got electric competition

While the new-generation Passat is only available as an estate, VW started with the saloon version of the electric ID.7 – you can read our first driving report on the MEB saloon here. With the ID.7 Tourer, VW has now launched an electric mid-size estate – but without the traditional name suffix ‘Variant’. Instead, the ID.7 estate is a ‘Tourer’.

According to VW, the Tourer “is a fusion of a classic estate in the format of the Passat and a particularly dynamic shooting brake such as the Arteon.” The rear is higher than on the dynamic Arteon Shooting Brake and even higher than on a saloon. Nevertheless, the roofline drops visibly earlier and ends in a flatter rear window than on the Passat.

And yes, the ID.7 Tourer can’t quite keep up with the Variant. The Passat estate has a capacity of up to 1,920 litres with the rear seats folded down, compared to a maximum of 1,714 litres in the more lifestyle-oriented ID.7. With up to five people (and thus raised rear seats), the Tourer can still accommodate 605 litres.

Incidentally, VW does not want to recognise a direct competitive situation. “Both product lines complement each other and together cover all relevant drive types – from the purely electric drive in the ID.74 and ID.7 Tourer1 to the plug-in hybrid, mild hybrid, petrol and diesel drives in the Passat. This means Volkswagen offers an extremely wide range of state-of-the-art models in the upper mid-sized class,” the press release states.

The Tourer’s drive system is based on the technology of the saloon – after all, it is also an MEB model. With the more powerful and efficient APP550 electric motor, which made its debut in the saloon, there has been a significant update to the drive system, but in terms of development status, competitor models (admittedly not as an estate) have already arrived at 800-volt technology.

There are two variants available for the European market launch, which differ in terms of the battery. The ID.7 Tourer Pro is equipped with the familiar 77 kWh battery, while the ID.7 Tourer Pro S (like the saloon) has a battery with 86 kWh of energy content in the underbody. VW has not yet provided final homologated range data. Based on current forecasts, the larger battery is expected to last up to 685 kilometres, according to WLTP – the saloon with the same battery has a range of up to 700 kilometres. Regardless of the battery, the aforementioned APP550 delivers 210 kW of power and 545 Nm of torque.

The 77 kWh battery can be charged with up to 175 kW at a corresponding fast-charging station, while the Pro S with 86 kWh can be charged with up to 200 kW peak. According to VW, the standard charging process for the ID.7 Pro from 10 to 80 per cent will take 28 minutes, while it will take “significantly less than 30 minutes” for the ID.7 Pro S. An onboard charger with 11 kW is installed for AC charging. As with the saloon, the battery is automatically preconditioned for planned fast-charging stops. It can also be manually activated via the charging menu in the infotainment.

There are no surprises in the interior of the estate – the layout with the larger touchscreen and the new menu navigation is the same as in the saloon. However, the ID.7 Tourer also features the latest version of the IDA voice assistant – with integrated ChatGPT functionality, as announced at the CES. The system will be able to answer “specific questions on all conceivable subjects” using online databases and ChatGPT’s AI.

Another new feature is an optional “Wellness In-Car App.” It can be used to adjust various vehicle functions via preconfigured programmes to optimise well-being while driving or during breaks.

A quick look at the hard facts: At 4.96 metres, the Tourer is just as long as the saloon, and the wheelbase is also the same at 2.97 metres – after all, both models are built in Emden, Germany. The dimensions of the boot are also the same at one metre wide and 1.07 metres long up to the rear seats. The additional 73 litres in the five-seater version (and an extra 128 litres with the back seats folded down) can be attributed to the new roofline and the different boot lid. There is a trailer hitch, but in the press release, VW only mentions the drawbar load of 75 kilograms, which should be enough for two electric bikes on a bike rack. However, it can be assumed that the towing capacity will be 1,200 kilograms, as with the saloon.

VW only allows a higher towing capacity for the MEB models with all-wheel drive. That has not yet been announced for the ID.7 – regardless of the body – but is likely.

VW has yet to announce prices for the premiere of the ID.7 Tourer. The estate will undoubtedly be more expensive than the saloon, which, in the case of the ID.7 Pro, is currently listed at 56,995 euros in Germany.

Source: Info by mail