VW ID.7 Tourer: Future Favorite of the E-Fleet?

Even Rover called its station wagons "Tourer" in the 1990s. Thirty years later, VW wants to shed the stuffy "Variant" past with this name. What surprises us a bit right at the start: The once highly touted space-efficient MEB platform must take a back seat to the MQB evo with an internal combustion engine here. While the new Passat offers 690 to 1,920 liters of cargo volume, it's only 545 to 1,714 liters here. With the rear seats set a bit more upright in the cargo position, the 545 liters can become up to 605 liters.

And then you wonder what has become of the almost five meters of length: Elegance? Hardly, because viewed from the side, it could almost be the bigger brother of the MG5 – the cumbersome length comes across as quite chubby; a Nio ET5 or BMW i5 offers significantly more elegance. The drag coefficient is 0.24, just above the 0.23 of the sedan.

On the verge of the upper mid-range

That the ID.7 is seen more as a competitor to the i5 or EQE and is offered in the upper mid-range is shown by its power data, a wellness app, and unfortunately also the prices, which are likely to start at around 53,000 euros. This means that many of the fleets and families mentioned at the beginning will probably be ruled out again, unless VW manages to offer attractive 399- or 499-euro leasing rates.

At launch, VW will offer the ID.7 Tourer as Pro and Pro S models. Both come with the same familiar 210 kW (286 PS) rear motor generating 545 newton meters of torque. The Pro charges its 77-kWh battery at the HPC charger with up to 175 kW. This allows 10 to 80 percent SOC ideally in 28 minutes. The range is expected to be up to 600 kilometers, which realistically translates to around 400 kilometers ±.

Pro S means: Larger battery and more range

The Pro S features a new larger 86 kWh battery, which can be charged with up to 200 kW. Here too, the software is aligned with German premium standards: When route guidance is activated, the on-board thermal management system preconditions the battery before the next charging stop, allowing for ideally less than 30 minutes from 10 to 80 percent SOC. The range? Ideally up to 685 kilometers, allowing for up to 500 continuous kilometers in summer in real-world conditions.

The available space is princely thanks to nearly three meters of wheelbase at the front and rear, especially in terms of legroom. Chassis and seats are VW's domain anyway, so the ID.7 Tourer should belong to the best on the market. The standard equipment is generously extensive due to its class: It comes with LED lights, 19-inch wheels, keyless entry, and a heated steering wheel as standard. More important, however, are the "large" Discover Pro Max navigation, the augmented reality head-up display, and the rearview camera.

For comfort and style, there is ambient lighting and a three-zone automatic climate control. The optional IQ-Light matrix LED headlights are worth considering for frequent drivers, as they also feature illuminated VW logos. Briefly back to the app, which is also offered similarly by Mercedes-Benz: It combines seat heating and ventilation, ambient lighting, climate control, the opacity, or transparency, of the panoramic roof, as well as sound and display settings into an optionally relaxing or invigorating overall experience. Of course, the question remains whether this is exactly as desired – alternatively, one can, of course, choose to adjust everything individually.