Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer review – great estate with EV power

Verdict – is the Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer a good car?

Just when it looked like the estate car was breathing its last, Volkswagen has come along to reinvigorate the sector with the ID.7 Tourer. If you’re thinking this looks like what a new Passat Estate should have been, you’re on the right track, but because it’s an EV VW has used its ID naming policy. Underneath, the electric bits are the same as the ID.7 hatch, but the Tourer’s body comes with a large and very useful boot. There’s also a load of space for people and good driving range, but the ID.7 Tourer is pricier than we’d have liked.

Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer models, specs and alternatives

Volkswagen has a long and very well regarded history with estate cars, notably its fine Passat range of load haulers. The responsibility for this line has now been passed to the ID.7 Tourer, which is pretty much what you’d expect of Volkswagen when it set out to make an electric estate car.

Sharing all of the mechanical bits with its ID.7 hatchback sister means you get the rear-wheel drive models with 77 and 86kWh batteries in the Pro Match and Pro S Match models, respectively. They offer decent performance and plenty of muscle to cope with a fully-loaded estate car as it sets off on holiday with kids, dog and luggage.

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If you want some added spice to the way the ID.7 drives, the sportier-tuned and racier-looking GTX comes with four-wheel drive and two electric motors. This offers up greater performance thanks to its 335bhp, which deals with 0-62mph in 5.5 seconds. Not quite super estate pace, but plenty to be getting on with in a family wagon.

The Match trim for the two lower order models is far from paltry when it comes to the amount of equipment you get. There are heated and massaging front seats with electric adjustment, adaptive cruise control, an electrically operated tailgate, and an AI-assisted head-up display for the driver. The GTX pushes the specification even further into contention with the likes of the BMW i5 Touring or plug-in hybrid rivals like the Volvo V90.

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Don’t think the ID.7 isn’t capable of competing on space, either. Its boot is big, and we mean really big, whether the rear seats are raised or dropped down. It’s not quite Skoda Superb Estate enormous, but nor is it far off.

The front seats are another area where the ID.7 Tourer impresses. All of the materials in the ID.7 are a significant step up from other ID models thanks to soft-touch surfaces and the quality of finish. Volkswagen has also given the ID.7 its latest 15-inch infotainment touchscreen with Ready 2 Discover tech. It’s a big improvement on recent efforts from VW thanks to easier to see and use icons, plus the heater control sliders are now backlit so they are more intuitive to find. It’s still not perfect, but a lot better than recent efforts from VW in this area.

Out on the road, the ID.7 is one of the most comfortable and quiet cars you could hope to travel in. The EV power means little mechanical noise, while road and wind whooshes are both very well sealed out. Add in the smoothness of the suspension and how easy it is to use around town, and the ID.7 is simply a very, very good family estate car.

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There are two battery options with the Volkswagen ID.7, with a smaller 77kWh one for the Match trim models and a larger 86kWh battery for the GTX. If the longest possible driving range is high on your list of requirements, the Pro S Match is the model for you. It has the larger battery but two-wheel drive, so you get the maximum potential from the battery’s charge and that means a claimed range of 424 miles.

The Pro Match model with the smaller 77kWh battery is able to deliver an on-paper range of 373 miles, while the four-wheel drive GTX that uses the 86kWh battery can drive for up to 358 miles on a full charge. That puts all ID.7 models in the longer-lasting EV range bracket and the Pro S Match is certainly a safe bet even for company-car drivers covering plenty of miles.

Those same company car drivers will be happy with the low company-car tax bracket and Benefit in Kind rating of the ID.7. However, the VW’s prices that start at a little more than £52,000 and rise to £62,700 for the GTX mean you will still be paying a pretty penny in company-car tax. Lease deals for business or private users will take into account the ID.7 is expected to shed around half of its value after three years and 36,000 miles, so monthly repayments will reflect this and likely be higher than for an equivalent BMW 3 Series Touring with stronger residual values.

Countering those entries in the minus column for the ID.7 is the car’s quick charging. Both batteries can be recharged from 10- to 80% in less than half an hour with a suitably fast charging station. At home with a 7kW wall charger, you’ll be looking at 12 to 14 hours, so an overnight top up should be more than enough for most needs.

How much will the Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer cost in tax?

You’ll also have to pay road tax on the ID.7 with the Vehicle Excise Duty rules from 1 April 2025, and the ID.7’s prices mean you’ll fork out for the expensive vehicle levy too at £425 per year until the car passes its fifth birthday from registration.

For the first year’s registration, every ID.7 model will cost you £10 for that initial 12 months of road tax. After that, the ID.7 will cost you the same as most other cars with a charge of £195 for a year’s tax.

What will the Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer cost to insure?

Both of the Match trim versions of the Volkswagen ID.7 sit in group 38 (out of a maximum of 50 groups) for insurance. That is less than a BMW i5 Touring but a good bit higher than the group 24 to 25 that your premium is calculated on for the Peugeot e-208 SW.

Choose the ID.7 GTX and it sits in group 41, which is reasonable for a car of this performance. This is undoubtedly helped by the long list of standard safety kit included with the ID.7, such as the Assistance Pack that comes with Lane Assist, Travel Assist, and Emergency Assist on all models.

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The Volkswagen ID.7 is a long car at nearly five metres from tip to tail. However, look at the ID.7 side on and you’ll note it has quite a short front bonnet and lots of distance between the front and rear wheels. This deliberate approach to packaging frees up lots of cabin space for people and luggage, but also by placing the front and back axle lines as far apart as possible endows the ID.7 with a very cushy ride. It means the front wheels have long since dealt with most bumps and bruises in the road before the rear pair ever encounter them. As a result, the VW is resolutely composed, though it’s far from a back road blaster in the way some EVs are.

You can add to the ID.7’s smoothness by opting for the Exterior Plus Pack that brings adaptive suspension that is even more accomplished at dabbing away any unruliness from the road before it’s felt inside the car. Even on the GTX’s larger wheels, the ID.7 is remarkably unflustered and it’s especially good on the motorway where its calm demeanour makes longer journeys much less stressful than in some other estate cars.

There is a payoff for this and that comes in the way the ID.7 copes with tighter corners. More open, flowing bends are dealt with in a suitably relaxed manner, but sharper bends induce quite a bit of body lean. This, together with steering that offers little feedback or sensation, results in a car that discourages any sort of spirited driving. Not even switching to Sport mode solves this.

The brakes also deserve a mention for the smooth way in which they work at low speeds. Where many EVs can stop suddenly and harshly, VW has finessed the ID.7’s brakes to eliminate this, but you will find the pedal has a long travel and a soft action that doesn’t always inspire as much confidence as you get in a BMW i5 Touring.

Electric models

The Match models of the Volkswagen ID.7 both come with a single motor that drives the rear wheels. Both models have 282bhp, which is plenty for a family estate car, and means 0-62mph takes 6.6 seconds in Pro Match, with the Pro S Match taking one tenth of a second longer.

The GTX version of the ID.7 has a second electric motor to drive the front wheels as well, making this version four-wheel drive. That extra grip and 335bhp of power results in a car that ticks off 0-62mph in a very respectable 5.5 seconds. Like all ID.7s, the GTX has a top speed of 112mph.

Like most EVs, the ID.7 Tourer has no gears to change. You simply select Drive and off you go by pressing the accelerator pedal that has a big ‘Play’ sign on it. The brake comes with a corresponding ‘Pause’ sign attached. The benefit to no gears is that the ID.7 Tourer feels very smooth to drive.

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Is the Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer infotainment and sat-nav system easy to use?

Volkswagen has been rather criticised for its infotainment systems in recent years, and for good reason. The ID.7 Tourer’s set-up is proof that VW is – at least in part – paying attention and addressing some of our gripes. The latest VW system comprises a 15-inch touchscreen with a clear, simple to read display, which reacts very quickly to any touch of the finger. Just as vitally, thanks to the screen’s size there are now fixed icons along the bottom for the climate control, which means you don’t have to come out of one screen – the sat-nav, for instance – to adjust the temperature.

Some functions of the infotainment are still tricky to find and you need to work through a few pages to reach them, but the pages are logically arranged. Volkswagen has also given the ID.7 Chat GPT artificial intelligence, so you can ask it to find destinations, points of interest or just pointless questions. Every ID.7 also has a head-up display for the driver, which beams vital driving info into your line of sight so you can keep your eyes on the road.

A wireless charging pad sits in a tray in the centre console, so there’s no risk of running out of phone charge while listening to your favourite podcast.

Pick the GTX model and it comes with a 12-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, and this is an option for the Match ID.7s if you have the rather pricey Interior Pack added on.

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The ID.7 Tourer may be a slightly boxier estate compared to the standard ID.7, but we think it’s more handsome than that car and suits the body style well. What’s even better is that every inch of the ID.7 Tourer’s interior feels like it makes the most of the car’s dimensions and is packaged well.

This means the driver and front passenger have a mass of room to stretch out in, and you get electric adjustment for the seat with a memory function to save your favourite driving position in all models of ID.7. There’s also electronically-adjustable lumbar adjustment, so there should be plenty of support for your back on long trips. You can move the steering wheel up and down, and in and out, which further enhances driver comfort.

It might feel a little unnatural at first, but the gear selector is on a stalk on the steering column. Anyone who has driven another ID model will be used to this, but it can take a while to accustom yourself to and you could find yourself reaching for the gear selector while searching for the windscreen wipers at first. The upside is that VW has freed up space on the centre console, making that area clutter-free.

The ID.7’s slim window pillars mean that visibility is good, so we found low-speed manoeuvring, parking and lane-changing safe and simple to do. Large door bins and cubby holes are dotted around the cabin, too, which can be handy for storing sunglasses or water bottles.

In the back there are also decently sized door pockets and a pair of cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest. You may want to leave that armrest in the lowered position as space across the ID.7 Tourer’s rear bench isn’t particularly generous for three adults to sit comfortably. Nor is it really quite enough for three kids to fit line astern, and it’s not helped by the raised centre cushion that means anyone plonked here is in for a mildly uncomfortable journey.

On the plus side, there’s lots of legroom in the back of the ID.7 Tourer, so you can easily travel with four adults including the driver. For younger kids, there are ISOFIX mounts in the two outer rear seats.

Does the Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer have a big boot?

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Asking if the Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer has a big boot is a bit like wondering if an elephant has a trunk - the answer is an emphatic ‘yes’. A quick look at the bald stats shows it has one of the biggest boots of any estate car you can buy, with more space on offer than an Audi A6 Avant, BMW 5 Series Touring or, with the rear seats folded, even the mighty Mercedes E-Class Estate. Only a Skoda Superb Estate offers more room, so it’s fair to say the ID.7 Tourer is a very handy load bearer.

With the rear seats occupied by passengers, you have up to 605 litres of cargo capacity with the ID.7 Tourer. Just as with the Passat Estate, VW has given it a very squared-off shape to maximise practicality, so no need to stuff smaller items into fiddly spaces here.

The boot floor sits level with the bumper’s load sill, making it easy to slide in heavier boxes, and the materials all feel up to this sort of wear and tear. That low load lip will also make access to the boot easier for the family dog, too.

It all sounds peachy for the ID.7 Tourer then, yet there is a small but important point we’d make. Volkswagen provides a storage space under the boot floor for the car’s charging cable. Great, but how do you get to this when the boot is rammed full of your holiday luggage? With no ‘frunk’ under the bonnet to store the cable, you’ll most likely leave it lying in the boot.

For more carrying space, you can fold the 60:40 split and tumble back seat to free up a gigantic 1,948 litres of space. If you need more than this, buy a trailer. And incidentally, the ID.7 Tourer can tow up to 1000kg with a braked trailer with the Match models or 1,200kg with the GTX.

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As a model that’s only recently come to market, it’s too soon for us to comment on the reliability of the Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer as an individual model. What we can tell you is that VW is not quite living up to its owners expectations. In our Driver Power satisfaction survey, Volkswagen languished in 29th position out of 32 manufacturers, so it finished perilously close to the bottom of the league.

Volkswagen provides a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty for the ID.7 Tourer plus separate cover for the battery that lasts for eight years or 100,000 miles, depending on which comes soonest. This battery warranty also gives you the peace of mind that VW will replace it if the battery efficiency drops below 70% during the cover period.

How safe is the Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer?

Volkswagen scored an impressive 95% for adult occupant safety when the ID.7 was tested by Euro NCAP. As a result of this and other high scores across the board, the ID.7 was awarded a full five-star rating, meaning it should prove a very safe place for you and the family.

All models come with a comprehensive list of safety kit that encompasses lots of airbags, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane departure assistance, rear cross traffic warning, and an Assistance Pack with area and rear view camera, Lane Assist, Travel Assist, and Emergency Assist, plus Park Assist Plus and all-round parking sensors. On top of that you also get blind spot monitoring and an exit alert which warns you of vehicles approaching alongside as you go to open the door.

Should you buy a Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer?

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If Volkswagen had decided to call this car the Passat EV rather than the ID.7 Tourer, we wouldn’t have batted an eyelid. After all, the Passat Estate has long been one of the most versatile and able family estate cars you could choose. We’re happy to report that the ID.7 Tourer picks up the baton as a very capable electric alternative to the Passat Estate, which is well suited to families and company-car buyers.

The fact the ID.7 Tourer is an EV is almost peripheral, and this is helped by the Pro S Match’s excellent 424-mile EV driving range which would be easy for anyone coming from a petrol or diesel car to get used to, even if this equates to a real-world range of around 300 miles. Fast charging means you can travel lots of miles, top the ID.7 Tourer up and be on your way again without too much of a hold up.

To get that long range, you do need to spend a bit more, though the entry-point Pro Match model’s 373-mile range and four-wheel drive GTX’s 358-mile range figures are still commendable. However, the GTX’s near £63,000 starting prices leads us to think it will be a rare sight on the UK’s roads compared to its more affordable rear-wheel drive siblings.

Whichever ID.7 Tourer you opt for, you’ll get a brilliantly smooth ride that contributes to a calm cabin ambience due to excellent refinement. It’s a core part of the ID.7’s appeal, which is just as well because it’s not an exciting car to drive, even if the 335bhp GTX can knock off 0-62mph in 5.5 seconds. If you want thrills, look to the BMW i5 Touring.

If, however, you want a load of space to shove in the kids’ sports kit beside the dog or shopping, the ID.7 Tourer is hard to overlook. Every model is well specced with kit, safe, and has more than ample room for a family of four.

What is the best Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer for low running costs?

Given the entry-point Volkswagen ID.7 Pro Match model saves you money with its lower list price while having the same equipment as the Pro S Match, it’s the one we’d go for. The Pro Match might have a slightly shorter driving range of 373 miles versus the Pro S model’s 424 miles, but that’s not going to mean any more visits to the charging station in the real world, especially if you charge up at home overnight. We think you might as well save the cash on the purchase price.

What is the best Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer for keen drivers?

Volkswagen doesn’t offer a sporty R Line version of the ID.7 Tourer, but what you can have is the GTX. It comes with twin electric motors that give a combined 335bhp to dispatch 0-62mph in 5.5 seconds. That’s pretty brisk by any measure, though the GTX errs more on the side of comfort than outright handling agility.

What is the Carbuyer pick of the Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer range?

A driving range of 424 miles between charges makes the Volkswagen ID.7 Pro S Match the one we’d choose. That range might not make much of a difference for daily commuting, but longer journeys at the weekend or on holiday will see you stop less often. It also comes very well kitted out for comfort and safety.

Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer alternatives

Estate cars have been marginalised by the popularity of SUVs, but we still think an estate car makes a lot of sense for any driver who needs lots of space to lug cargo and kids routinely. Anyone considering the Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer might also want to look at the Peugeot e-308 SW and its close relative from Vauxhall, the Astra Electric Sports Tourer. These are cheaper choices than the VW, but so is the Skoda Enyaq that’s a halfway house between an SUV and estate car. Costing a little more than the VW but perhaps more premium and with the benefit of a combustion engine when you need it, you could be tempted by the Volvo V90 Plug-in Hybrid. However, if you’re determined to stay all electric, then you should have a look at the BMW i5 Touring.

• BMW i5 Touring
• Peugeot e-308 SW
• Skoda Enyaq
• Vauxhall Astra Electric Sports Tourer
• Volvo V90 Plug-in Hybrid