Despite the SUV marking the end of an era for several now-defunct body designs (MPVs and little sporty roadsters, we miss you), it appears that the estate car – or station wagon – may be making a comeback. At the very least, VW believes so.
The German automaker has unveiled the ID.7 Tourer, a long-bodied station wagon that builds on its existing fastback saloon platform and bears all of the hallmarks of a classic estate with a twist of svelte shooting brake, albeit with electric underpinnings rather than a dirty diesel or petrol engine lurking under the bonnet (or hood, y’all).
Despite Volvo (perhaps the ultimate word in estate cars) saying that it would no longer build them, Volkswagen believes the ID.7 tourer neatly expands its electric portfolio, delivering “generous space and long ranges”. We wholeheartedly agree.
Although the ID.7 Tourer had previously been teased, we now know that it has up to 605 litres of storage capacity with the back seats in place and up to 1,714 litres with the rear seats folded flat. Volkswagen further emphasizes that the load area in this mode of transportation is nearly two metres long.
VW will also sell you a slew of accessories to help you organise that load area, ranging from modular baggage compartments to a stowable bicycle carrier that quickly attaches to a swiveling towing bracket capable of transporting up to 75kg of chunky electric bike deliciousness.
With its initial debut in Europe, the ID.7 Tourer will be available in Pro and Pro S configurations later on, both capable of producing 210kW (286hp) from a motor driving the rear wheels. The Pro model gets a 77kWh battery pack, whilst the next Pro S gets a considerably larger 86kWh pack that can charge up to 200kW from the right outlet.
VW claims that the larger 86kWh battery featured in the Pro S model can travel up to 685km (425 miles) on a single charge, while charging even the larger units from 10 to 80% should take less than 30 minutes using quick and ultra-rapid stations.
Tune in and cop out
The ID.7 Tourer will also be one of the first VWs to use ChatGPT inside the vehicle, as announced by the brand at this year’s CES, while its own IDA voice assistant has been considerably upgraded to better handle natural speech inputs.
In fact, the entire MIB4 infotainment system has been refreshed, making it easier to navigate and vastly more configurable, allowing owners to configure the screen to their desire. We tested it with the regular ID.7 and found it easy to use – no more searching for core functionality hidden deep beneath sub menus; simply pin it to many locations on the home screen.
Finally, VW is launching the Wellness In-Car App for its ID.7 range, which has a series of preset functions to help drivers relax or recharge during long trips or charging breaks.
According to VW, ‘Fresh Up’ triggers “stimulating sound, refreshing air conditioning (via the automatic air conditioner and seat ventilation), an invigorating back massage, and blue and turquoise zones of background lighting.”
There are also Calm Down and Power Break modes, with the infotainment system displaying a selection of relaxing animations when the vehicle is stopped.
There is currently no official word on price, but expect it to cost more than the ID.7 fastback saloon, which is already on sale for around ₹5856799.20 (around $50,000/AUS$95,000).
