VW ID7 sedan aims to join 300+ mile range club with aero styling, high-tech interior

NEW YORK — Volkswagen's new global flagship BEV sedan, the ID7, promises to be the German brand's most efficient vehicle ever, with a more competitive range, an extremely aerodynamic shape and an interior packed full of innovative successors to currently popular analog equipment.

Due to arrive in Europe and China this year and temporarily known as the ID Aero, a version will be exported from Germany to U.S. dealerships in 2024 as a 2025 model year vehicle, a VW of America spokesman confirmed. It was revealed globally Monday during concurrent events in Europe, China and New York.

The U.S. version, the VW ID7 Pro, will come equipped with an 82-kWh battery pack capable of fast-charging at up to 170 kW. It will be powered by a 282-hp permanent magnet synchronous motor and two-stage single-speed gearbox, a powertrain combination that the brand newly developed for the ID7.

In Europe, the roughly Passat-sized ID7 is expected to have a range of up to 700 km. However, the spokesman said the brand was targeting a range of 300 miles under the EPA test cycle for the 2025 ID7, though a specific rating is not yet available.

In terms of exterior styling, the 195.3-inch long ID7 sports a fastback design and other features to improve aerodynamics, and is just 60.6 inches tall. It's coefficient of drag is an impressive 0.23, identical to the current generation Tesla Model 3. The design is augmented with LED lighting and distinctive lit trim strips across the fascia and rear.

Inside the cabin, the 2025 VW ID7 will come standard with what the brand calls an augmented reality heads-up display, projecting trip details including speed, road signs, and upcoming navigation help at eye level on the windscreen. The display adapts to what is in front of it, so that information such as current speed and speed limit appears in a virtual foreground, while navigation assistance and other features appear projected further away.

Above the center console, the ID7 will be equipped with a 15-inch customizable touchscreen display that operates most of the ID7's functions, including infotainment and cabin comfort. A pair of touch-sensitive sliding bars below the screen are used to adjust temperature and infotainment system volume, VW says.

The ID7's "smart glass" roof can transform electronically from clear to opaque, helping to keep interior temperatures comfortable while providing panoramic views.

The ID7's air vents are also digitally controlled and automated as part of what the brand calls an intelligent HVAC system, which can detect an approaching driver with their key and begin to precool or preheat the cabin. The vents adjust to heat and cool the cabin optimally as directed, aiming air straight at passengers or elsewhere, and respond to voice commands. VW explained earlier that, if a driver says their hands are cold, the vehicle would not only heat the steering wheel, but also direct heated air at the driver's hands.

The ID7 will have some upgraded driver assistance features when it launches in the U.S. next year, but those are expected to initially lag what the brand will offer on the vehicle in Europe and China, where regulations are different. It will have parking assistance standard, as well as other technologies like adaptive cruise control, lane keeping and collision avoidance technology standard at launch, a U.S. spokesman confirmed.

Pricing, including that in the U.S., was not announced.

Pablo Di Si, president of Volkswagen Group of America, predicted that when the ID7 arrives in 2024, it "will get decent volumes," though he declined to provide internal projections.

"Next year, I think interest rates will start coming down," opening up leasing opportunities for the sedan, Di Si said.