As the sports utility format began its inexorable march to dominate the automotive mainstream, it was wagons that first fell by the wayside. Sedans and compacts held on longer, but none could stand in the way of the SUV. While largely dead in the U.S. , in Europe, tastes are a little different. There is still room for a big ol’ wagon, it seems, as Volkswagen is pushing forward with the ID.7 Tourer.
It’s Volkswagen’s first electric wagon, and a pleasant sign of good things to come. The complexities of the EV transition could have seen automakers looking for an excuse to cut bodystyles, but Volkswagen didn’t go that route. Instead, it’s brought us a beautiful long-roof design that’s humble, well-turned out, and modern all at once.
Let’s talk numbers. Volkswagen has stated that the ID.7 is a flagship amongst its EV models, and thus the wagon version measures up well. It’s available with ranges up to 425 miles (685 km) on the WLTP cycle. It’ll recharge at up to 200 kW on a DC fast charger, and can go from 10 percent to 80 percent charge in “significantly less than 30 minutes.” Plus, you get the glorious storage space that wagons are so beloved for. Feel free to stock up at Ikea, because this thing has a volume of 21.4 cubic feet (605 liters) in the back, or a mighty 60 cubic feet (1,714 liters) with the seats down. In this configuration, Volkswagen notes the load area is almost 6.5 feet (2 meters) long.
It bears noting that range is slightly down on the fastback sedan, which will achieve 434 miles in its longest range trim. Ultimately, though, you’re trading 9 miles of range for a heck of a lot more practicality, so it’s not a wildly difficult call to make.
Oh, and joy of joys—you can option it with a roof box! There’s an aero penalty to pay, but you’ll get an additional 16.2 cubic feet (460 liters) of storage for whatever silly nonsense you can dream up. Want to bring enough kettle corn to a soccer game for both the home and away fans? This is the EV to do it in.
Power is naturally the same as the ID.7 sedan. The single-motor setup delivers 282 horsepower and 402 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels. That’s plenty to get you zooming along a European motorway at some ludicrous three-digit speed. Just don’t expect to do the same in the U.S., because this broad and storied nation will not be receiving the wagon version of the ID.7.
Forever moving with the times, Volkswagen will also offer ChatGPT functionality in the ID.7 tourer. It’s a part of the IDA voice assistant, which is designed to handle queries in natural language. According to the German automaker, it’s intended to do more than typical automotive voice systems. “Within the system limits, this not only enables control of many vehicle functions, but also answers specific questions on all conceivable subjects by accessing online databases and features new integration of ChatGPT,” reads the release. So, if you’re driving along and want to hear some wildly inaccurate scientific facts, your wagon might just be able to deliver. You can leave your crazy drug-addled older cousins at home, you won’t need them anymore!
A nicer touch is the panoramic sunroof, which will be an option on the model. It uses liquid crystal technology to turn opaque or transparent at the touch of a button, a feature previously seen on various concept and luxury vehicles. Beyond that, Volkswagen have made it clear that the vehicle will feature a high level of standard equipment, as per the existing ID.7 models. It will have details like motorized air vents, massaging seats, and a special “Wellness In-Car” app that changes interior settings to “enhance well-being” for the driver and passengers. The latter can control features like interior lighting, air conditioning, and seat massage to help the occupants Fresh Up, Calm Down, or take a Power Break, depending on the configured mode.
U.S. customers will have to look wistfully across the Atlantic and make do with the ID.7 fastback sedan when it arrives in the second half of 2024. Even if it’s not coming stateside, though, we have to commend Volkswagen for continuing to bring new wagons into the world. May they roll ever forth.
Image credits: Volkswagen
Of course VW won’t sell it in the US, bc sadly they’d sell dozens of them to enthusiasts.
Put it in 2″ heels slightly restyle it add the 3rd row (like the highlander) and they can call it a crossover/SUV AND have a smashing hit on their hands!
Nobody needs total BS chatGPT in a vehicle, and if you want it you are literally a fool and have no life at all.
Also, nobody needs motorized vents, like it’s so hard to move a vent…and a wellness app in a car? Get the hell out of here and quit wasting your life
Like many have said, I like real buttons, not just a giant screen.
That said, I’ve never wanted a VW more than right now.
I know, wagon sales in the US have been a rounding error at best for the last 20+ years. But as small a market segment as we wagon buyers are, I don’t understand why we’re not more desirable: we’re (generally speaking, obviously) educated, affluent, and highly brand-loyal. For many years, the wealthiest and most consistent Mercedes buyers were those that bought E-class wagons.
Speaking for myself, I’ve owned six wagons over the last 20-ish years, two Volvos, three BMWs, and a VW. The VW (2019 Alltrack 6MT) was the only car I’ve ever bought new, and I did so because it was a manual wagon. I sold it at the height of the supply-chain woes, when I could get more for it than I’d paid, and have since reverted to my ideal (but quickly aging) car, an E39 wagon.
And, guess what—our other DD is an EV, a market segment with a lot of demographic similarities to wagon buyers. It’s a teensy market, sure, but either BMW or VW could have it entirely to themselves tomorrow if one of them would bring either the i5 Touring or the ID.7 Tourer; I’d be there, for sure.
OK, I wonder if Electric VW’s could be exempt from the 25 year rule? I mean – no emissions stuff to worry about and I’m sure it’s every bit as crash safe as any other VW product sold here – what would be the reason to keep it out from the gummint’s perspective? Can’t be a competitive thing – no one in the US makes wagons any more……
I’m not into EV’s at all but that is actually a very interesting question! For people who would only get an EV if it was one they prefer from other markets…would they make exceptions to the 25 yr rule in the future
There are several minor differences between European and American crash regulations which result in differences between the structures of cars in each market as well as the equipment. The mirrors, lights, and several other things could be different enough to need changing.
Those should all be pretty minor things to rectify in theory though. The main issue is simply that cars homologated for the U.S. market are known to the U.S. and thus the government is okay with them being here. Even if foreign VWs are very similar to USDM electric VWs, the government doesn’t necessarily know that and certainly doesn’t have documented proof of it. For all they know, the batteries could be built in a way they don’t approve of and with parts from unknown suppliers they don’t approve of.
Assuming it has all the required equipment and documentation can be provided to show that the batteries are fine, you’d still be required to crash test it before it could be used or sold in America. Since the front is presumably similar enough to the fastback sedan we’re getting, it might be lucky and only need rear end crash testing to prove the wagon part is as safe as the fastback. Then all that information could be used to develop a conversion process to federalize the foreign electric VW for the U.S. market and you could get a license to import and sell them so long as you make the necessary modifications.
This has been done before, most infamously by Motorex in the 90s with Nissan GTRs. They had to crash test several GTRs and reengineer parts of the crash structure and emissions equipment to federalize them, but they successfully did so and were granted a license to sell federalized GTRs in the U.S…. until they were eventually busted for selling GTRs that hadn’t actually been federalized. And those approved modifications for federalization can’t simply be performed by another company unfortunately, if you want to sell a foreign-market car in America you are required to crash test it and develop modifications yourself. This would be slightly easier with an EV since you don’t have emissions to worry about, but the other laws still apply.
They need to sell it here and also offer a third seat
Another fine vehicle afflicted with the ‘iPad as furniture’ disease. C’est dommage…
I’m in love, despite the silly motorized vents and ChatGPT. Alas, I’m in the US.
The wagon losing only 2% range compared to the sedan is a great advertisement for automakers to push them instead of crossovers.
If we compare the Ioniq 5 & 6 whoch are on the same platform, the crossover 5 loses 16%(!) percent range to the sedan 6 (both SE RWD, 303 vs 361mi). If they made a wagon Ioniq 7 based on the sedan 6 that loses 5% of its range in exchange for the 5’s cargo space, you’d still get an excellent 340mi of range.
And most likely in higher speeds the effect is even larger. Cross section of the crossover bites.
I like this,but I wish volkswagen would stop cramming all that shit into their cars and instead sell them at a reasonable price. At least offer them at different equipment levels.
Tall wagons make perfect sense for
all applicationsEVs. The lower height makes it possible to better capitalize on the low center of gravity and reduces total frontal area (re: drag). The overall larger size compared to a sedan means there’s more room for the battery and the increased interior cargo space makes the added weight more justifiable. But we won’t get any.Wagons aren’t categorically longer than sedans. Hatchbacks are almost always shorter than the sedan version, but most wagons are basically the same length.
C’mon Germany, could you just let it go already? WWII ended, what…[checks notes]…79 years ago? Geez, get over it.
Sorry Mr. Day but it does look good in white.
GD. You gotta put the “not coming to America” disclaimer at the top so we know not to get our hopes up.
That’s automatic no if it’s a longroof. We’re not cool enough.
yeah…I should really know better.
Generally, I would take any EV wagon here in the US. This checks a lot of boxes for us and would replace our messy but effective JSW. I’m not shocked it won’t come here, but someone needs to bring an EV wagon stateside. I was at a Volvo event for their EX30 and EX90 last friday and the corporate reps for Volvo were very pessimistic about any future EV wagons coming here. All very sad.
Porsche sells the Taycan Cross Turismo in the U.S., which is an EV wagon. It’s an expensive EV wagon, but it is an EV wagon for the American market.
That’s true, I wish it was just the halo car for us wagon folks, not the sole option. It is pretty cool, especially with the Taycan improvements for this new model year.
Cowards.
Signed,
Current JSW owner
I just checked the VW Canada website and apparently we don’t get the wagon either.
I feel you. I mean, I am not going to call them cowards, because to be honest in the US we just don’t buy them no matter what the irrational part of my brain says. But Europe definitely loves them. I blame SUV’s for their rapid demise here.
As a current Golf SportWagen owner, my first reaction was SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY…but…
Carsized doesn’t have the id.7 Tourer yet but from a quick search the size is the same as the sedan id.7, which makes it ~33cm longer(!) and 4cm taller/wider than the Golf. https://www.carsized.com/en/cars/compare/volkswagen-golf-2019-estate-vs-volkswagen-id7-2023-liftback/
Most discouraging to me is the higher hood and general bloatiness. How do they manage to package such a tall hood on an EV? There is no mention of a frunk (absent also from the id.4 so I don’t expect it here). I get that the id.7 is supposed to be the Passat successor but it’s even bloaty compared to the Passat.
Also as others have mentioned – haptic controls bad. So, alas, I guess this is a pass.
I love how the center console looks like a giant storage area. Guessing some of it is wireless charging which often serves as nothing more than a phone heater when you’re using wireless AA/CP. You would think that the move to electronic shifters would have resulted in better use of the center console, but manufacturers just started putting in switches or buttons that take up as much space as a regular shifter.
It’s okay. I’m glad it’s not painted in flat Depression Gray.
I think it would be more attractive if that swoopy line down the side at the beltline was a clean straight line past the front tires.
I feel like every VAG product I see is painted Wet Concrete. It’s a shit color.
I call it primer gray. It’s lame as hell. I swear that like 30-40% of German cars are sold in some variation of that color. But normies love that shit for some reason. My wife has said repeatedly that she wants her next car to be dark gray and my old man custom ordered his X5 50e so he could get Brooklyn Gray over the coffee interior.
I mean, if you limit me to the spectrum of black–>white, I’m gonna look for grey or silver. Doesn’t particularly show dirt as badly as black, and it’s still more exciting than white.
Oh I agree, and BMW’s in particular looks pretty good since it almost has a blueish hue to it.
Metallic greys can looks really nice, especially a charcoal grey metallic.
I stand by calling that flat mid-tone grey Depression Grey.
Just as long as we stay away from 80’s computer case putty grey.
My 1990 240sx was repainted from red to what I call battleship grey sometime before I bought it. I don’t know why one would choose a paint color that is basically semi shiny primer when repainting a car. But they did. Nowadays though its part peeling off grey, part old red, part primer black and part cheap rattlecan white…
I wouldn’t buy this, but would consider leasing it. That center screen is not going to age well
So much space in there! You could almost imagine using some of it to house physical controls for regular vehicle functions…
yea, rip the opportunity to own a used ID-something in the near future. F all that so hard
I mean, compared to the sea of blandness that is VW/Audi styling right now this looks halfway decent. That being said I do think VW has gone way, way too hard with the light bars and that a lot of their current stuff looks downright ridiculous at night between the front light bars, the rear light bars, the light up VW logo, et cetera.
Whenever I see the refreshed Atlas or an ID.4 in the wild when it’s dark I burst out laughing. It just looks so gaudy. Like a rolling Christmas decoration. Anyway, it looks like this has the haptic hell world interior based on these images so no dice. The only way I’d consider a VW is an EV since I’m not touching one of their godforsaken four cylinders again (damn the EA888 to hell) but they continue to be totally lost in the wilderness.
I think a lot of these companies that went balls to the wall on BEVs super early and decided to make them into tech monstrosities are going to have some significant issues. Mercedes comes to mind as well. Stop chasing the damn Tesla dragon already.
Wow, I can’t believe I skipped right past the interior shot. You’re absolutely right. I thought they said they were learning and going away from that crap.
Right, but you don’t need physical controls if it has ChatGPT – the only button you need to push is the voice button. You can just tell the car, “Set the cabin temperature to 75 degrees”, and it will confidently tell you that the car does not have a heating system.
Everyone: hey VW these interfaces are absolute shit!
No one:
Absolutely no one:
Not a single soul:
Volkswagen: We added ChatGPT to our shit interfaces! PROBLEM SOLVED!
Or “I’m sorry I didn’t catch that… please repeat yout request”
It looks so narrow and tall. VW’s styling isn’t my cup of tea right now.
Could they just call this a long crossover/SUV and sell it to us, please?!?!
Sadly, few would buy it, even if they jacked it up and called it the ID.Alltrack … though that’s not a half-bad idea.
The ID.Alltrack could, with the right marketing, pull in some Outback fans who want to go EV. At least until Subaru comes out with at least a hybrid Outback, there’s gotta be some granola folks who would like to reduce their carbon footprint but really like the wagon or wagon-adjacent form factor.
actually the Jetta MK1 in Mexico was called Atlantic lol
Well, someone get me a Mexican Jetta MK1 to look wistfully across. I’ll do it, and even do a photo shoot to send to VW to request they send some wagons our way.