VW back to its best with flagship EV estate

At 4.96m long, with a 605-litre boot and a zero emissions range of 373 miles in standard form – a long-range Pro S version now offers 433 miles – this EV serves up some serious family-car practicality.

It is somewhat unique in an EV sector dominated by SUVs, with BMW’s pricey i5 Touring among its closest competitors.

The ID.7 Tourer Pro Match tested here was no cheap option, though.

Our test car came in at £51,360, with a Harman Kardon sound system, ventilated and massaging seats and a clever panoramic sunroof which dims and turns opaque at the touch of a button, among options that lifted it to £58,000.

Build quality is back to VW’s best in the ID.7 commodious interior, though, and the ride and refinement are up there with the sector’s best EVs.

A long wheelbase aids stability in a car that rides – even with our test car’s optional 20-inch alloys – very comfortably indeed.

The standard 77kWh battery powers a motor delivering 286PS and 545Nm of torque to the rear wheels.

VW claims 6.6 second acceleration to 62mph, alongside a 112mph top speed.

I found the ID.7’s accelerator could be a little hypersensitive from a standstill. This could undermine its imperious smoothness, but did serve to demonstrate its impressive traction.

Volkswagen’s perseverance with touch sensitive panels – rather than physical switches – and a reliance on its 15-inch infotainment for many controls, including the direction of the air vents, can still be fiddly.

The infotainment system now features some quick access tabs and the option to configure the home screen with your choice of apps and functions, though.

One very nicely executed piece of tech is the ID.7’s head-up display, which projects animated sat nav directions into the driver’s line of sight.

After a week at the wheel the ID.7 Tourer convinced me that Volkswagen is getting back to its best, serving up a high-quality EV that brings practicality and comfort to the fore.