VW ID.7 will battle the Tesla Model 3

This latter claim to fame is calculated to impress showgoers at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, the epicentre of electronic innovation, where VW has chosen to premiere its new car, the sixth in the ID family.

Forty layers of paint on 22 separate sections of bodywork light up when an electric current is passed through them for an interactive light show that can also be synced to a sound system. How cool is that? 

The hi-tech QR-code motif camo has another benefit other than getting the electronic nerds excited – it effectively disguises the ID7’s shape. VW’s first electric sedan and a rival for cars like the Tesla Model 3 and Hyundai Ioniq 6, the ID7 doesn’t get its full reveal for another couple of months yet.

SUVs have seen the market for saloons like the Passat shrink in recent years, but that hasn’t put VW off from reprising the Passat/Arteon format for its latest ID model. Expect a low but biggish car, near-5m long and almost 3m long in wheelbase, promising lots of cabin room. It’s a layout still popular in the US and China especially, but VW confirms the ID7 will also be sold in Europe. 

The combustion-engined Passat and more coupe-like liftback Arteon will continue, but ultimately the ID7 can be viewed as their replacement. Different versions are likely, including a twin-motor, all-wheel drive sporty GTX and, what has been a Passat favourite in this country in the past, an estate. 

Like its concept forerunner, the ID Aero, the ID7 majors on a low-drag body in order to maximise range. VW says with the largest batteries available, a fully charged up ID7 will be able to drive up to 700km (430 miles) according to the WLTP test. No Cd is quoted (the Aero concept was credited with 0.23), just that its sloping roofline and assortment of targeted aerodynamic devices to manage airflow make it “very good”.

Like all the other ID models – half a million of which have now been sold worldwide – the ID7 sits atop the MEB electric car platform. That has most recently been seen underpinning the ID Buzz MPV and it is thought the ID7 uses the MEB in the same, 2.97m wheelbase form. 

There should be the luxury of sprawling passenger room then as well as plenty of luxury features, as befits what will become VW’s ID flagship. Current ID owners should approve of the interior makeover and new display concept that VW has introduced with the ID7. Among the improvements are a 15-inch centre screen, new augmented reality head-up display, easier-to-operate and illuminated air conditioning controls and new smart air vents. 

Ten new ID models are due for lunch by 2026 and you can bet different versions of the ID7 will be among them, including the already-mentioned estate and GTX sports model. We will know more when this concept’s light-up cloak of concealment comes off for the ID7’s full reveal around April time, with sales slated to start later this year. And will that electroluminescent paint be offered as an option? We certainly hope so…