Featuring all-wheel drive, dual-motor setup with a combined output of 340 hp, an estimated range of 388 miles, and a charging power of 200 kW, Volkswagen's sporty wagon is brimming with impressive promises. We got up close and personal with it.
A Bold Electric Transition
Following the introductions of the wagon version of the ID.7 Tourer and more recently the ID.3 GTX, Volkswagen has unveiled on March 13 the sporty variant of its electric wagon, the ID.7 GTX. In terms of dimensions, there are no changes from the ID.7 Tourer, measuring approximately 16.3 feet long, 6.1 feet wide (excluding mirrors), and 5 feet tall. The wheelbase remains unchanged at 9.75 feet, ensuring a spacious interior as highlighted in the presentation video of the ID.7 Tourer.
There's also no change in the cargo volumes between the two wagon versions, at least in the current state as announced by Volkswagen. Hence, the cargo volume stands at 19.2 cubic feet with the second-row seats slightly reclined, 21.4 cubic feet in cargo mode (second-row seats vertical), and up to 60.5 cubic feet with the second-row seats folded down. That's up to 4.5 cubic feet more than the ID.7 sedan with the seats down and 2.6 cubic feet better in cargo mode.
All-Wheel Drive and Increased Power
The most significant change is in the motorization part. The ID.7 GTX Tourer now boasts an all-wheel-drive platform, utilizing a 210 kW (286 hp) permanent magnet synchronous motor at the rear and a smaller asynchronous motor (ASM – AKA150) of 80 kW (109 hp) at the front. Note, the combined power doesn't just add up!
This is why Volkswagen rates it as having 250 kW (340 hp), which is 40 kW (54 hp) more than the ID.7 Tourer Pro – a rear-wheel-drive model, remember. The wagon capitalizes on rear-wheel-drive-like driving sensations, but the now-labeled Dual-Motor 4Motion platform should prove dynamic and quite formidable in its road handling.
Yet-to-be-Announced Details
Some information about this model is still pending. Its price, which will only be announced later as the ID.7 GTX Tourer won't hit the market until spring. Volkswagen has also not communicated the 0 to 60 mph time. However, we know that the top speed is electronically limited to 111 mph, more than enough for US highways.
With the new robust platform, another feature that might interest the German brand's customers is that the ID.7 GTX Tourer can tow up to 3,086 pounds (with a braking slope of up to 8%) thanks to its 4Motion transmission, compared to 2,204 pounds for the rear-wheel-drive ID.7 Tourer.
Volkswagen's Largest Battery Onboard
Volkswagen has expressed its ambition to offer vehicles promising a range close to 435 miles. Specifically here, it's over 388 miles. To achieve this goal while providing more power in a wagon that will undoubtedly be heavier (the weight is not disclosed), they needed to increase the battery capacity accordingly.
Thus, the floor of this sporty wagon houses nothing less than the largest battery pack available in the brand's catalog. It consists of a Lithium-Ion battery containing 13 modules (as opposed to 12 for other ID.7 models) offering a net capacity of 86 kWh (91 kWh gross). Volkswagen only provides a provisional WLTP combined range estimate of 388 miles as the wagon has yet to undergo homologation tests.
Style Meets GTX
The interior and onboard technology will be (very) similar to the experience we evaluated on the road during our test of the ID.7 sedan. Reviews are generally favorable, but consider that this GTX will impose a darker interior.
However, the ID.7 GTX Tourer benefits from a large panoramic roof that will undoubtedly bring precious light inside. This roof, dubbed “smart glass,” incorporates a Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal (PDLC) layer. It's a film that responds to an electrical impulse and instantly changes the state of the liquid crystals to opacify the panoramic roof, becoming opaque white to block sunlight while allowing light to pass through.
The interior continues to boast the same attention to material choice and assembly quality, always impeccable. Special mentions go to the red stitching, GTX badges, and LED strips integrated into the dashboard and door panels. The dashboard retains the same 100% digital instrumentation as discussed in our test. The multimedia system remains compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay wirelessly, including an induction charging system.
The large 12.9-inch screen integrated at the center, in a high and driver-visible position, will allow users to enjoy the latest system updates, including wellness functions, enhanced navigation with route planning, and numerous options for customizing the multitude of driving aids available standard or as an option on the ID.7 GTX Tourer. Volkswagen also emphasizes its IDA personal assistant, now enhanced with a Chat GPT overlay, promising to solicit artificial intelligence on many subjects. However, we will need to test the system thoroughly to know all the details, as the time allotted with the many models present did not allow for a comprehensive evaluation.
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