The New ID.7: Volkswagen's Electric Vehicle Closing the Technological Gap with Elon Musk

"Where's your badge?" the armed guard snapped at me. "Here," I pulled it out of my pocket. "You need to wear it on your shirt, not everyone is allowed to wander around here," the guard escorted me as I walked into the closed studio. Inside awaited the production version of Volkswagen's first electric sedan, the ID.7.

The production version was recently revealed in its entirety, and we were given a rare opportunity for a first taste of the prototype, still under wraps and with limited capabilities. In the past, manufacturers would flee from spy cameras that specialized in early reporting on new models about to be unveiled. Nowadays, manufacturers are willing to reveal some of the models before the official presentation, share some information, and receive initial feedback.

Volkswagen already has an electric compact family (ID.3, coming next year), an electric crossover (ID.4, already on sale), which also has a sleek coupe version (ID.5, arriving at the end of the year). The Chinese market also receives the ID.6 (a larger crossover with six seats), and the ID.BUZZ, the stunning retro version of the Microbus from the 1960s, is now being launched worldwide.

The ID.7 is the sixth electric car of the German brand, not including those of Audi and Skoda, but significantly important due to the significance of sedan models in the two largest car markets in the world, China and the USA. The initial thought is about a response to the Tesla Model 3, which alone sold more electric cars than Volkswagen last year.

But this time the Germans aimed a bit higher. The ID.7 is a large sedan, 4.96 meters long, 2.97 meters wheelbase, and 1.54 meters tall. This means it is even larger than the current Audi A6 (4.93 meters), surpasses the Mazda 6, the largest among executive cars (4.87 meters), and even more so the Tesla Model 3 (4.69 meters). Nevertheless, Volkswagen has already revealed that the new car will cost €60,000 in Germany, €1,000 less than the Performance version of the Model 3.

Beneath the colorful camouflage, you can see the familiar lines of the ID series. The mechanical base is the same platform already used by other Volkswagen models, with improvements in the propulsion system, energy management, and battery field. Thus, the ID.7 boasts a combined range of 700 km. Not the 700 km that Chinese manufacturers sometimes boast about according to a lenient local standard, but according to the stricter European WLTP standard. The same range boasted by the luxurious Mercedes EQS, with a much larger battery and a price almost four times higher than that of the new Volkswagen.

The driver's environment already includes the initial lessons from the existing Germans' electric vehicles. The small data screen that replaced the dashboard was canceled in favor of a smaller but clearer screen that displays basic data such as speed, enhanced by a top display on the windshield, which also shows navigation instructions. It also features an advanced augmented reality display with depth. It looks excellent on non-sunny days, although in Israel it will not always be readable.

In the multimedia screen size battle, Volkswagen raises the bar to a 15-inch size, something we have seen with Tesla and the Chinese. But despite adding lighting to the climate control buttons, Volkswagen also goes in Tesla's direction, so even the direction of the ventilation vents is controlled by touching the screen. At least it is possible to set predefined modes according to the driver and passengers' preferences.

There is also a new personal assistant, I.D.A., named after the ID, for voice control of the systems, and in any case, it is possible to change the name to that of your spouse. It can operate the climate control, open and close windows, and even tell a joke: Which four-legged animal can fly? The answer: Two birds. Germans have always excelled more in engineering than in humor.

And more importantly: I.D.A. also understands Hebrew, unlike most cars sold today in the country with voice operation, and Hebrew will be one of the constant languages in its multimedia system. A feature that will be available in all future Volkswagen models.

The luxury sedan's excellence can be seen throughout its features: an option for front massage seats, including the lower back area, not just the back, and a Harman Kardon stereo. The ample space is also evident, with the rear being just as spacious as the front, which sets it apart from other sedan cars. The cargo compartment is also huge.

During a short drive, one can be impressed by its high level of comfort and successful road isolation, one of the advantages of having a long wheelbase. On the other hand, this comes at the expense of maneuverability. With 285.5 horsepower and 210 kilowatts, the ID.7 was relatively agile on the winding road, precise, and not too prone to leaning in turns. The performance of the adaptive suspension control system was a bit rough, but it is worth noting that this was a prototype without the final software version.

And since software is now an additional source of potential cyber attacks, like our mobile phones, this is the first Volkswagen car that complies with the new European cyber regulations. The responsibility for this capability lies with the joint company of Germans and Israeli intelligence veterans, led by former organization head Yuval Diskin and former head of the technological division in the Israeli Security Agency, Zaphir Katz.

While sedan models in the rest of the car market are disappearing in favor of Japanese cars, it is precisely in the electric segment that they are thriving. And it is not just because of the status of Tesla Model 3, but also because of their aerodynamics. Their lower structure allows them to achieve a longer range with the same battery. Therefore, the ID.7 can also gain significant market share in Europe and here.

In Israel, the price of it is expected to start at just over 300,000 shekels. Manly for executives, few for electric sedan cars, a category whose prices start at over half a million shekels. The price of a Model 3 Performance with extras, a longer range than that of a Model S, comfortable, spacious, high-quality, and easier to operate. But it won't reach 0-100 in three seconds.

This is a call to wake up Elon Musk: Volkswagen is closing the technological gap and has already revealed the affordable electric car that will be launched in two years, the ID.2. Once the problem of chip supply and raw materials is solved, Tesla, whose sales rely on two models that are no longer new, the 3 and Y, will face a serious challenge from the wave of electric vehicles from Germany.

The writer was a guest of Volkswagen in Spain.