CES 2023: Volkswagen Unveils ID.7 Electric Sedan in Camouflaged Form
Today at the Consumer Electronics Show 2023 in Las Vegas, Volkswagen unveiled a camouflaged version of a new electric vehicle that is soon to join its model lineup. The ID.7 is VW’s first all-electric sedan and the production version of the ID. Aero concept the automaker revealed in June 2022. The four-door sedan shares its basic underpinnings with the ID.4 electric compact SUV. Both vehicles use the same EV-oriented architecture, as does the retro-styled ID. Buzz van that’s also slated to go on sale in the not-too-distant future.
Related: Volkswagen’s ID. Aero Concept Identified as VW’s First Electric Sedan
The ID.7 show car wears a novel electroluminescent camouflage treatment inspired by QR codes. The one-off finish includes 40 layers of paint and electrified sections that can interactively light up the car’s body and even pulse to a beat when connected to a sound system. A camouflaged show car isn’t a “full” reveal, so Volkswagen was relatively mum on ID.7 specifics; the world premiere of the production version is scheduled for the second quarter of 2023. Even through the cheeky camo, however, it’s clear that the ID.7 sticks pretty closely to the design language of its ID.4 sibling. We had the chance to briefly examine the exterior during a “sneak peek” event in advance of CES and noted its aerodynamic body shape, flush-mount door handles and air intakes at the outer edges of the front fascia. VW says these air intakes guide air flowing down the sides of the car and estimates the ID.7 has an impressive drag coefficient of around 0.23.
The ID.7’s overall length of approximately 195 inches puts it in the mid-size sedan category, but its 116.9-inch wheelbase is notably longer than the typical mid-size sedan’s (and, for that matter, the ID.4’s 108.9-inch wheelbase). This should help give the ID.7 a spacious interior relative to its overall size.
VW also estimates the ID.7 is capable of a driving range of about 435 miles based on European testing procedures, which is around 385 miles by EPA standards. No info on the ID.7’s powertrains has been released, but it’s a safe bet they’ll be similar to the ID.4’s: a 77-kilowatt-hour battery pack paired with rear-wheel drive and a single 201-horsepower electric motor or, if VW chooses to offer it, a dual-motor all-wheel-drive version with 295 hp.
We noted what looked to be a fixed-glass panoramic moonroof and a rear hatchback layout on the ID.7 show vehicle, but we weren’t able to examine the cabin in person. Volkswagen says a 15-inch touchscreen is standard, as is an augmented reality head-up display and illuminated touch sliders for setting the temperature of the climate controls. Hopefully, the ID.7 will improve upon the irritating touch-sensitive controls and laggy touchscreen interface that frustrated us in our tests of the ID.4.
The ID.7’s climate controls can begin cooling the vehicle when it detects the driver’s key fob approaching, and motorized “smart” air vents can be customized to suit occupant preferences or dynamically react to climatic conditions like the position of the sun, automatically adjusting the temperature setting and position of the air vents accordingly. The ID.7’s voice-command system is also paired to the climate controls; saying, “Hey Volkswagen, my hands are cold” will turn on the heated steering wheel and direct warm air from the vents at the driver’s hands on the wheel.
A VW representative told us that the ID.7’s model year hadn’t yet been determined, but the car is slated to go on sale in 2024 – probably shortly after the ID. Buzz hits dealerships. Stay tuned for more details as we get closer to the ID.7’s official reveal.
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