Volkswagen ID.7 Sedan Takes Moose Test, ESC Intervenes Like Crazy

Tipping the scales at 2,172 kilograms (4,788 pounds), which is quite a bit more than the B8-generation Passat GTE and the B9-generation Passat 1.5 TSI eHybrid, this fellow is fitted with Pirelli Cinturato P7 Elect rubber. The Elect on the sidewall obviously refers to electric applications, with the Italian manufacturer promising slightly lower rolling resistance and noise reduction.

Said tires measure 235/45 by 20 inches up front and 255/40 by 20 inches for the rears, therefore resulting in larger contact patches than Volkswagen's latest plug-in hybrid Passat offers at every corner. The Spanish publication is called km77 because 77 kilometers per hour (48 miles per hour) in the moose test is the benchmark.

How did the ID.7 Pro fare? With test driver Pablo David Gonzalez behind the wheel, it managed a best of 74 kilometers per hour (46 miles per hour) on entry and 50 clicks on exit, which is – unfortunately – not good enough. Raising the speed to 76 resulted in a hit cone, whereas 77 resulted in way too much ESC intervention.

Even so, Gonzales and company did not complain about the dynamic reactions of the ID.7 Pro in five-door liftback form. The zero-emission successor of the sedan-bodied Passat fared much better in the slalom test, where it matched the 23.8 seconds posted by the Mercedes-AMG SL 63.

Indeed, the 4MATIC+ model that also weighs more than one would expect a sporty roadster would. That's 1,970 kilograms (4,343 pounds) in European specification, which is quite a bit more compared to the equivalent R231-gen SL 63.

The 23.8-second time of the ID.7 Pro further means that it's better than BMW's i5 eDrive40 (23.9 seconds), although not as good as the BMW M340d xDrive Touring (23.7 seconds). However, the yardstick is the pre-facelift Porsche Taycan GTS from 2022, which clocked 21.5 seconds.

Based on the MEB platform of the ID.4 crossover, the ID.7 sedan was joined by an estate-bodied sibling in February 2024. Dubbed ID.7 Tourer, the roomier model features the very same wheelbase and length as the sedan. All-wheel drive is available only if you're prepared to pony up top euro for the ID.7 GTX Tourer, which adds a front-mounted electric motor for all-wheel drive and 340 metric ponies versus 286 for the ID.7 Pro. That's 335 and 282 mechanical ponies.

Originally intended to launch in the United States and Canada this year, the ID.7 has been delayed over "market dynamics" that "continue to change." Reading between the lines, Volkswagen Group of America doesn't want the ID.7 to hinder the ID. Buzz minivan in this increasingly tough EV market, which is hampered by dwindling demand.