Volkswagen ID.7 Is a Tech-Focused, High-Range Sedan Ready to Compete With Tesla
NEW YORK CITY—Volkswagen today debuted the electric ID.7 sedan, which is set to hit dealers in China and Europe in autumn 2023 followed by North America in 2024.
This is Volkswagen's second EV for the American market after the ID.4 SUV, which is so popular that VW is no longer taking reservations for 2023. The ID.7 has a larger dash screen than the ID.4, at 15 versus 12 inches.
The Tesla Model 3 dash is also 15 inches, but we found it to be non-intuitive, requiring many taps to perform basic functions. Volkswagen prioritized a simplicity on the ID.7 that button-loving drivers should appreciate.
”The graphic interface and menu navigation have been largely restructured," Volkswagen says. "The goal here was to make operation of all functions as intuitive and customizable as possible."
The screen offers quick access to the menu, voice controls, and ability to "configure the home screen to adapt the content of the tiles as well as the layout and number of pages." In other words, it can be as cluttered or bare-bones as you'd like.
One of our favorite tricks on the dash screen is the ability to adjust the airflow between vents by dragging your finger on the screen. In the image below, see the blue streak on the left. That visualizes the airflow, which passengers can drag to point and the vents automatically adjust.
The ID.7 boasts another techie feature Tesla has thus far made the curious choice to forego: a head-up display to project speed, turn-by-turn navigation arrows, vehicle warnings, and other key information on the windshield.
"Drivers can also look forward to a new cockpit philosophy: the ID.7 will be the first Volkswagen in the world that comes with a standard augmented reality head-up display," Volkswagen says.
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