John Challen reports back on our new Volkswagen ID.7 long termer.

PRICE £51,495 BiK 2% RANGE 383 miles ON FLEET RANGE 350 miles EFFICIENCY 4.5mpkWh

First report:

It might seem like you can’t move for SUVs in the car market, but the options for those who favour a more ‘traditional’ style of vehicle, with an electric powertrain, are growing. Step forward the Volkswagen ID.7 – crudely referred to by some as an electric Passat or, alternatively, “the most advanced, capacious and luxurious member of the ID. family yet offered by Volkswagen in the UK”. Not my words [Carol], the words of Volkswagen UK!

Like a lot of drivers, I’ve had a love/hate relationship with the controls in Volkswagens but, having driven the ID.7 on the UK launch, I knew that the latest model had undergone a lot of changes, based on some of the feedback the company had received from disgruntled drivers. The main gripe with the first ID.3s (including me) was the lack of physical buttons and common sense with the controls. In the larger ID. model this has been rectified with an interface that is easier to use (more on that over the coming months).

Like many models in this sector, there are plenty of bells and whistles. That means heated seats with massage functionality, heated steering wheel, loads of USB-C ports, a 15-inch infotainment screen, head-up display and much, much more.

The only option on our ID.7 is a heat pump (a £1,050 option); the paint – ‘Grenadilla Black metallic’ – is a no-cost option. There’s also an assistant that, on first impressions, is a little bit over-zealous and tends to butt in when not required, but I’m sure will prove useful at some point over the next six months or so.

On the road, much like the BMW i5 that it replaces, the ID.7 is hugely impressive. Road and tyre noise is limited, performance is good (the zero to 62mph is a more than adequate 6.5 seconds) and it rides and handles well for a car that tips the scales at 2,630kg.

One quirk that took a little bit of getting used to was the gear selector mounted on the steering wheel column – but actually it’s very convenient and probably the type of thing that I’ll miss when stepping into another long-termer.

One final thing to add at this stage is the interior space, which is really impressive. With a recently turned 20-year-old Challen Jnr and two others that are growing up fast, the more rear head and legroom, the better – and, thankfully, the ID.7 offers it in spades.