On April 5th, Volkswagen reported that its car sales in the United States increased by over 4% YoY to 67,853 vehicles in the first quarter of 2023. Meanwhile, the company’s sales of pure electric vehicles (EVs) surged to a historic high.
In the first quarter, Volkswagen sold 9,758 units of ID.4 in the US, a 254% YoY increase. This was also slightly higher than Q4 2022 (9,439) and significantly more than Ford Mustang Mach-E (5,407).
In addition, Volkswagen announced that testing of the new Volkswagen ID.7 is nearing completion and will have its global debut on Monday, April 17th, local time.
As the flagship model of the future ID. family, this successor to the Passat is the sixth model in the ID family and the second global model based on the MEB platform by Volkswagen. It is mainly aimed at sales in North America, Europe, and China, with the European version to be produced in the Emden factory in Germany.
It is said that the car has a WLTP range of up to 700 kilometers and is equipped with a newly developed electric drive system, which significantly improves the efficiency and power of the new vehicle. In addition, it also features environmentally friendly materials, seat massage, a 15-inch central control screen, ambient lighting, Harman Kardon sound system, and other configurations.
It is worth mentioning that Volkswagen has also released the interior design of this model.
As can be seen from the picture, its cockpit has been completely redesigned. The small LCD instrument panel integrated on the steering column of the ID series and the electronic shift mechanism integrated on one side have been re-differentiated into a smaller LCD screen inside the dashboard and an electronic shifter on the right rear behind the steering wheel, and the driver will receive other important information through the AR-HUD head-up display.
Volkswagen stated that the information and entertainment system display screen in the ID.7 is standard and has been further expanded to 15 inches. Its operating concept has been fundamentally redesigned, while the touch strip below the central control screen still controls the air conditioning temperature and volume.
From the exposed images, we can see that Volkswagen has comprehensively updated its in-car system, offering a promising improvement in software experience. It is worth mentioning that the in-car system can monitor the ambient temperature in real-time, and can pre-activate the air conditioning heating/cooling when the driver approaches the vehicle with the key.
It is worth mentioning that Volkswagen has developed a new generation of driver and passenger seats. Depending on the model, these new seats can provide users with up to 14 electric adjustment options. In addition to the adaptive Climatronic seats, they have also introduced a new massage function.
In addition to personal settings, the driver and front passenger can also choose to activate the automatic mode of the seat air conditioning; here, temperature and humidity sensors on the seats detect cooling and/or heating needs and control the temperature and humidity in the cabin accordingly.
The driver and front passenger can choose the ergoActive advanced seats. Volkswagen claims that in the ID.7 segment, the new seats bring the high standards that were previously only enjoyed by luxury models.
The length, width, and height of this car are 4940/1860/1530mm respectively, with a wheelbase of 2970mm and a trunk capacity of 530L. It is equipped with 255/40 R20 Pirelli tires on low resistance wheels, and the body’s drag coefficient is only 0.228.
In terms of power, the version tested by foreign media is equipped with a rear-mounted single motor with a peak output of up to 207 kW and 544 N·m, paired with an 82 kWh ternary lithium battery (available capacity of 77 kWh), with a WLTP pure electric range of 483km. It takes 7.5 hours to fully charge with slow charging and 30 minutes to charge up to 80% with fast charging.
According to Volkswagen’s official introduction, this car uses their newly developed electric motor (code-named APP550). It is the model with the highest power and torque among the motors used in the ID series models, and its powertrain is developed and produced by Volkswagen Group Components located in Kassel.
The new car’s electric drive system has first been optimized in terms of energy consumption: the WLTP range is expected to reach 700 kilometers depending on the battery size, and the charging power can reach 200 kW. Therefore, the ID.7 is more suitable for long-distance travel, especially for frequent drivers.
The optional Adaptive Chassis Control (DCC) and Driving Dynamics Manager for long-distance luxury sedans have been fundamentally enhanced, further ensuring precise driving behavior and stability.
Source：IThome
