There’s now another addition to Volkswagen’s growing family of electric cars. The Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer is the estate version of the ID.7, with lots of luggage space and an impressive range when fitted with the largest available battery.

What am I looking for?

How much does the car’s range stack up while towing? Is the towing limit high enough for an electric tow car that carries a price tag well over the £50,000 mark?

Towing ability of the Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer Pro S Match 86kWh

The ID.7 Tourer has many of the attributes that we look for in a caravan tow car, but it’s hampered by a towing capacity of just 1000kg.

It’s a very heavy car, with a kerbweight of 2172kg. The VW is powerful, too, with 286hp and 402lb ft of torque. However, that measly towing limit rules out most tourers.

It will tow lightweight vans, such as the Wayfarer Duet that I borrowed from Freedom Caravans in Staffordshire for my test. This small caravan has a MiRO of 680kg and an MTPLM of 850kg.

The ID.7 Tourer’s towball
Fitting the ID.7 Tourer’s towball, which has a limit of 75kg, costs £1050

Unsurprisingly, the ID.7 towed the Freedom with ease. The VW pulls up to speed with no fuss or drama. It was simple to make the most of any overtaking opportunity, thanks to punchy acceleration, even while towing.

On the motorway, the ID.7 proved serene and stable. On exposed stretches of road or in the disturbed air around HGVs, car and caravan tracked straight and true.

When pulling away from junctions or making a hill start, the rear-wheel-drive ID.7 shows none of the wheelspin that can afflict front-wheel-drive electric cars. If you want an EV that copes well with farm campsites and really bad weather, you might want to consider the four-wheel-drive GTX 4Motion model, although this pushes the price up to over £62,000.

Perhaps the more compelling reason to spend the extra is the GTX’s greater towing capacity. This version will tow 1200kg, which gives you a wider choice of tourers when looking at matching the car to a caravan. That’s still a low maximum compared with a Hyundai Ioniq 5 (1600kg) or a Kia EV9 (2500kg), though.

As more caravanners consider switching to EVs over the next few years, VW badly needs more suitable towing capacities to keep pace with the competition.

Solo driving the Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer Pro S Match 86kWh

From day to day, the ID.7 Tourer is one of the best EVs I have driven, so long as you’re not after sporty handling. It wafts around in quiet and comfort.

That’s not to say that it isn’t quick – the 286hp model has a brisk 0-62mph time of just 6.7 seconds. But if you want a more agile or engaging electric car, you’ll probably prefer the BMW i4 or the Tesla Model 3.

Those vehicles can’t match the ID.7’s soft and supple ride. My test car came with the optional adaptive chassis, and in the ‘comfort’ setting, the VW’s suspension smoothed out all but the worst road surface imperfections.

The VW from the rear
Being long and low, the car requires a large parking space, but all-round sensors and cameras make it easy to manoeuvre

Sound-insulating glass was also fitted and made for a very quiet cabin at speed. It was easy to hold a conversation, even at motorway speeds.

Around town, the ID.7 is a real pleasure to drive. With no gearchanges to make, the VW glides through stop-start traffic. In ‘drive,’ the regenerative braking effect (which charges the battery while slowing) is quite mild. It’s rather more pronounced in ‘B’ mode.

Being long and low, the ID.7 Tourer requires a large parking space, but it comes with all-round sensors and cameras, so it’s not hard to manoeuvre.

Space and practicality in the Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer

At 4.96m, the VW ID.7 Tourer is longer than a VW Touareg. Volkswagen has put that size to good use in the roomy cabin, with acres of space whether you are in the front or the back.

The cockpit is dominated by the huge 15-inch touchscreen. Aside from sometimes registering a press as a swipe, it’s reasonably easy to use, with sharp graphics.

The cockpit of the VW
The spacious cockpit is dominated by the huge 15-inch touchscreen

With the seat on its lowest setting, the driver is very low to the floor, but there’s enough adjustment to both seat and wheel for people of most shapes and sizes to find a comfortable driving position.

The back is very nearly as comfortable as the front. There’s plenty of room to stretch out, and the wide cabin and flat floor mean three rear-seat passengers can travel without being too cramped. There are air vents between the front seats and a couple of USB-C charging ports for phones and tablets.

The boot with the rear seats down
Boot space is 605 litres with the rear seats up, 1948 litres with them folded

If you are planning to buy an estate tow car, electric or otherwise, luggage space is clearly going to be a priority. The ID.7 Tourer offers a long, wide load space, although it’s not especially tall. There’s room under the floor for storing the charging cables when they’re not needed.

Buying and owning

The Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer is pricey in this spec, costing £56,170, well over £6000 more than you’d pay for a top-spec Škoda Enyaq.

While expensive to buy, the Volkswagen should be affordable to run, so long as you recharge at home. On a specific EV tariff you could pay around 7p per kWh for electricity, meaning a full recharge of the 86kWh battery would cost £6 or so.

The charging sockets
The VW should be affordable to run, provided you can recharge it at home

Officially, the VW ID.7 Tourer is capable of 4.4 miles per kWh, which gives a range of 424 miles. In single-digit temperatures with many motorway miles, I saw 3.3 miles per kWh.

While towing the Freedom, that dropped to 1.9 miles per kWh, giving a range of 163 miles. Any further and you’ll need a recharge, with the practical difficulty that entails of keeping your caravan secure while you’re topping up the car battery, and having access to good caravan security accessories.

Alternatives to consider

The Volvo EX30 Twin Motor Performance Ultra is a small SUV that is pure electric, providing a great driving experience, although it’s better suited to couples due to rear seats that are a bit cramped.

You could also consider the Hyundai Ioniq 6 Ultimate 4WD – it’s a high powered 4×4 with a good spec that can tow with stability. However, like the Volvo, it will have the usual issues an EV will face.

Technical spec of the Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer

  • Model tested: Pro S Match 86kWh
  • Price: £56,170
  • Kerbweight: 2172kg
  • What Car? Target Price: £56,170
  • Retained value after three years: N/A
  • Kerbweight: 2172kg
  • 85% of kerbweight: Above max tow
  • Gross vehicle weight: 2630kg
  • Max towing limit: 1000kg
  • Gross train weight: 3630kg
  • Towball limit: 75kg
  • Price of towball: £1050
  • Boot size: 605-1948 litres
  • Payload: 458kg
  • Test conditions: Damp
  • Battery capacity: 86kWh
  • Power: 286hp
  • Torque: 402lb ft
  • Official combined range: 424 miles
  • Towing range: 163 miles
  • CO2 emissions: 0g/km
  • First year car tax: £10
  • Second year car tax: £605
  • Insurance group: 38E
  • Euro NCAP rating: 5/5

If you’re interested in a different type of car, take a look at what I had to say about the hybrid vs plug-in hybrid debate, as I consider which one offers the better towing experience.

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