Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer

FIRST DRIVE Large EV estate has the space that families and business drivers crave, but a big battery isn't always good news

- Max Adams

ELECTRIC estate cars such as the Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer are a growing breed, providing all the practicality of an SUV but in a more aerodynamic form that often benefits EV range.

The ID.7 is positioned above smaller electric wagons such as the Peugeot E-308 SW and Vauxhall Astra Electric Sports Tourer, and therefore provides a much bigger boot. The Volkswagen also delivers the long-range driving comfort of a BMW 15 Touring, but without that car's premium pricing. That doesn't mean the ID.7 Tourer is inexpensive, though; prices start at more than £52,000 for the 77kWh Pro, while the long-range 86kWh Pro S driven here comes in at more than £56k. The fourwheel-drive GTX, meanwhile, is nearly £63,000.

There's an extensive kit list, with every ID.7 Tourer featuring matrix LED headlights, 19-inch wheels, three-zone climate control, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 15-inch infotainment system and an augmented-reality head-up display.

Despite the Pro having the smallest 77kWh battery, its claimed 373 miles of range beats the 342-mile 15 Touring, while the Pro S and GTX use a 86kWh battery for a range of up to 424 miles.

We tried a Pro S in mild temperatures on fast A and B-roads, with some motorway driving, and averaged 3.3mi/kWh. This works out to around 284 miles of range, which is disappointing, but our car didn't have a heat pump (a £1,050 option), so its efficiency could have been better.