Volkswagen ID 7 long-term test: report 6

The car Volkswagen ID 7 Pro Match Run by Stuart Milne, digital editor

Why it’s here SUVs are flavour of the month, but can a low-slung, sleek hatchback be the ideal family car?

Needs to be spacious, comfortable and brimming with the tech expected of a long-distance executive cruiser

Miles covered 11,928 Price £51,550 Target price £51,550 Price as tested £56,080 Official range 381 miles Test range 316 miles

5 November 2024 – Roll over Beethoven

“You know my temperature's risin’, and the jukebox blows a fuse,” sang Chuck Berry. And that’s summed up my recent experience with my Volkswagen ID 7.

You see, I've been getting warmer in my car while, like flocks of migratory birds, the country’s thermometers are heading south as we hurtle headlong towards winter.

It’s far from my favourite time of year because I’m often leaving home – and returning – in dank, cold weather. But in the ID 7 the temperature has been rising because it’s the first time I’ve really felt the effects of its optional heat pump. The gadget harvests heat generated by the battery and other components, allowing it to feed warm air into the car’s interior. Put simply, it works like a fridge in reverse.

In electric cars without a heat pump, you’ll need to use the energy-sapping air-conditioning system to keep warm in winter. Electric cars with a heat pump use much less power to do essentially the same thing. It doesn't do such a stellar job of clearing mist or condensation as the air-con, as is the way with a standard heater in a petrol or diesel car, but it’s plenty good enough and helps to maximise range.

It’s a surprisingly dry heat that’s emitted, and there’s a slightly musty whiff, not unlike a radiator that’s been turned on for the first time in six months. It warms up quickly, though, which is handy.

The heat pump is a £1050 option, and you're unlikely to recoup that cost through minimising your use of the expensive public charging network. But if it makes the difference between getting home or being stranded at the roadside during those occasional touch-and-go, low-charge moments, I suspect it’ll feel worth every penny.

Not that that’s ever been a particular concern, because during the few single-digit temperature moments this year, there hasn’t been a significant dent in the ID 7’s impressive range figures – irrespective of whether I’m using the heat pump or air-con.

So what's the heat pump worth to the range? Well, while it’s hard to judge the impact of mine so far, two ID 7s were included in our 2024 winter range test – one with a heat pump, the other without. The pump-equipped car managed 268 miles against an official figure of 381 miles. The other one travelled 254 miles against its official 383 miles.

Meanwhile, while the temperature was rising, the ID 7’s "jukebox" blew a fuse. Well, sort of: the infotainment touchscreen didn't boot up as expected. Last week, for example, the screen was blank, save for a faint glow that suggested a software glitch rather than anything hardware-related. I was unable to use any of the features, which was a problem because almost everything is operated through the touchscreen. 

Compounding this was general disobedience from the (usually useful) voice-control system. It kept trying to route me – unsuccessfully – through the BBC Sounds app when I just wanted to listen to the digital radio. Trying to command it to turn on the massaging seats to while away the grinding M25 resulted in an attempt to activate my home's smart lighting system; a very unexpected outcome.

To remedy this meltdown, I stopped, got out and locked the car, but it required a fuller restart, which only an overnight stop appeared to cure.

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