Volkswagen ID 7 long-term test: report 8

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 13,829 Price £51,550 Target price £51,550 Price as tested £56,080 Official range 381 miles Test range 316 miles

12 December 2024 – An area of low pressure

Driving can be a tiring business, but it’s tyres of the black and circular kind which have been front of mind with my Volkswagen ID 7 this month.

I find that those four chunks of rubber are rarely worthy of note until something goes slightly amiss. So it was a little surprising when the ID 7’s tyre pressure monitoring system bonged into life recently. Usually that’s no biggie, because I’d just dig the tyre inflator out of the boot, check the pressures, add a bit of air if needed, and head on my way.

Trouble is, the ID 7 doesn't have one, because the tyres have something called AirStop technology. This is a sludgy mass inside the tyre which is designed to plug any punctures – think of it as a more elegant alternative to tyre foam. As someone who detests tyre foam, the theory appeals enormously, although as I’ve not had a puncture, I can’t deliver my verdict.

Still, the tyres needed a check, so I borrowed an inflator from my other car and plugged it into the 12-volt socket in the boot. That’s fine for checking the rear tyres, but I couldn’t reach the front because the cable was too short, and VW has shunned in-car 12-volt sockets for USB-Cs. And that meant a three-minute drive in the other direction to use the inflator in my local petrol station forecourt. Not a horrendous situation when the pressures were a little low, but could be a different story if the tyre had pancaked.

Lesson learned: I now carry my own tyre inflator in the ID 7’s massive boot.

Since the temperature has dropped, I’ve also noticed how easy it is to spin the rear wheels when pulling out of side turnings. This happened on occasion earlier in the year, but in sub-5 degrees celcius temperatures, it’s more frequent. And I’m not talking about mashing the accelerator into the carpets, either: when it’s really cold, the tyres don’t feel particularly happy. 

I’ve noticed before how easy it is to spin the rear wheels when pulling out of a junction, especially when exiting gravel driveways, such is the ID 7’s thumping torque. But since the temperature has dropped, I’ve found that this is a regular occurrence on particular road surfaces. Swapping the standard-fit EV tyres for winter tyres may well be a sensible choice should the mercury drop further.

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