Volkswagen ID.7 Electric Sedan Debuts with Trippy Light-Up Paint

Volkswagen’s next EV will be called ID.7, and today a camouflaged version debuted as part of CES 2023. Previewed by the ID.Aero concept, the VW ID.7 is a mid-size sedan that will be sold in America, likely as a 2024 model.While an undisguised ID.7 will be revealed in the coming months, the camoed car provides more details to chew on.

Volkswagen wants everyone to know its next electric model will be a mid-size sedan called the ID.7, which the company today revealed as part of CES 2023. What VW doesn’t yet want everyone to know is what it actually looks like, hence the light-up camouflage disguising the details of the car’s final design.

Despite its obscured appearance, we have a pretty good idea of what the VW ID.7 will look like based on the ID.Aero concept we saw last year. The two are one and the same, only now we know the sedan’s real name. Volkswagen says an unwrapped production version of the ID.7 will make its world debut in the next several months, but, for now, the camoed car previews more of what to expect.

First Look Inside

Unlike the Aero concept, the ID.7 gives us our first glimpse of the sedan’s interior. The dashboard has a simple layout, but it boasts a big 15.0-inch touchscreen. VW also appears dedicated to stripping its cars of physical switchgear, as the few visible controls are almost exclusively operated by touch. The sedan’s touch-centric interior will also be available with a head-up display with augmented reality.

For those who have fiddled with the digitally controlled air vents in Porsche models such as the Taycan and Panamera, Volkswagen adopts similar technology inside the ID.7. We haven’t been fans of the setup in the past, and we doubt this will change our minds. Still, VW says the HVAC controls will be accessible on the center touchscreen at all times. The “smart air vents” are also said to have extra skills, such as detecting when the driver is approaching and either heating or cooling the cabin.

Technicolor Paint Coat

Obviously, don’t expect this car’s intricate technicolor paint to make the final cut, but it’s cool, nonetheless. VW says it has at least 40 layers, with a mix of conductive and insulating layers among those. The paint is separated into 22 areas, and all but the top layer is electrified, creating illuminated sections that can even be synced up to music. The company also incorporated QR codes into the design, directing people who scan them to a VW website.

Still, even trippy electroluminescent paint can’t disguise the ID.7’s dimensions, which are said to be similar to the outgoing Volkswagen Passat. The ID.7 is essentially that car’s spiritual successor, and it represents VW’s first electric sedan. Along with a 116.9-inch wheelbase, it’s based on the same MEB platform that underpins the ID.4 SUV and ID.Buzz van.

Potential Powertrains and Battery Range

The ID.7 will likely be available with either a single rear-mounted electric motor or an all-wheel-drive setup with dual motors, but Volkswagen hasn’t yet released any powertrain details. Instead, the company estimates the ID.7 will provide up to 435 miles of range. That’s based on the more optimistic European WLTP cycle, though, so we think its EPA-rated range will be closer to 350 miles.

With the VW ID.7 set to make its official debut in the second quarter of this year, we think the U.S. version will likely be a 2024 model. We also expect to learn more about its powertrain and features as well as its price, which we think could start around the $35k mark.

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