Volkswagen ID.7 – design
High-tech lighting is a neat party trick, but awkward proportions and a heavily aero-led design don’t help mask its dimensions
Design certainly isn’t the ID.7’s strong point, with its eco-centric, low drag design making it difficult for Volkswagen’s designers to minimise its visual mass. As a result, it looks just as big as it really is and appears surprisingly tall from some angles – at a distance, it’s easy to mistake the ID.7 for a full-sized SUV. Up-close the ID.7 is typically Volkswagen, with full-width lightbars at the front and rear, optional illuminated front and rear badges, and the same non-descript design language featured throughout the rest of the ID range.
Though we’re not a fan of illuminated badges, the lighting elements do feel premium with their high-tech welcome and goodbye animations. The IQ matrix headlights are also great for night driving, projecting a box around leading cars to prevent dazzling and maintain maximum visibility.
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Opt for a Pro Match or Pro S Match and the standard 19-inch ‘Hudson’ wheels look a tad lost, but chunky 50-profile tyres do provide a welcome benefit to ride comfort – larger 20-inch ‘Montreal’ wheels can be fitted for £480. The GTX range-topper comes with new front and rear bumpers for a subtle bump in aggression, alongside 20-inch ‘Skagen’ wheels as standard – larger 21-inch ‘Mataro’ wheels are also on the options list, and can be fitted for £620.
