BACK when I was a lad the estate car was the ‘go to’ vehicle of choice for the family man who needed a car for all reasons.

And though seemingly a dying breed of transport for quite a few years since the advent of the SUV, there’s still a place for them on our roads.Volkswagen knows that, and their ID. 7 Tourer (the posh name for an estate) is up there among the more commodious.

The go-to in their range for nigh on five decades has been the Passat estate, an absolute legend of a vehicle, but now the baton has passed to the all-electric 4.9 metre long Tourer.

I mention the length because obviously there will be a bit of fore or aft overhang when you come to park the thing in a public car park, so the fitment of a big clear rear view camera and and a 360 view too is a bonus.
Refinement is this car’s priority and that comes across behind the wheel.   There’s a definite emphasis on good ride quality, smoothing out the poor road surfaces it will encounter, and the Tourer makes a good motorway cruiser.

Being electric, there’s more than enough impetus available under your right hoof for swift and safe overtaking when necessary. Wind and road noise are well subdued, and you can just about make out the faint rumble from the tyres.

Front seat occupants shouldn’t have a problem getting comfortable. The seats are well shaped and have plenty of adjustment, and going back as far as you can won’t affect those in the rear either, who have a good amount of legroom.The fit and finish is a vast improvement over earlier ID offerings, notably the quality upholstery and its uber smart interior. The main screen, at 15 inches, dominates the interior, and while the interface is much improved, for some previously simple tasks like adjusting the heating and ventilation you have to delve into the menu to find it. The screen has to be touched to alter the direction of the airflow from the dash vents (which don’t move) which can be a bit of a faff unless of course you sort it before you set off. Lesson learned.

Like the Passat, the Tourer is also a competent tow car should you need it to be. Its boost is vast and it’s a Caravan Club tow car awards class winners.

The range comes with three options – Pro, Pro S and GTX, and the battery is either 77kWh or 86kWh. Range anxiety should be a distant memory as the bigger battery has an official range of 424 miles.

It’s a quick charger, hitting 62mph in 6.7 seconds and it’s a quick charger – you can boost it to 80 per cent in 26 minutes with a 200kW rapid charge. Plenty of time for a comfort break. 

VW ID.7 Tourer Pro S

Price: £55,315 (£57,105 as tested)
Engine: 86kWh lithium-ion battery
Power: 282 bhp
Torque: 402 lb/ft
Transmission: direct drive single speed
Top speed: 112mph
0-62mph: 6.7 secs
Range: 422 miles
Consumption: 4.4miles kWh

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