Drew Dowdell

I need to hear more about the platform. I'm sure it is somewhere between Ford and GM, but I don't know towards which side it leans. GM built an entirely new platform that can be used in anything from small sedans to full-size Hummers and Escalades. Ford stuffed a huge battery pack in an existing vehicle. My guess is this Ram is something in between.... a bunch of batteries in an existing platform, but with an all new body.

I drove the EQS AMG (and took video) and it is a technological tour-de-force.... but as a car, it's kinda lame. My goal is to get both the written and video review out this month.

That's what the ID.4 is for. It covers the Golf and Jetta sized crowd with a single vehicle. That's mainly because except for its final years, the Passat could be had for cheap. You were unlikely to find them on dealers lots, but a base base base model was right there with the Altima on price at about $22k-$23k. So saying double of $22k is a pretty easy target to hit these days when median ICE prices are like $35k. I continue to believe that a secondary reason sedans are dying is that they just don't have the room inside that they use to. With 22 airbags, 47 speakers, 93 way power seats, 14 cupholders in a 4.5 passenger car, and a partridge in a pear tree, you end up with mediocre interior room for a vehicle the size of my Toronado. The ID.7 should feel like a Phaeton inside in terms of room (but unlikely in luxury materials). It's longer than a Passat and 2 inches shorter than a Model-S, but it has a shorter hood than a Model-S. It's going to have S P A C E.

Wearing digital camouflage, Volkswagen showcased its first entry at the Consumer Electronics Show in over six years with the ID.7. The fully electric sedan is built on the same MEB (Modular Electric Drive Matrix) platform as the ID.4. For the concept’s camouflage, Volkswagen used no less than 40 layers of conducting and insulating paint, allowing large “pixels” to light up. Twenty-two areas of the vehicle can be controlled separately. The visual effect can be tied to a sound system for visualization of rhythm or programmed with QR codes. The ID.7 matches the design language of the rest of the ID family with a minimalist aero front clip, a short front overhang, and a longer-than-typical wheelbase. Air intakes at the front guide air around the car to form an air curtain to reduce drag drastically. The interior is said to be much roomier than a similarly sized ICE vehicle, a trait shared by the ID.4. A new HVAC system can detect when the driver is approaching the vehicle and start heating or cooling the car before the driver gets in. “Smart Air Vents” move air dynamically to more efficiently control cabin climate. Manual control of the vents is available through the center screen or with voice commands. If the driver says, “Hello, Volkswagen, my hands are cold”, the system will activate the heated steering wheel and direct warm air toward the driver’s hands. The ID.7 rides on a 116.9 inch wheelbase with an overall length of 195 inches. For reference, that wheelbase is about half an inch shorter than a Volkswagen Atlas or 6 inches longer than a Passat. The Passat, at 193.6 inches long, was one of the roomiest vehicles in the mid-size segment. While full powertrain specs have not been released, Volkswagen says that on the European WLTP cycle, the ID.7 should have a range up to 700 km / 435 miles. The WLTP cycle is notably more generous than the EPA cycle, so expect the EPA estimated range to be lower. The ID.7 for the US market will likely be produced alongside the ID.4 in Chattanooga TN. Confirmed production for the European market will be at Volkswagen’s Emden plant. China will be a launch market as well. No set production or sale date has been announced. View full article