In association with Pod
Electric Car Awards 2025: Best electric estate car
With fully electric and plug-in hybrid cars now coming in all shapes and sizes, we’ve named the best new and used buys in every class. Here we look at the best electric estate cars...
Volkswagen ID 7 Tourer 77kWh Pro Match Plus
That the electric Volkswagen ID 7 is the spiritual successor to the combustion-engined VW Passat is emphasised by it being available in saloon and Tourer estate guises; the Passat has shed its saloon form to be available only as an estate. The ID 7 really has seized the Passat’s baton, and it’s running like the wind with it.
In fact, the pool of electric estates is more diverse than this time last year. The ID 7 Tourer competes with the Audi A6 Avant e-tron and BMW i5 Touring. But as with the Passat before it, the ID 7 knocks its rivals for six with its defining virtue: practicality.
At 605 litres, its boot is the biggest of any electric estate’s, eclipsing the i5 Touring (570 litres) and A6 e-tron Avant (502 litres), both of which are far more expensive. In more relatable terms, it’ll happily swallow a family of five’s holiday luggage or cope with a trip to Ikea.
And the punches keep on coming; the ID 7’s smart interior is also more spacious than its premium foes’. A party of five six-footers can travel together without feeling cramped, and the one sitting in the middle rear seat won’t complain that they’ve drawn the short straw; they’ll even find decent room for their feet.
Not only can the ID 7 carry a family and all its luggage, but it can also take them a long way. Our favourite version, the entry-level Pro Match Plus, comes with a 77kWh (usable capacity) battery, providing an official range of up to 372 miles. That’s farther than the i5 eDrive40 Touring promises. And because that rival has a bigger battery, the ID 7 is quicker to charge; a 10-80% boost takes as little as 28 minutes. If you need to go even farther, the Pro S Match’s 86kWh (usable) battery increases the range to 422 miles.
Both versions are powered by a 282bhp electric motor and can sprint to 62mph from a standstill in 6.6sec; that’s more than adequate for joining fast-flowing motorway traffic with ease. Sustain such speeds and the ID 7 is comfortable and quiet; you’ll hear very little noise from the electric motor, the wind or the road as it passes beneath you.
With the optional Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) adaptive suspension (part of the £1000 Exterior Pack Plus), the ID 7 Tourer is superb at ironing out even the worst road surfaces to deliver a calm ride.
Yes, the A6 and i5 are more fun to drive, but the ID 7 is by no means a dull steer. And when you factor in its lower price and greater practicality, it does just what you’d want of an estate.
Best used electric estate
MG 5 61kWh SE (2020-present)
Price from £7000
Few electric cars can match the MG 5’s combination of a big boot, a spacious interior, a competitive range and a low price. Post-2022 facelifted models look sharp, too.
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