Enhanced augmented reality head-up display. The new ID.7 Tourer and the ID.7 fastback saloon are the only vehicles in their class to have an augmented reality head-up display on board as standard. This projects any information relevant to the journey into the driver’s field of vision, so their eyes can be kept on the road. At the same time, the AR head-up display changes the cockpit architecture because the classic instruments have become a lot smaller as a redundant information level. As a result, the driver’s eyes are focused on the AR head-up display and on what is happening on the road. With the ID.7 Tourer, Volkswagen is introducing the biggest update so far for the AR head-up display and is implementing one of the most frequently stated customer wishes: the active navigation of a mobile phone connected via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto is now integrated into the augmented reality route display. In addition, the appearance of the AR functions has been significantly upgraded. These include new and optimised animations as well as the welcome with the Volkswagen logo when the head-up display is started up.
MIB4, IDA and ChatGPT. Volkswagen has also redesigned the hardware and software of the standard-equipment infotainment system (MIB4), which now has visually free-standing touchscreen measuring 38 cm (15 inches) across the diagonal. The interaction between the driver and the ID.7 is further enhanced by the IDA voice assistant. Within the system limits, this not only enables control of many vehicle functions, but also answers specific questions on all conceivable subjects by accessing online databases such as Wikipedia and features ChatGPT integration (artificial intelligence,AI) for the first time. Also new on board is the optional Wellness In-Car-App.
Premium comfort. Thanks to additional innovative features – including automatically controlled air vents with electronic actuators, optional ergoActive seats5 with functions such as pressure point massage and (in the top-of-the-range seat5) automatic air conditioning – both ID.7 models offer a level of comfort equivalent to the premium class. Another innovation on board is the optionally available panoramic roof5 with smart glass; the glass layers in the sunroof can be electronically switched between opaque and clear – either using a slider in the roof or with the IDA voice assistant.
IDA voice assistant in detail. With the help of the new IDA voice assistant, it is now even easier to operate many vehicle functions using natural speech. New functions include adjustment of the driving profiles or background lighting, for example. Also new is access to cloud-based information. The latter includes, for example, the weather, flight status of commercial airlines, current status of sports events or the news. In addition, questions on all kinds of topics imaginable can be asked thanks to the online integration of Wikipedia. In general, it is enough to use natural sentences such as “What is the latest news?”. Another new feature is that spoken commands are visualised on the infotainment system screen. The integration of ChatGPT in the voice assistant is another innovation.
ChatGPT in detail. In future, drivers and passengers of all new ID. models and the new Tiguan and Passat can use the voice assistant to access the database of artificial intelligence offered by ChatGPT in order to have researched content read out while driving. The integration of ChatGPT offers a host of new possibilities. Nothing changes for the person at the wheel during use – there is no need to create a new account or install a new app. The voice assistant is activated with ‘Hello IDA’ and the request is forwarded to the AI in anonymised form only if the previous systems are unable to provide an answer. ChatGPT does not have any access to the vehicle data. Questions and answers are also deleted immediately in order to ensure the best possible data protection.
Wellness In-Car-App in detail. The Wellness In-Car-App is generally new in the ID.7 range. This allows various vehicle functions to be adjusted via preconfigured programmes to enhance well-being during the journey or breaks. Depending on the vehicle equipment, the app does this using features such as the background lighting, sound, air conditioning, the panoramic sunroof with smart glass as well as seat air conditioning and seat massage function. Sound composers have specifically developed acoustic sound tapestries for the Wellness In-Car-App. The new in-car app is launched using the infotainment system. The following three wellness modes are planned: Fresh Up, Calm Down and Power Break. An example: with just one click, Fresh Up activates a stimulating sound, refreshing air conditioning (by means of the automatic air conditioner and seat ventilation), an invigorating back massage and blue and turquoise zones of the background lighting, which therefore also has a fresh colour appearance; the illuminated trims in the dash panel and door panels and the narrow light strips arranged underneath change from blue to turquoise and vice versa at calm intervals. A blue light animation runs in parallel in the ID. Light below the windscreen. If wished, the mode can be customised according to individual preferences: the current radio station or a Spotify playlist can be used instead of the pre-programmed sound, for example. It is also possible to switch the seat massage and seat air conditioning on and off at any time. If the Volkswagen is stationary, the infotainment system screen also shows animations to complement the mood. Fresh Up and Calm Down are automatically deactivated after 10 minutes, Power Break after 20 minutes. The Wellness In-Car-App is part of the optionally available Interior Package and Interior Plus Package. It is also planned that it can be activated later on as optional equipment by means of an upgrade.
Fast charging on the go. During journeys, an innovative charging and thermal management function makes sure the battery is pre-conditioned ahead of the next DC charging stop. Thanks to this pre-conditioning, the ID.7 Tourer and ID.7 fastback saloon are supplied with new energy again as quickly as possible, especially on long journeys with one or more charging stops. Where possible, the battery will be heated to the ideal temperature before the charging stop so it can be charged at high power. This enables the charging time to be reduced by several minutes, particularly in winter. When route guidance by the navigation system with the Electric Vehicle Route Planner is active, pre-conditioning is started automatically on the way to the next quick-charging station. Without active route guidance, the function can also be manually activated using the charging menu in the infotainment system.