There are not yet many electric estate cars on the market. For example, the Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer Electric (from £29,170) is offered at the lower end, while the Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo (from £87,300) is at the upper end. The new BMW i5 Touring and the VW ID.7 Tourer belong in the happy middle. We compare the two models.

As a 5 Series derivative, the BMW clearly belongs in the upper middle class, and VW also places the ID.7 in this category. At least in terms of size, that's where it belongs: At 4.96 metres, the VW ID.7 Tourer is only 10 cm shorter than the BMW i5 Touring. The boot volume is on the same level: the VW offers 605 to 1,714 litres, while the BMW offers 570 to 1,700 litres. However, the towing capacity (braked, 12 per cent) of 1,500 kilos for the BMW is noticeably higher than that of the VW (1,000 kg).

BMW i5 eDrive40 Touring

VW ID.7 Tourer

So far, only the 286 PS rear-wheel drive is available for the VW ID.7 Touring. The BMW base model with 340 PS rear-wheel drive is a good match. Here is a comparison of the data (as always, significantly better values are in bold):

The better driving performance of the BMW is offset by the lower power consumption and longer range of the VW. In terms of fast-charging behaviour, both are on the same level if you take the DC charging speed in kWh per minute calculated by us as a benchmark. In terms of data, we would clearly favour the VW, as it is almost £18,000 cheaper.

The display equipment is comparable in both cars. The BMW has a 12.3-inch instrument display and a 14.9-inch touchscreen, which together form the Curved Display. The VW has a 15-inch touchscreen; in addition, there is only a small instrument display, but a standard head-up display.  

But perhaps the BMW is otherwise better equipped? As both vehicles are already configurable, we can also compare them here. Both cars have 19-inch aluminium wheels and LED headlights as well as dual-zone automatic air conditioning and heated seats as standard. Otherwise, however, there are clear differences.

The BMW also offers rear air suspension with load compensation, "automatic tailgate operation" (presumably electric and sensor-controlled), adaptive lighting (i.e. bend lighting, motorway lighting, etc.), a heat pump, a navigation system and a reversing camera as well as 40:20:40 split-folding rear seat backrests.

Optional packages include "Comfort Access" (automatic unlocking when approaching with the key or mobile phone in your pocket) and the "Travel & Comfort System" (holder for smartphone or coat hanger and folding table on the front seat backrests). An innovation package is also available. It primarily includes a head-up display and Parking Assistant Plus (parking assistant, surround view system and emergency parking brake system). There are also individual extras such as steering wheel heating, 22 kW on-board charger, glass roof and trailer coupling.

BMW boot (rear seat split 40:20:40)

VW boot (rear seat split 40:60)

Automatic high beam, a keyless entry system, a reversing camera, roof rails and a luggage compartment partition net are all standard VW features. The standard assistance systems include ACC adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, traffic sign recognition, parking beeper and more. The steering wheel heating and sat nav can be activated retrospectively via an OTA update, although the costs are not shown in the configurator. The rear seat backrests can only be folded down in a 40:60 ratio, i.e. not in three parts as in the BMW.

Optional extras include a heat pump, adaptive dampers (DCC) and trailer coupling. A sat nav is offered as part of the comfort package. Overall, the equipment of the BMW appears to be significantly more extensive. But for the £18,000 price difference, you can order a lot of extras from VW. 

The bottom line

The basic eDrive40 version of the BMW i5 Tourer is easily comparable with the VW ID.7 Pro Tourer. There are no major differences in terms of driving performance, range and charging speed. The dimensions and boot space are also similar.

Why should you pay £18,000 more for the BMW? Well, the BMW has more equipment and, with its rear air suspension and 22 kW on-board charger, offers elements that are not available for the VW. The maximum towing capacity is also higher. Does this justify the price difference of £18,000? Not for us, but that depends on your personal requirements.