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Does The Volkswagen ID.7 Foreshadow GM Future Electric Sedan Design?

Volkswagen unveiled the 2025 Volkswagen ID.7 on April 21st, showing off the German automaker’s latest all-electric midsize sedan. Although General Motors does not currently have a direct competitor, several new EV sedan models bearing the Chevy and Cadillac brands are on the way. However, it bears to reason that the new 2025 Volkswagen ID.7 may actually foreshadow GM’s future electric sedan design.

The front end of the 2025 Volkswagen ID.7.

2025 Volkswagen ID.7

Let us explain. As is the case with many all-electric vehicles, the Volkswagen ID.7 rides on a skateboard-type platform. This sort of structure allows for a flat cabin floor, however, larger vehicles tend to require larger battery packs. In addition, the platform can’t be set too low, and vehicles based on a skateboard platform either have a higher ride height, or a higher h-point (or “hip point,” which is the height at which a passenger’s hips are placed when seated inside the vehicle).

Apply all this to an all-electric sedan, and what we end up with is a design with a high belt line and a higher seating position than a conventional internal-combustion passenger car. Additionally, many all-electric sedans tend to have a low slung roofline so that the vehicle does not look too much like a crossover.

2025 Volkswagen ID.7

So how does this apply to General Motors? Well, The General previously announced that the Chevy and Cadillac brands would introduce “low-roof entries” based on GM Ultium battery and GM Ultium Drive motor technologies. As such, we have to ask – will the design of these new vehicles resemble that of the new Volkswagen ID.7?

The design may very well incorporate a higher seating position than the current GM sedan lineup, including the Chevy Malibu, Cadillac CT4, and Cadillac CT5. A rear liftback that optimizes cargo space may also be a part of the design, similar to what’s seen on the Buick Regal Sportback, resulting in somewhat unconventional proportions compared to the traditional three-box sedan layout. There’s some precedent for this as well, most notably with the Chevy FNR-XE concept recently unveiled in China.

Chevy FNR-XE concept

Naturally, GM Authority will be there every step of the way to cover General Motors’ transition to all-electric vehicles, including design and styling language updates. In the meantime, make sure to subscribe to GM Authority for more GM competition news, GM electric vehicle news, GM technology news, and around-the-clock GM news coverage.

Jonathan is an automotive journalist based out of Southern California. He loves anything and everything on four wheels.

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Comments

  1. The Camaro is begging to be electrified. It would increase the performance in an AWD package. Bonus points if they find a way to offer it with a manual transmission.

    Reply
    1. You obviously have not listened to what the Camaro is actually begging for.

      PLUS, the ID.7 is not attractive in the least, due to its awkward proportions and genericar details. If GMAuthority believes the ID.7 is a car that gm should mimic then I feel sorry for them. God awful.

      Reply
    2. I will never buy a GM vehicle again if the Camaro goes EV or 4 doors.

      Reply
  2. I am holding out hope for an electric replacement for my CT5-V. Cadillac needs at least one sedan/low-roof entry outside of Celestiq. I have no real desire to step up to a crossover like Lyriq or the pending compact crossover below Lyriq. Cadillac needs one sedan to carry on the last 15-20 years of performance noteworthiness that it has developed with CTS/CT5.

    Reply
    1. To wish for an EV “replacement” for the CT5-V is to wish for all of the joy to be drained from it.

      Reply
      1. I agree that nothing will directly replace the mechanical attributes of the current CT5-V, but something is better than nothing. GM is holding stern that Cadillac is going all electric. We have seen some exciting electric performance options so far from Lucid and the Porsche Taycan. Cadillac has an opportunity to join the mix.

        Reply
      2. Spoken like someone who’s never driven an EV.

        Reply
      3. ocnblu: You have obviously not driven a good EV.

        Reply
        1. I just drove an Ioniq 5 yesterday. Very odd and unsatisfying. And it is supposed to be one of the better golf carts out there. This old trope that “people who abhor EV have not driven them” is really getting old. EV are sterile. So predictable.

          Reply
          1. Ok, I have not driven that exact car, but I own a 2023 Bolt EV and it’s fantastic. I’ve driven older EV’s (actually owned a 2015). I work at a Volvo store and have driven every EV and PHEV they offer. All fast and fun to drive. I’ve been in numerous other EV’s and never felt they are bad in any way.

            So please share with others what it is that makes it so “odd and unsatisfying” to drive? Do you not like it because it doesn’t have an engine that roars as you drive off? What is it, because you certainly are not in the majority. Sounds to me like you are just one of the anti-EV people and that’s ok. Just say you are and move on. You still have plenty of ICE you can buy for many years yet.

            Reply
    2. Why? EVs are soulless, gutless, funless transportation. What you want is a big v8 blasting every little woke car out of the way. A car that sounds like something a MAN would drive not somebody who is ashamed of their masculinity.

      Reply
      1. iROC Z: You sound like a 17 year old with pimples being mouthy just to try and impress the girls. I could leave my Bolt EV in non-sport mode and still outperform some V8’s on the road today. Put in sport mode and I’d outperform most V8’s on the road today. And that’s in my lowly little Bolt. You’d get your behind handed to you with nearly any other EV’s sold today. You comment only reinforces what I said above.

        Reply
        1. Newsflash: they weren’t racing.

          Reply
  3. In my opinion, one of the reasons for the popularity of SUVs is the “Chair Height” seating position. The seating position in Sedans has become too low for many people especially Baby Boomers. Developing a sedan with a higher H point may be exactly what is needed to bring the Sedan back. A sedan with Chair Height seating would also provide easier ingress and egress,

    Reply
    1. And ease of entry and exit. It can be hard for older people to get into or out of a low slung vehicle.

      Reply
    2. Frank R: I have no idea how old you may be, but the H-point on cars in the 30’s-60’s was actually much higher than most sedan models of today. In fact, if you look at some of those cars going way back, they may have had a higher H-point than a Chevy Blazer of today. We can thank the people who insisted on having the way more sporty cars (such as the Car Magazine editors, import lovers, etc) for the too low sitting position we have today and thus the migration to SUV/CUV’s. Personally, I very much welcome a higher sitting car and the new Buick Envista seems to hit that mark well but in a hatch form.

      I fondly recall the late 80’s when I first started selling cars at a Buick, Cadillac, GMC and Honda store. Not often, but once in a while we would trade in a Jaguar or some other more exotic import brand. It was amazing how low they sat (you actually sat down into the car) compared to the GM models. But then GM started going after the import buyers and the seating position went lower.

      Reply
      1. Asian cars are too small for the average sized person.

        Reply
    3. Unfortunately, you are probably correct. Another issue that killed the sedan was the 4 door coupe with poor viability & guarenteed concussion. Camry avoided this and that higher roof line helped Toyota get further ahead of Honda.
      I love a sedan with a low seating position. Had to rent a lot of vehicles & only Benz, Audi and junk Chrysler 200 were low enough for me. Most drivers, however, like being elevated for viability.
      Automakers wanted to kill the sedan for higher CUV/SUV transaction prices. Idiots fell for it!

      Reply
      1. SteveInvictaInsignia: You got that right. I can’t even tell you how many times I crash my head into the upper door frame while (trying) to get into the Mazda 3, Mazda 6 and so many more. Even my 2020 Cadillac CT4 was tough at times. However, I can easily get in/out of my 1986 or 1988 Cadillac’s (Seville and Cimarron) without any issues.

        Anyhow, a higher sitting sedan/hatch such as the Envista or what they are talking about here would be perfect.

        Reply
  4. Frank, check out the all new Toyota Crown sedan (replaces the Avalon). The Crown sedan with all designed in, sits higher, easy to get into & good headroom. chassis designed to work with a gas engine, hybrid & EV transition. Test drove one recently, very impressed! good leg room & headroom. very aero dynamic, sporty shape, very elegant rear style with full width taillights reminded me of 2 & 4 door Buicks of the past.

    Reply
    1. Nobody here wants Jap crap.

      Reply
  5. I fully welcome this. I do like the looks of the VW here, but not a fan of the dash/screen. I really like the looks of this Chevy (blue car) above even more than the VW. I am super excited about these and hopeful it will spill over into Buick. I would like a higher sitting sedan/hatch car in EV.

    Reply
  6. I am not a SUV fan and hopefully GM will come up with some very cool EV cars. With that said you need to buy your Cadi Blackwing before they go away. Nothing sounds like a V8!

    Reply

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