The ongoing Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has evolved throughout the years to include cars as well. After all, tech is so deeply ingrained in cars nowadays, these things have essentially transformed into smartphones with four wheels. As such, Volkswagen has chosen CES as a venue to unveil their new Tesla Model 3-rivaling ID.7 electric sedan, the latest entrant into VW's growing, electric ID lineup. And with some details and photos revealed, the ID.7 could give the Model 3 a run for its money.

Related: Volkswagen's Electrification Push Is Proving To Be An Uphill Battle

Bigger But Priced Similarly To Model 3

Front three-quarter view of the Volkswagen ID.7
Volkswagen

If the Volkswagen ID.7 looks familiar, that's because it's essentially the production version of the ID. Aero Concept that was unveiled earlier in 2022. The sleek sedan rides on the familiar MEB architecture, which has now been designated MEB+ for the ID.7's application due to the platform's longer range and faster charge times. The sedan has been revealed to have a class-leading 116.9-inch wheelbase, which is 3.7 inches longer than the Tesla Model 3 and 0.8 inches longer than the Hyundai Ioniq 6. While the ID.7 is bigger than those two aforementioned sedans, the ID.7 will compete price-wise with those two models when it hits showrooms this year.

Design-wise, the production ID.7 is still being hidden under a wrap of camouflage, though we can clearly see its long bodywork that's clearly a toned-down version of the ID.Aero's looks. That camouflage, by the way, creates electroluminescent light effects in different colors, while its pattern is inspired by QR codes. The light effect was achieved through 40 layers of paint with conductive properties that allow the 22 areas of the exterior to be independently illuminated. This is then linked to a sound system at the show to create a light show of sorts around the vehicle.

Take A Gander At Its Woefully Button-Less Interior

Interior of the Volkswagen ID.7
Volkswagen

On the upside, Volkswagen has decided to fully uncover the ID.7's interior. This is what the production model will look like, and it comes with a 15-inch tablet-style infotainment screen that hopefully runs on better software compared to the heavily-criticized one that's currently embedded in the ID.3 and ID.4. The interior is also devoid of buttons, relying instead on purely capacitive touch-based switches - another sore point of every new Volkswagen interior. Volkswagen, however, acknowledged earlier this year its woeful interior ergonomic decisions, leading them to bring back a few physical controls and improve the responsiveness of its infotainment via an over-the-air (OTA) update.

Dynamic shot of the Volkswagen ID.7
Volkswagen

What is still unknown at this point is the kind of drivetrain the ID.7 will get, though we're confident that rear-wheel drive (RWD) single-motor and all-wheel drive (AWD) dual-motor configurations will be available, just like other Volkswagen and Audi models using the MEB platform. What is confirmed is its range, as Volkswagen says that it will offer up to 435 miles on a full charge.

Rear dynamic shot of the Volkswagen ID.7
Volkswagen

Related: Volkswagen's R Sub-Brand Is Going All-Electric by 2030

The Volkswagen ID.7 will be fully revealed in the second quarter of 2023, with production taking place alongside the ID.4 in Emden, Germany for the European market. Apart from Europe, the ID.7 will also be sold in China and North America.