In the age of the SUV, the wagon is gradually shrinking to a niche segment. Not many automakers bother these days to compete in the long-roof class since demand is low. Europe remains the last bastion for estate cars, and there are even a few fully electric models. BMW recently unveiled the i5 Touring as a more luxurious alternative to the Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer.

VW is fighting back with a performance version serving as the brand’s most powerful wagon in history. The ID.7 GTX Tourer is a cut-price rival for the i5 M60 Touring. Well, kind of. Its dual-motor setup is good for 335 hp, which actually perfectly matches the electric muscle of the lesser i5 eDrive40. However, the VW is touted as a performance model with two motors and AWD, which is the same we can say about the i5 M60.

Details regarding performance have yet to be disclosed but chances are an i5 M60 Touring runs circles around the ID.7 GTX Tourer. As a refresher, the electric M Performance version of the 5 Series Touring takes just 3.9 seconds to 100 km/h (62 mph). Even the i5 eDrive40 does the job in 6.1 seconds, presumably similar to what VW’s first electric sports wagon is capable of.

Those two motors we mentioned get their juice from a lithium-ion battery with a net capacity of 86 kWh. It’s slightly bigger than the 81.2-kWh pack BMW installs in both flavors of the i5 Touring. VW refuses to talk about the range for now, although the distance covered is likely less than the 685 kilometers (426 miles) achieved by the single-motor, non-GTX model. The i5 eDrive40 wagon goes up to 560 kilometers (348 miles) on a single charge while the M60 can cover 506 kilometers (314 miles), per the WLTP cycle.

VW isn’t willing to share pricing information for now, but we can safely assume the GTX commands a significant premium over a regular ID.7 Tourer. You can have the normal model for €54,795 in Germany where the cheapest i5 Touring is €72,200. Step up to the hotter i5 M60 Touring and you’re spending at least €101,500. Much like BMW USA isn’t selling the i5 wagon, VW USA has decided against bringing the long-roof ID.7 on this side of the pond.

There are quite a few electric wagons already on sale. Notable mentions include the Peugeot E-308, Opel Astra Electric, MG5, Nio ET5 Touring, and the much more expensive Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo / Cross Turismo. BMW is expected to launch an electric equivalent of the 3 Series Touring in the second half of the decade as an i3 Touring on the Neue Klasse platform.

Source: Volkswagen