Coolest VW Electric Station Wagon We Will Likely Never Get

• VW reveals first glimpse of ID.7 Tourer, with the electric station wagon set to go on sale in Europe in 2024.

• The ID.7 sedan is headed stateside next year, set to offer a RWD layout at launch and a choice of two batteries, with a top range of 435 miles in the WLTP cycle.

• The station wagon in the US has shrunk to a point that may not support the debut of an electric model, with most of the demand now being centered on crossovers and SUVs.

So far EV makers have studiously avoided the station-wagon segment, which is perhaps understandable as buyers these days are far more interested in crossovers and roomy hatchbacks, with the Kia EV6 coming closest to the traditional shape of a car-based station wagon.

This may change soon with Volkswagen revealing the first official images of the ID.7 Tourer.

The ID.7 sedan, of course, is headed stateside next year and is set to offer a Passat-sized alternative to the Tesla Model 3. But product plans of a long-wheelbase electric sedan also make a longroof easily achievable with just some different bodywork.

Set to be based on the MEB platform just like its four-door sibling, the ID.7 Tourer will serve up 19.2 cubic feet of interior space with the back seats in their upright and locked positions. But with the second row of seats folded down, the Tourer will promise nothing short of 60.5 cubic feet of cargo space.

"The ID.7 limousine (sedan), which has already been presented and is currently launching in Europe, is an extremely aerodynamic Volkswagen with a Cd-value of 0.23," the automaker notes. "The Cd value of the ID.7 Tourer is almost the same: 0.24. The elegant and powerful design of the elongated hatchback version can also be guessed despite the unique Indian summer camouflage."

If the specs remain identical, we can expect a choice of 77- and 86-kWh batteries, with the larger offering a range of 435 miles in the WLTP cycle. A rear-drive layout at launch should provide the model 282 hp and 401 lb-ft torque, which will also make it quite a bit more powerful than the ID.4 at launch, which relied on a 201-hp motor.

Of course, there are a few reasons why there are only a handful of internal combustion station wagons currently on sale.

The segment has been shrinking for decades, even in its strongholds in Europe, and in recent years it has become something of a niche luxury item offered by the likes of BMW, Volvo, and Mercedes-Benz. VW had hung on to the segment longer than many other budget and premium automakers, at least until recently.

If you showed up at a Volkswagen dealer today, you'll be gently directed toward the Taos or the the Tiguan, depending on your budget, as VW just doesn't have a true wagon in its lineup anymore.

And besides, the ID.4 is already close enough to a station wagon to absorb that demand, having been the first of the ID family to land stateside.

For now, VW is not indicating that the ID.7 Tourer will make it stateside at all, perhaps for understandable reasons. It takes a lot of money and effort to offer a unique bodystyle in the US, and at the end of the day sales numbers could be a tiny fraction of its sedan sibling. That's why we haven't seen a number of other station wagons that VW Group brands have offered in Europe and elsewhere in recent years.

Of course, if VW were to offer the model here, it would have 100% of the electric station wagon segment. And we would also find out just how much of demand there is for such a thing. But we suspect VW already has a good idea from its dealers.

Should VW offer the ID.7 Tourer in the US, or is demand for station wagons simply too small? Let us know what you think.