Our Deluxe petrol test car didn’t feel as well appointed as the Luxury PHEV.
Sure, it comes with plenty of standard kit, and there are softer materials draped over the top of the doors and the dash, but the tinny interior trim, plasticky seat upholstery and unusually shaped gear selector make it feel pretty austere.
The PHEV is offered only in Luxury trim and gets a slightly different interior layout, better materials and a gear selector sited behind the steering wheel, rather than on the transmission tunnel, like in the Tiguan.
The central infotainment touchscreen is larger, too, at 14.8in compared with 13.2in. As a solely touch-operated system, it frustrates in the same way that many other cars from China do.
It may be responsive, but from a usability standpoint, it’s over-complicated: there are just too many menus and sub-menus for various functions, which means you’re always taking your eyes off the road to adjust different settings.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are easy to connect your phone to wirelessly, at least, and swiping down from the top of the screen reveals various shortcut icons.
The 7’s cabin is light and roomy. Rear accommodation is good enough for adults, with generous helpings of head and leg room.
There are numerous cubbyholes and storage bins, too; the space underneath the centre console is handy for larger items.
Less competitive is the boot capacity, at 412 litres (not including the petrol version’s underfloor storage) – over 60 litres smaller than that of the Tiguan eHybrid.