Volkswagen ID Vizzion previews electric luxury sedan

Volkswagen’s latest, Geneva-bound ID concept has been shown in official sketches and photos; autonomous driving seems to take a top billing, since the car has no controls

01 Mar 2018 | 5492 Views | By Jimi Beckwith, Autocar UK

Volkswagen has revealed the ID Vizzion in a series of sketches and a close-up shot of the car's front lights ahead of the car’s official appearance at the Geneva Motor Show later this month. 

The saloon, a follow-up concept to the ID hatchback, ID Crozz SUV and ID Buzz Microbus concepts, shows another prong of VW’s electric assault post-Dieselgate.

Power is claimed to be 297bhp and the car maxes out at 112mph. A 111kWh lithium-ion battery pack provides a range of up to 413 miles, combined with the effect of the car’s regenerative braking. Motors front and rear power all four wheels.

It’s around 5110mm long - it's the same length as a standard-wheelbase Mercedes-Benz S-Class, although VW bills the ID Vizzion as a premium saloon. This means that the eventual production car will be a  follow-up to the ill-fated Phaeton.  

It’s the first model in the ID range to go without driver controls – the interior has four seats, with no pedals, steering wheel or infotainment for the driver or front-seat passenger. This means it’s the first fully autonomous model VW has shown. A nod to those who can’t drive, such as children, further confirms the car’s Level 5 autonomy (ie. no driver input is required at any time). 

Instead of a traditional infotainment set-up, the ID Vizzion has a voice and gesture-controlled ‘host’, presumably with displays incorporated into the windows rather than separate screens, and augmented reality used throughout. 

VW recently confirmed that the ID hatch will enter production in late 2019, while the ID Crozz will launch the following year. By 2025, there’ll be more than 20 EVs in the VW line-up, with one million annual EV sales targeted. 

Tags: Volkswagen
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