Volkswagen unveils I.D Vizzion concept at Geneva

Volkswagen revealed its new electric-powered I.D Vizzion concept at the 2018 Geneva motor show. The luxury sedan is set to join its line-up as an indirect replacement for the discontinued Phaeton.

Previewing the fourth model from a series of five I.D. production models, the four-wheel drive I.D. Vizzion has been conceived to sit at the very top of the German car maker’s line-up.

It features limousine-like exterior dimensions and plush leather-lined interiors. Energy for the electric motors, generating a combined 306hp, comes from a large 111kWh lithium-ion battery that gives it an electric range of 665km.

Computer simulations carried out by Volkswagen point to a 0-100kph time of 6.3sec, and the German carmaker also provides a theoretical (limited) top speed of 180kph.

Volkswagen says its latest concept mirrors how it imagines an electric-powered luxury class model could appear in the future. At 5,163mm in length, 1,947mm in width and 1,506mm in height, it is 16mm shorter but 39mm wider and 56mm higher than the long-wheelbase Phaeton, Volkswagen’s long-running range-topping sedan that ceased production in 2016.

The I.D. Vizzion  is based on Volkswagen’s MEB (modularen elektrik baukasten or modular electric architecture) platform and it also serves to showcase Level-5 autonomous driving, self-learning, hologram-based interior control and augmented reality technology, which the company says it is developing and expects to incorporate on its models from 2030.

Among its hi-tech arsenal are LIDAR laser scanners, ultrasound sensors, radar sensors as well as a series of cameras at the front, rear and sides. A further central component in Volkswagen’s vision for the future of production cars is an artificial intelligence system that goes beyond the model-based programming of today’s driver assistance systems, by providing fully independent decision making processes that allows it to drive exclusively without human input.

Although the new concept car on display in Geneva goes without a steering wheel, the new sedan is planned to be launched with a more conventional control layout similar to that of other first-generation I.D. models.