Volkswagen has shown off its new ID Space Vizzion electric concept car at the Los Angeles motor show.
Same MEB platform as the ID.3
Based on the same MEB electric car platform as the Volkswagen ID.3 hatchback (which goes on sale in Ireland next summer), the ID Vizzion is a preview of how the ID range will (literally) expand to encompass a Passat-sized model that will come in both saloon and estate forms. It will be called the ID.5 when it goes into production.
"The new ID Space Vizzion brings unrivalled flexibility, uncompromising quality and German design to a new era of mobility," says Klaus Bischoff, Head of Volkswagen Design.
590km range
The Space Vizzion concept gets an 82kWh battery, for a quoted WLTP one-charge range of 590km. The production model will be available with a single rear-mounted electric motor with 280hp, but this concept car includes an extra front-mounted motor for 4Motion four-wheel drive, and a power output of 340hp. Acceleration, then, is brisk - try 5.4 seconds for 0-100km/h.
Because there's no engine nor cooling system up front, the whole structure and shape of the ID Space Vizzion changes compared to a conventional car. This has allowed VW to play some aerodynamic tricks - there's even a Ferrari-style air duct that runs from between the headlights up, out, and over the bonnet - and the air scoops in the bumpers are fully functional, channelling air over and around the car.
Huge space inside
That different shape means that the cabin is also hugely spacious, as befitting the ID Space Vizzion's name. The concept is about the same size as an Audi A6, but VW says that the cabin space is more like that of a long-wheelbase luxury saloon. The interior, as with that of the ID.3's, is quite minimalist, with a huge 15.6-inch touchscreen in the middle, and discreet digital instruments set into the shape of the dashboard. There's more instrumentation than that, though - the windscreen includes a huge, augmented reality, head-up display. The steering wheel, which has large touch-sensitive panels instead of buttons, is said to be inspired by the shapes and styling of classic Volkswagen steering wheels. There's also the ID.Light system, which uses an LED lighting strip in the cockpit to help the driver or passengers use the infotainment system, or to reinforce satnav directions.
The cabin also uses recycled and sustainable materials - chrome is replaced by a chrome-like paint finish, while the seats are upholstered in an artificial leather that uses waste apple pulp from juice production.
The production version of the ID Space Vizzion will go on sale in late 2021, early 2022, and VW says that there will be region-specific versions for the US, China and Europe. It is expected to be sold in Ireland.