In a world where electric and autonomous mobility are the latest buzzwords, Volkswagen has unveiled its latest fully electric saloon concept, the I.D. Vizzion at the ongoing 2018 Geneva Motor Show. Built on its all-new electric architecture which will be used for upcoming electric cars from Volkswagen, the flagship saloon offers a glimpse into what electric, autonomous saloons from the brand might look like, 10 years from now. The I.D. Vizzion will be available in the market as the top-of-the-line model by 2022 and will be offered with conventional controls. While autonomous tech will become a reality by 2025, augmented reality too will follow close behind to dial up the driving experience.
The concept shown at the Geneva Motor Show gets new age features like augmented reality, where the user wears a HoloLens eyewear and uses voice commands to communicate with the car. Additionally, the car comes with gesture controls and a virtual assistant that learns and responds to the user, to enhance interaction between man and machine. The car does not require a driver and there is no steering wheel visible on the dash, and this demonstrates that autonomous cars are here to stay. The all-wheel-drive car comes with two electric motors that together put out a power output of 225kW (301.7bhp). Volkswagen says that the car will have a range of 665km on a single charge by 2022, the year when it will be launched globally. As the platform is scalable, Volkswagen has hinted that the same platform might be used for building saloons in the five-meter category, which will be a part of the I.D family.
Dr Herbert Diess, chairman of the Volkswagen brand board of management said, “We plan to build around one million all-electric vehicles per year already by 2025. The compact I.D. and the I.D.Crozz SUV will make their debut in 2020. They will be followed in 2022 by the I.D. Buzz large capacity passenger vehicle, as well as the I.D. Vizzion already mentioned which is being presented in Geneva.”