Volkswagen ID Vizzion concept debuts with Level 5 autonomy

The ID Vizzion concept has been revealed as a high-tech, spiritual successor to the ill-fated Phaeton.

The ID Vizzion, which shows the concept of a next-generation Volkswagen premium saloon, has been fully revealed at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show.

Featuring Level 5 autonomy, a first for any VW, the ID Vizzion concept has been engineered to preview a vision of future mobility. The interior of the car ditches steering wheel or pedals, or any driver control for that matter, and replaces them with VW’s indigenously developed ‘digital chauffeur' that grants the vehicle its self-driving skills.

Passengers can communicate via voice commands and gestures to control this digital chauffeur, which is also capable of learning personal preferences of the vehicle guests, thanks to its complete embedding into the digital ecosystem. The Vizzion can recognise its occupants via facial scan, open the doors for them and adjust settings according to their individual profiles (like music, ambient lighting and climate control). Microsoft's HoloLens augmented reality tech has also been embedded into the cabin, which can project virtual displays in front of the occupants.

The system power of this 5.11-metre-long luxury saloon concept is 297bhp (equivalent), while the top speed stands at 180km/h. The 111kWh lithium-ion batteries available on-board enable a driving range of up to a claimed 665km, when braking regeneration is factored in. The two electric motors drive all the four wheels of the ID Vizzion.

The Vizzion joins VW’s ID EV concept series that consists of the ID hatchback, ID Crozz SUV and ID Buzz microbus. First ID models will launch in the market in 2020.