The Volkswagen I.D. VIZZION Showcases Futuristic Technology with a Modern Look

TopSpeed

By Kirby Garlitos

Published Mar 6, 2018

There's no turning back with a concept like this

If autonomous driving technology really evolves into the future of the auto industry, the Volkswagen I.D. Vizzion Concept is what a high-tech sedan could be like when that time comes. The German automaker’s latest concept is a full-blown preview of a self-driving car, right down to an interior that completely eliminates traditional controls in favor of going all-in on voice commands and gestures. The Volkswagen I.D. Vizzion Concept is the future, ladies and gentlemen. That future is also on full display at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show.

If you’re not prepared for a car that can drive by itself and can be controlled by voices and gestures, you can take comfort knowing that the car in question still looks like a car. Physically, the Volkswagen I.D. Vizzion still has all the physical characteristics of a four-wheeled ride. There’s nothing outwardly fancy about it. That said, the concept does benefit from some shared styling cues with the rest of the I.D. family. The front section, in particular, plays host to the end-to-end headlights design that we first saw on the I.D. Crozz. The sloping roofline also provides that sleek sedan styling that we’re all very familiar with. The Vizzion also carries a network of lasers, cameras, and radar sensors all over its body. They don’t manifest themselves physically, but this network serves as the eyes and ears behind the concept. That makes them very important.

As traditional as the exterior of the I.D. Vizzion Concept is, the interior is world’s different. Sure, there are still traditional elements like the four captain’s chairs, the large windows, and glass roof. Volkswagen can even convince us that the thick floor carpets are traditional. Sure. But that’s where it ends. All other traditional elements of a car’s interior — a steering wheel, center console, physical controls — have been taken out and replaced with…a wrap-around dashboard. That’s it. To compensate for the loss of all those important elements, Volkswagen incorporated Microsoft’s HoloLens augmented reality system. This technology can project virtual displays in front of occupants. Combine that with the car’s artificial intelligence capabilities, and you’re going to feel like you’re living in a real-life Minority Report setting while sitting in a comfortable captain’s chair and your feet resting on a thick carpet.

It’s an anti-climactic way to end this, but we also have to point out that the I.D. Vizier Concept has to run on something. That “something” is an electric powertrain that features two motors that combine to produce around 302 horsepower. There’s also a 111-kWh battery that provides 413 miles of range, more than enough to outpace any electric car on the road today.

The Volkswagen I.D. Vizzion Concept isn’t the fanciest-looking concept in Geneva. It may not even be the most outlandish. But it may be the concept that we’re going to see on the road in a decade’s time as a full-scale production model that will run around the streets of the world by itself. Are your ready for that future?