Volkswagen's I.D. Vizzion Sedan Concept Identifies, Attempts to Codify Driverless Future

You can’t drive Volkswagen’s I.D. Vizzion concept. Not because it is a show car, although it is that. The I.D. Vizzion concept is undrivable because it literally doesn’t accommodate a human driver. This sedan has no pedals, no steering wheel, not even a starter button.

This latest I.D. concept—I.D. being the automaker’s shorthand for fully electric cars—makes the leap straight to Level 5 autonomy. Per the SAE International level system for computer-assisted functionality, Level 5 means no driver is ever necessary, and therefore redundant controls for that human aren’t necessary, either. (A Level 4 autonomous car can achieve the same hands-off capabilities as a Level 5 but not in every area or under all conditions, so it must include driver controls so that it can be driven the old-fashioned way when necessary. The best of today’s semi-autonomous systems in production automobiles achieve Level 2—essentially, they can steer themselves in a lane and accelerate and brake in limited-access road scenarios such as on a freeway.)

A Rolling Voice Assistant. Cool.

Absent the task of driving, the I.D. Vizzion sedan concept could be as boring as a city bus minus the people watching. To stave off such mundanity, Volkswagen has fitted buttons on the center console, one in the front and one in the back, to control the audio volume. They apparently can also bring the I.D. to a halt. Every other major control input, from setting your destination to tweaking audio settings to manipulating the four-zone climate controls, is handled by voice or gesture controls.

A “virtual host” learns and sets your preferences for cabin temperature, volume, and other comfort settings. Consider the I.D. as your Amazon Alexa or Google Home assistant, only with wheels. Unlike your home speaker, the I.D. has Microsoft HoloLens augmented-reality headsets for passengers so they can while away the time or conduct remote video meetings. To get inside the car, you must be biometrically scanned or bring a proximity key; the doors then open themselves to worthy passengers, and a little light show plays on the body panels. (Biometrics also are used to scan for known passengers inside the vehicle and tailor cabin settings to their liking.) Those doors, by the way, are of the suicide variety and can rotate 180 degrees, sitting flush against the sides of the car for maximal ease of ingress and egress.

It seems bizarre to list the I.D. Vizzion’s mechanical hardware, given how little it matters. But here goes: The I.D.’s computers will enjoy 302 horsepower generated by a 101-hp electric motor powering the front axle and a 201-hp unit spinning the rear axle. Passengers might enjoy the power, depending on their attention levels and susceptibility to carsickness. With its 111.0-kWh lithium-ion battery, the VW concept can travel up to 413 miles per charge (according to the European testing cycle). Fast charging and much slower wall-outlet charging will be possible, and the car is also equipped with car-to-X communication hardware.

In lieu of drive modes, there are three “travel” modes. The most appealing of these is Relax, in which a footrest deploys from the seat, soothing tones play through the speakers, and the ambient lighting dims to a heart-rate-settling hue. Type A business folks might select the Active setting, which postures the seat upright and facilitates the flow of information and communications to them. A Family mode is mentioned but not detailed. It probably involves cartoons and Goldfish crackers.

Ridin’ Large

Before this Vizzion, the biggest I.D. concept Volkswagen had shown to date was the Buzz, a rather substantially sized (and also fully electric) redux of the classic VW Microbus. But this latest concept dwarfs it, even though the two share MEB-platform componentry. Measuring in at 203.3 inches long, 76.7 inches wide, and 59.3 inches tall, the EV is similar in size to Mercedes-Benz’s S-class sedan. With 24-inch wheels enhancing the size factor, the concept is all ate up with presence.

VW’s designers gave the Vizzion a tapering profile, with a fastback that terminates with a hatch. Open that lid, and you can fit 20 cubic feet of stuff in the cargo hold. Futuristic touches include flush-mounted side windows, 8000-pixel matrix LED headlights (tech borrowed from Audi), and a rear window that doubles as an organic LED (OLED) panel for displaying messages to other cars or serving as one hell of a center-mounted brake light. Fancy. Then again, in the brave and driverless future, will brake lights even be necessary?