Volkswagen ID Space Vizzion concept is an electric wagon headed to production
VW danced around calling it a station wagon, but make no mistake, it's a wagon.
Volkswagen has shown off just how flexible its MEB electric-car platform can be with numerous concepts, but its latest concept vehicle takes the platform to new territory.
The German automaker has an electric wagon planned, and the ID Space Vizzion concept foreshadows a production version. Oh yes, to reiterate, Volkswagen is going to build a battery-electric wagon based on this concept vehicle. VW issued the concept's first teaser images on Thursday, though they do a lot more than tease the vehicle.
Photos of the front, side, rear and interior are all present, though these are design sketches. They depict a slight evolution of the ID concepts' design, but the family resemblance is clear. The lower grille treatment with integrated lighting is also very similar to the eighth-generation Golf that debuted recently.
While VW shied away from calling this a wagon, it definitely underscored its Gran Turismo roots. Think of this, then, as the poor man's electric Porsche Panamera Gran Turismo. Or maybe an affordable alternative to the upcoming Taycan Cross Turismo. The automaker said designers worked to provide the spaciousness of an SUV, but wrapped it in a sexier package. It's true that wagons often house just as much cargo room and space, but offer far more car-like driving dynamics.
Perhaps VW sees the world is getting tired of so many crossovers.
The interior is entirely digital, with an augmented reality head-up display ahead of the driver and a Tesla Model 3-like 15.6-inch tablet screen mounted in the middle of the dashboard. VW also highlighted the interior's sustainable materials with new "AppleSkin" upholstery the automaker said is a vegan alternative to leather.
Beneath the form factor, the ID Space Vizzion offers its conceptual drivers the choice between two powertrains. Standard is a 275 horsepower electric motor that sends 406 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels. The Space Vizzion can also be upgraded to 4Motion with the addition of a 101-horsepower electric motor for the front wheels, bringing the total system output to 355 ponies. So equipped, the electric sportwagen should be able to sprint from 0 to 60 in about 5 seconds, which ain't bad. Top speed is estimated at a just OK 109 mph.
Either way, the concept draws power from an 82 kWh battery pack, good for about 590 km of WLTP estimated range in its most efficient form or up to 300 miles by EPA. VW reckons extra attention to aerodynamics, everything from the low-slung front end to the rear spoiler, help the concept cut though the air with a slippery 0.24 drag coefficient (Cd) which aids in stretching the battery's range.
(For comparison, the Audi E-Tron with a similar electric powertrain and a 0.28 Cd is only estimated to reach about 200 miles of range with its larger battery. Porsche's Taycan slides around between 0.22 and 2.5 Cd, depending on trim.)
As mentioned, this isn't a flashy design concept to tease us with. VW is committed to a production version and said a model will go on sale in "different versions" for North America, Europe and China. Please, please, please, VW, give us a proper wagon.
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