LOS ANGELES -- The concept battery-electric vehicle Volkswagen is introducing at the 2019 Los Angeles auto show, the wagon-shaped ID Space Vizzion, presages the design of what is likely to become the third EV under the ID family.
The ID Space Vizzion, engineered on VW's MEB modular electric platform, is equipped in concept form with a 275-hp rear-mounted motor and an 82-kWh battery pack that the brand says will give it a range of 590 km (367 miles) under Europe's WLTP tests and 483 km (300 miles) under the U.S. EPA tests.
A second 10-hp coaxial electric drive motor could be fitted to the front axle to provide on-demand all-wheel drive, VW says.
VW says the production version will be released in late 2021, and will come in different versions for North America, Europe and China.
The ID Space Vizzion picks up several design cues from earlier VW battery-electric concepts concepts, including interactive LED lighting elements that were incorporated into the production version of the ID3, the brand's first of what is expected to be a family of full-electric cars globally, which debuted in September at the Frankfurt auto show.
The concept also replaces traditional exterior door handles with an illuminated touch surfaces that light up as the driver or passenger approaches and opens the door with a touch.
Though it is a two-row vehicle in concept form, the ID Space Vizzion is capable of hosting a third row of seating.
Kerrigan Advisors’ proprietary annual OEM Survey of over 100 executives reveals that the majority of respondents are worried about the financial impact of Chinese automakers’ growing global market share, and most expect that the EV transition to be slower than expected. The survey also queried executives on their outlooks for dealership valuations and profitability, as well as their expectations for the future of dealer networks and facility requirements.
Inside the cabin, much of the cockpit clutter has been removed in favor of what Volkswagen calls an augmented reality heads-up display, a 15.6-inch touchscreen that displays entertainment, comfort, online functions, and vehicle settings. A simplified shifter has been moved onto a stalk on the right side of the steering column in the all-digital cockpit.
A thin light strip between the A pillars, which VW calls the ID Light, interacts visually with the driver with greetings, navigation instructions, and brake prompts, to complement audible interactions.
Volkswagen is also introducing a new material in the ID Space Vizzion that it says it may put into production. Called Appleskin, the leather-like material was developed in-house by Volkswagen from the remnants of apple juice production.
Volkswagen says it is already able to replace 20 percent of polyurethane in a vehicle with the material, and that a future version of the material "will feature a metallic surface and will be illuminated by ambient lighting."
Late next year, VW is expected to begin selling the ID4 compact crossover, similar in size to the current Tiguan.
A retro-styled version of the VW Microbus, currently called the ID Buzz, is expected to arrive by 2022.
