VW introduces the ID. Space Vizzion

VW has just presented the seventh concept in the ID. family, the ID. Space Vizzion, on the eve of the Los Angeles Auto Show. During the presentation, Volkswagen also provided further details on the planned market launch for the ensuing series model.

The 250 kW electric station wagon based on the Modular Electric Drive System (MEB), sports an 82 kWh battery capacity (gross, 77 kWh net) and a cW value of 0.24. Thanks to the electric car’s aerodynamic body, it boasts a range of up to 590 kilometres (WLTP).

A few days ago, VW published the first renderings of the concept. At the premiere, Volkswagen not only released real photos of the car but also other relevant data. At 4.96 metres, the station wagon breaks the middle class barrier (a Mercedes E-Class is about the same length) and towers 19 centimetres above the current Passat. It remains to be seen how big the later production model will be.

What is striking, however, is that the ID. Space Vizzion cannot convert the extra length into a larger boot: At 596 litres, the load capacity is significantly lower than the 650 litres of the Passat. This is due to the rear engine of the MEB model: the standard measurement also includes the compartment under the variable boot floor. In the ID: Space Vizzion this is lost due to the rear engine. What remains to be seen, is how large this difference will be in usable volume in the real world.

The current ID. Space Vizzion seems to only be offering one battery size, the 77 kWh variant corresponds to the next largest battery of the ID.3. The MEB itself makes even larger batteries possible, which for price reasons should only be attractive in a few cases in the middle class. A somewhat more realistic classification of the WLTP range of 590 kilometers can be found in the EPA values published in the USA: The 483 kilometers (300 miles) could correspond more to an everyday range in summer, in winter and on motorways even slightly lower.

Regarding the drive options, Volkswagen is talking about two variants: The basic version with one engine at the rear has an output of 205 kW and a torque of 550 Nm. The all-wheel-drive version with the familiar designation 4Motion has a second engine on the front axle and the system output is stated to be 250 kW. The electric estate car is supposed to achieve the standard sprint to 100 km/h in a sporty 5.4 seconds. However, VW has not made mention of a range for the all-wheel-drive model in the corresponding press release.

However, if VW is to be successful, the range should not drop dramatically on the motorway (at recommended speed). The German carmaking giant wants to achieve this with good aerodynamics and the aforementioned cW value of 0.24. According to VW, the front and roof sections of the car are flooded by the airstream and thus improve its aerodynamic properties. The designers and constructors took advantage of the fact that there are no large radiators and a massive combustion engine behind the front. On the one hand, the airflow flows through a crossbar between the headlamps via the extremely low engine bonnet to the rear. The air also flows through the front bumper in the outer areas, where it is also directed to the rear.

In the interior, VW wants to rely on sustainable raw materials. According to the press release, a sustainable material called AppleSkin is to be used instead of leather – an artificial leather for which residual materials from apple juice production, among other things, are to be used. The ID. Space Vizzion will make full use of the advantages of the MEB and offer a feeling of space more familiar from vehicles in the luxury class.

The ID. Space Vizzion gives a concrete outlook on the series version, which will be introduced at the end of 2021 and will be launched in various versions in North America, Europe and China.

carscoops.com, autocar.co.uk, electrek.co, volkswagen-newsroom.com