The Volkswagen ID. Space Vizzion concept is the wagon that is not a wagon. Fully electric and previewing a potential production car for North America and Europe, the concept is very neat. I really hope Volkswagen doesn’t change much if it hits production.
As we previously reported, the Space Vizzion is the seventh ID concept VW has trotted out. It has a predicted range of up to 300 miles on the EPA cycle, reports a company press release. The concept has a 275-horsepower, rear-mounted motor, which is truly a delightful throwback. VW says a second motor could be added for all-wheel drive and kicking the total output up to 355 HP.
The single, rear motor is powered by an 82 kWh lithium-ion battery and weight distribution is nearly 50:50 thanks to the MEB architecture. With the second, coaxial drive fitted, VW estimates the Space Vizzion 4Motion version to hit 60 mph in just five seconds, with an electronically limited maximum speed of 109 mph.
And it’s apparently very aerodynamic. Because there’s no need for a big radiator to reject lots of heat from an internal combustion engine, the concept’s designers and engineers were able to bring the coefficient of drag down to 0.24, which helps with range. To put that into perspective, the slippery Porsche Taycan’s Cd is 0.22. So this isn’t bad for a station wagon thingy. (The Volkswagen Golf SportWagon has a Cd of 0.31.)
The air flows beneath a horizontal panel between the Space Vizzion’s headlights and over a low hood. Then, it’s directed toward the back, where there’s another horizontal panel over the taillights for the air to blow below. The aerodynamic design continues on in the door handles; the Space Vizzion has none. Conventional ones, at least.
Rather, there are “illuminated touch surfaces” that light up when the car senses a car key or mobile key on a smartphone nearby. Here’s how VW describes what happens next: “When the person makes contact with the touch-activated surface, the light pulsates, the touch pad vibrates, and the door opens.” I know this feature will likely not make it to the production version and I’m glad of it. It sounds like a lot of trouble.
The interior is upholstered, not with leather, but with apples. Hell. Yes.
See, VW used material that’s made from “a proportion of residual matter” that’s a result of apple juice production. Apparently, it’s possible to replace 20 percent of polyurethane with apple leftovers with a process that VW developed in-house just for this application.
And to show how versatile and utilitarian the car is, the concept has two electric longboards housed in a built-in compartment. Be still, my Southern California heart.
Guys, I like this thing so much. I don’t know why the word “wagon” does not show up anywhere in VW’s press release, because that is what this is. Our own David Tracy and Jason Torchinsky were both on the ground for the thing’s unveiling. They called it a wagon, too.
A VW spokesperson said the company anticipates to bring the car to the United States “sometime in 2022.”
It’s a rear-engined, electric Volkswagen wagon! Guys, this is the Jalopnik Future Car we’ve all been waiting for!
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