The Phaeton limousine is one of those models with a very special story and a very sad destiny. Built as a testament to the company's financial and technological might, it failed to impress the public due precisely to the badge it wore on its radiator grille.
The idea of a luxurious Volkswagen (literally "People's Car," in case anyone forgot) was so absurd, that the Phaeton was more or less a born-still project. It was the brainchild of then-CEO Ferdinand Piëch, who apparently had a much more grandiose vision for the Wolfsburg-based company. He's also the man behind the Bugatti Veyron, so it seems like he had a knack for building vehicles that lost money for the company.
Volkswagen withdrew the Phaeton without announcing a successor, leaving the Arteon to act as the company's flagship. However, as announced in countless teasers, this year's Geneva Show marked the introduction of the I.D. VIZZION Concept, a large limousine expected to take Phaeton's place in some way in the future.
Being a show car, the I.D. VIZZION has a lot of features that would probably still look out of place on a car ten years from now. In fact, Volkswagen claims the VIZZION could only be built as it stands in 2030, and that's mostly due to the Level 5 autonomy level it boasts.
You would have noticed by now the absence of a steering wheel, or any other type of commands for that matter. The interior has a lounge-like atmosphere, and one with a very plush carpet on the floor that makes climbing inside the VIZZION with your shoes on a sacrilege.
A previous teaser showed the vehicle's AI assistant in action, but since we're talking about a holographic image, that thing will only be visible in the official CGI shots, and not in real life. That would be another limiting factor for VIZZION's marketability ahead of 2030, then.
As for its powertrain, it's nothing to write home about. By NEDC standards, it can go for 413 miles (664 km) thanks to its 111 kWh battery pack, and the two motors (one on each axle) settle for a subdued 302 hp total. Performance-wise, the I.D. VIZZION hits 62 mph (100 km/h) in 6.3 seconds and goes all the way to 112 mph (180 km/h), making it a very different proposition from Tesla's vehicles.
On the other hand, this one's focus is on comfort. You can't do Ludicrous with that kind of carpets. Still, despite the wheelbase of 122 inches (3.09 m), we think the fact the front seats can't swivel back is a missed opportunity. Volkswagen probably had to choose between that and the sexy, coupe-like roofline and went for the latter. If you want a more social-oriented cabin, you'll probably find it in the I.D. BUZZ, one of the other three I.D. concepts the VIZZION joins.
Allegedly, a production model based on the VIZZION is due to arrive in 2022, proving our previous assumption that this would preview the I.D. Lounge Model (scheduled for 2020) wrong. However, we still think there's a lot of time to fill between the I.D. and I.D. Cross in 2019 and the 2021 I.D. Buzz, which means we'll be treated to more concepts from Volkswagen in the coming years.
"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie) Full profile
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