Volkswagen has given us a glimpse of the luxury saloon of the near future with the unveiling of the I.D. Vizzion concept.

Volkswagen’s Vizzion luxury saloon is due in production form by 2022.

Due to go on sale in the UK by 2022 at the latest, the production version of the Vizzion will join a family of zero-emission I.D. models by 2025 as Volkswagen looks to create a new sub-brand for electric vehicles.

Volkswagen claims the production Vizzion saloon will have a pure electric range of 400 miles and will have Level 4 and 5 autonomous driving capability when legislation allows for its use.

Dr Herbert Diess, CEO of the Volkswagen brand, said: “The I.D. Vizzion shows what our brand is capable of in terms of technology, design and quality. And it also shows that, even in the electric, self-driving future, we will be using desirable, expressive and individual automobiles – and not just uniform tin boxes.”

The I.D. Vizzion is based on the new MEB (modular electrification toolkit) chassis and uses the drive system components of the All-New Electric Architecture – two motors, two gearboxes, the electronics that link everything together and high-voltage battery.

The lithium-ion battery has an energy capacity of 111kWh and is housed in the floor to liberate interior space – Volkswagen claims that while the exterior size of the Vizzion is similar to a Passat, the interior room equates to that of the defunct Phaeton luxury saloon. Another benefit of this location is that it lowers the centre of gravity and ensures ideal weight distribution.

The motor in front is a 75kW coaxial drive, and a compact 150kW motor is used at the rear. They develop a total system power of around 300bhp.

Starting in 2020 Volkswagen will launch a range of electric I.D. vehicles – kicking off with a production version of the Golf-sized I.D. hatchback and I.D. Crozz crossover, while the Microbus-inspired I.D. Buzz is scheduled for a 2022 debut. Linked into this is news announced on the eve of the Geneva Motor Show that the Volkswagen Group will invest more than £30bn (€33.6bn) by 2022 in research and development centred around e-mobility, autonomous driving, digital networking of all road users and new mobility services.