Volkswagen’s retro-styled ID Buzz electric van is set for launch in 2022, and we got our first glimpse of its production style, thanks to a lightly camouflaged prototype.
Previous test mules have worn modified Transporter body shells, but as the reveal date neared, a prototype was spotted wearing a design more faithful to the original concept shown in 2017.
The ID Buzz is the first utility vehicle to use Volkswagen’s modular MEB architecture. It will also benefit from a passenger transport variant “Microbus”, which will replace the 11-year-old Touran minivan and provide an electric alternative to the new Multivan.
The prototype seen here goes without some of the more overtly heritage-inspired design cues, with its steel wheels and all-white paint scheme, but it is expected that passenger versions will be available with two-tone liveries and design cues that are reminiscent of the old Microbus Type 1.
Volkswagen designer Frank Welsch told Autocar last year: “People carriers are not finished, although demand is declining a bit. They need better design now. This is why the ID Buzz is quite emotional in its design.
Some of the concept’s strangest styling cues, it seems, have been toned down. Crescent-shaped LED headlights have evolved into more conventional clusters and the window line is less curved, for example. But the overall silhouette remains familiar and differs significantly from the conventional fuel Multivan.
The ID Buzz offers the same range of batteries and drivetrain setups as the associated ID 4 SUV, ranging from 148bhp to 201bhp, with the potential for a sportier 295bhp four-wheel drive variant at the end. superior.
Notably, the ID Buzz will play a crucial role in bringing Volkswagen’s autonomous driving technology – provided by Argo AI – to market. Upon launch, it is expected to be equipped with an array of Level 3 standalone functions, but Volkswagen plans to roll out the Level 4 capability shortly thereafter.
Volkswagen group subsidiary Moia has already confirmed that it will be the first company to use standalone ID Buzz as part of its ridesharing service in 2025.
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Source: www.autocar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-06-28 11:51:56
