‘Hippie’ Kombi is given the go-ahead
VOLKSWAGEN has officially given the green light to its ID Buzz concept Kombi, although it’ll be another five years before the production vehicle actually arrives in showrooms.
First revealed at the Detroit Motor Show in January, the ID Buzz is a compact MPV with retro styling that harks back to the Type 1 bus of the ‘50s.
It’s more than just the styling that’ll get today’s hippies buzzing (with excitement that is), as Volkswagen has also confirmed that the production vehicle, like the concept, will be battery powered. It will share its architecture with the upcoming ‘ID’ electric car, a Golf-sized hatch that VW says will be as revolutionary as the Beetle was 70 years ago, as it will make electric vehicles an everyday choice.
The production version of the ID Buzz will have a massive interior, its maker says, as the batteries and electric drive components will all be mounted in the floor.
VW is also promising a versatile seating arrangement, some nifty interactive connectivity features and a suite of driver assistance features that will make it ‘highly automated’, although the company has yet to go into detail about the features and technologies that you’ll find in the production model.
It’s also too early to say whether the electric bus will come to South Africa following its 2022 launch abroad. North America, Europe and China have been identified as the key markets.
- IOL Motoring