VW has built two automobiles recognized instantly the world over by nothing but their silhouettes, and one of them is back after a hiatus briefer than you might think.
The microbus may not be Volkswagen’s signature product. But we can only say that because of the Beetle.
The bus — officially the Volkswagen Type 2 — is among the most produced vehicles in history. There was a factory somewhere on Earth churning out VW buses from 1949 until 2013. An icon of 1960s counterculture and the early surfing scene, it has a deep well of nostalgia to trade on.
The bus returned today when Volkswagen unveiled its ID. Buzz electric vehicle (EV). Most of the world has known the Buzz was coming for a long time — it’s been on sale in Europe since last spring. But the version unveiled this week, meant for American shores, is larger and more powerful than the Euro van.
RWD, AWD Options
The American version of the ID. Buzz will come with a choice of two powertrains. With one electric motor on the rear axle for a rear-wheel-drive setup, it gets 282 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque. Both figures are substantially higher than the Euro-spec model that premiered last spring. With two motors, it gets all-wheel drive and what VW calls “about 330 hp.”
VW didn’t give range figures but stated that it carries a 91-kWh battery. That’s larger than most current EVs, which is promising. But the Buzz is also likely heavier as a 3-row vehicle, so we’re not sure the big cell will translate to big range figures.
The European version gets by with an 82-kWh battery.
Price is a mystery for now and probably the most significant factor in how many of these you’ll see on the road. It shares many parts with the ID.4 SUV, which starts at $38,995. But Baby Boomer nostalgia could easily drive prices for the Buzz much higher.
Retro Look, But Bigger Than Ever
On the outside, it’s possibly the most faithful retro recreation of a classic the automotive industry has ever produced. The big round face. The two-tone color schemes. It’s all there, apart from some curtains and an oversized logo between round lights.
It sits about 5 inches taller than a typical modern minivan. That stance and the flat floor of an EV (no transmission, so no transmission tunnel) give it one of the most spacious interiors on the market.
Spacious Seating All Around
That cabin, though, has changed a lot more than the exterior might lead you to think.
The driver faces a spare dashboard with a small 5.3-inch screen in place of the traditional gauge cluster and a larger 12.9-inch central infotainment screen. Open space between the center console and the dashboard gives it an airy feel from the driver’s seat.
The second row can be purchased as a 3-seat bench or a pair of captain’s chairs. The third row is a bench equipped for just two.
That’s a little unusual, given the new bus’s huge interior. But it makes for an unusually spacious third row. Stadium-style seating sets it high for a better view. It has the potential to be one of the most comfortable third rows on the market if you’re going to carry adults back there regularly.
When the third-row seats fold flat, the cargo floor behind them can raise to their level, creating a perfectly flat loading shelf with space beneath.
An enormous panoramic roof has an electrochromatic layer so that you can darken it at the touch of a button.
There’s one major disappointment about the cabin, though. Early teaser photos had shown unusually bright colors, with two-tone color combinations including bright yellows and retro oranges. They won’t come to the States. The sole unusual color scheme combines a clay-like gray with a much more muted orange.
