Currently reading: Volkswagen ID Buzz to be new-age Touran

Volkswagen predicts its upcoming retro-look EV will revive flagging interest in MPVs

The electric ID Buzz ‘Microbus’, due in 2022, will indirectly replace the Volkswagen Touran and reinvigorate the MPV segment through ‘emotional’ design, according to Volkswagen’s board member for R&D, Frank Welsch.

Although the Mk7 Golf-based Touran is still on sale, the larger Volkswagen Sharan will be axed later this year and production of its Seat Alhambra sibling has just ceased. It’s expected that the Touran won’t survive beyond the next couple of years as Volkswagen focuses on SUV demand and its huge investment in electric vehicles.

2 Volkswagen sharan static front

MPV ownership peaked in the noughties but has since waned considerably as consumers have favoured SUV styling. In the Touran’s peak year in Europe, 2004, 191,414 examples were sold, compared with 75,427 last year.

Name-checking the model as one of his two favourite to develop alongside the Volkswagen Golf GTI, Welsch said: “Some people would say the Touran is a boring car, but it has great efficiency, great value for money [and is] great for family.”

He added: “Now we have other concepts [in place of MPVs], such as the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace seven-seat SUV. And we have prepared for the next generation with the ID family, including the ID Buzz, which we are developing now. These are the real successors of Touran.

“The Buzz has a lot of space. It’s great-looking. The production version is even better than the concept. It’s the best of the Touran.”

1 Volkswagen touran hero front

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Describing the ID Buzz as a new-generation MPV, Welsch said: “MPVs are not over, although demand is going down a little bit. They need better design now. This is why the ID Buzz is quite emotional in design.”

The ID Buzz, often described as a spiritual successor to the Microbus of 1950, sits on Volkswagen’s electric-only MEB architecture and is expected to have a 372-mile range. Rear-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive versions will be offered, delivering 268bhp and 369bhp respectively.

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gavsmit 16 April 2020

Regardless of the issues with EVs

What makes me roll my eyes is that this vehicle, built to trigger memories of the old VW camper, is going to cost an absolute fortune that few will be able to afford, but some will be suckered into paying thousands into a finance package to drive for a while then give back.

The original VW Camper was cheap and cheerful motoring, just like the original Beetle, but like that car, VW have exploited that sentimentality to create some seriously expensive machinery rather than continue with the original ethos.

If you want one of these and a camper-van type lifestyle, I'd look at a second hand Nissan e-NV200 to save thousands (and maybe pay for a few custom mods to improve the looks) - I doubt whether VW's range claims will be accurate either as we all know they like lying a lot.

Sundym 15 April 2020

Looks great

But as with comments above , there definitely appears to be a relationship between price and range, and this looks pricey I suspect ! Funny how little chat on McLaren and synthetic fuel , that could turn the whole electric car phenomenon on its head . Have we been looking at the wrong answer for the right question?
shiakas 15 April 2020

Sundym wrote:

Sundym wrote:

But as with comments above , there definitely appears to be a relationship between price and range, and this looks pricey I suspect ! Funny how little chat on McLaren and synthetic fuel , that could turn the whole electric car phenomenon on its head . Have we been looking at the wrong answer for the right question?

shiakas 15 April 2020

Sundym wrote:

Sundym wrote:

But as with comments above , there definitely appears to be a relationship between price and range, and this looks pricey I suspect ! Funny how little chat on McLaren and synthetic fuel , that could turn the whole electric car phenomenon on its head . Have we been looking at the wrong answer for the right question?

shiakas 15 April 2020

Synthetic fuel is just the

Synthetic fuel is just the latest attempt by automakers to distract the public by promising something in the future than to actually do something now
Sundym 15 April 2020

Disagree

shiakas wrote:

Synthetic fuel is just the latest attempt by automakers to distract the public by promising something in the future than to actually do something now

As a previous Zoe and now countryman hybrid owner I disagree. I'm an early adopter but both types of tech are lacking and the amount of precious resources used to make these cars far outweigh a conventional car, and no one has really explained how we generate all the electricity once everyone has swapped, let alone all the other issues of distribution . I think that's a bigger con .

shiakas 15 April 2020

Numerous studies have shown

Numerous studies have shown that the total wheel-to-well environmental cost of EVs is lower than ICE cars even when powered by coal generated electricity. Other studies have also shown that the grid benefits from the load balancing that night charging of EVs offers. Other bebefits? Well, the current crisis gives us a preview of how the sky will look once most of us drive EVs.
Sundym 15 April 2020

shiakas wrote:

shiakas wrote:

Numerous studies have shown that the total wheel-to-well environmental cost of EVs is lower than ICE cars even when powered by coal generated electricity. Other studies have also shown that the grid benefits from the load balancing that night charging of EVs offers. Other bebefits? Well, the current crisis gives us a preview of how the sky will look once most of us drive EVs.

tuga 15 April 2020

ID Buzz

EVs are great for packaging/ space management, looking forward to this. Hopefully a) It looks closer to the concept and less like a bloated ID3; And b) The pricing is more in line with a Touran than say, a Model X.