Volkswagen and Ford formally announced a landmark partnership agreement nearly two years ago that will include both automakers sharing platforms and collaborating on a number of new vehicles, including potentially more than one FoMoCo product riding on VW’s MEB platform. Volkswagen’s own EVs also ride on that very same dedicated all-electric platform, including the ID.4 and a host of future products. Now, after literal years of waiting, the next product in that lineup has finally been revealed – the Volkswagen ID. Buzz, a retro-style van with a futuristic powertrain that will do battle with an increasingly large number of Ford Transit Custom models in Europe before launching in the U.S. later on down the road.
Volkswagen once dominated the van market, decades before it became incredibly popular again in recent years. Now, the Volkswagen ID. Buzz will attempt to recapture some of that magic with a decidedly retro appearance that pays tribute to the VW buses of the 1960s and 1970s, with short overhangs, colorful two-tone paint jobs, and a host of nifty quirks, features, and Easter eggs hidden throughout.
The ID. Buzz will be offered in a variety of configurations, including the shorter-length two-row passenger van and cargo van variants for Europe only, as well as a longer-wheelbase, three-row passenger version for North America. European models will utilize an 82.0 kWh battery pack and a rear-mounted 201 horsepower electric motor, while the U.S. version will be available with two motors and all-wheel drive, along with a larger battery pack. VW hasn’t yet released any details regarding range for any of the ID. Buzz models, though the van will support DC fast charging rates up to 170 kW.
The ID. Buzz continues its cheerful, retro vibe inside the cabin, which has a large amount of cargo space thanks to the aforementioned short overhangs and boxy shape. The Euro version utilizes either a 10- or optional 12-inch infotainment screen, along with a digital instrument cluster, all of which (along with the controls) looks like it was taken straight from the ID.4, for better or worse.
The Volkswagen ID. Buzz is scheduled to enter production in Europe in Q3 of 2022 at the automaker’s plant in Hanover, Germany, but North American buyers will have to wait until sometime in 2024 to get their hands on the retro model, which was originally revealed way back at the 2017 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
We’ll have more on everything Ford’s competition is up to soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for 24/7 Ford news coverage.
No Comments yet