Volkswagen brings back the Microbus as the ID.Buzz. While it’s already be on sale in European waters, the U.S. version is coming in June.
The micro bus revival is already all the rage across the pond. But how do we know it’s going to be a hit over here in the States? Well, from what we know, when VW makes the debut of the ID.Buzz in June, it’ll show up with a long-wheelbase. Also, it is going to go on sale in the United States for the 2024 model year. Of course, the prototype of the LWB van is testing well in winter-like conditions, allowing us a first look at it in a totally separate configuration than what we’re used to seeing.
Such a difference is evident when you notice how the European model uses a short-wheelbase, while the United States are going to favor that of a longer wheelbase. If you really can’t tell, Google the pictures of each variation and notice the length of the rear sliding doors on both.
Go ahead. Look at those ID.Buzzes. We’ll wait.
In any case, the two of the same car are totally twins on the outside perspective. It’s to be expected that the American model will be standard with three-row of seats for a total of seven passengers. Meanwhile, the European identity will only hold two rows of seats.
Of course, there could be multiple other interior trim differences, but the excitement comes when Volkswagen hits us with many and any colors to choose from as the market opens up.
Volkswagen believes that the admittedly larger ID.Buzz for the U.S.A. will hold a huger battery pack than the 77.0-kilowatt hours pack that is made available beyond the United States. When looking at the base model, it will hold a single rear-mounted electric motor, as it produces about 201 horsepower. All while the dual-motor uses an all-wheel-drive upgrade for optional reasons. It may very well offer 295 horsepower, similar to that of the AWD option in the ID.4 SUV.
As of yet, it’s too early to say whether or not the spec sheet for the U.S. model will be revealed. And yet, the European ID.Buzz makes for a good ride on the MEB platform with a stellar 82 kilowatt hours battery pack. In the rear, there’s an electric motor that develops about 201 horsepower that can also produce about 229 lb-ft of torque. Such a setup enables acceleration in the van from zero to 62 miles per hour in about 10.2 seconds, with a top speed of 90 miles per hour. The model exemplifies about 263 miles to reach with the WLTP range.
To underpin the ID.Buzz would be the Volkswagen Group’s MEB platform designed for mainstream EVs. It can also be found in the VW ID.4, found already in U.S. showrooms. Of course the biggest battery in the ID.Buzz presently could be an 82-kilowatt hours unit, with a long-wheelbase body that holds on to the battery with a 111-kilowatt hours capacity that can easily take down 300 miles on one charge.
Volkswagen is making the ID.Buzz exclusively at the plant in Hannover, Germany. If that sounds familiar, you may know that it is also where VW creates the T-Series line of vans overseas. That’s as close as you can get to a successor of the true Microbus from back in the day. The seventh generation had shown up as recently as 2021. Of course, there’s a likelihood that the ID.Buzz will also be built at the plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
