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.
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.”
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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.
Looks great
Sundym wrote:
Sundym wrote:
Synthetic fuel is just the
Disagree
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 .
Numerous studies have shown
shiakas wrote:
ID Buzz