Volkswagen will launch a production version of 2017's ID Buzz concept car around 2022, including here in the United States.
The vehicle will serve as a spiritual successor to the iconic Microbus. While the Microbus lives on outside the U.S. as the Transporter, the arrival of the ID Buzz won't come at a cost of the popular van. In fact, a new seventh-generation Transporter is being developed.
Instead, the ID Buzz, together with VW's SUV line, is more likely to replace the Touran and Sharan minivans sold overseas, Autocar reported on Wednesday based on comments made by VW R&D chief Frank Welsch.
2020 Volkswagen Touran
“Now we have other concepts (in place of minivans), such as the Tiguan Allspace seven-seat SUV,” he said. “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 Touran is expected to be dropped after the current model reaches the end of its lifecycle in the next couple of years. The slightly larger Sharan is already set to be axed at the end of 2020.
As for the production version of the ID Buzz, it will ride on Volkswagen Group's MEB modular platform for mainstream electric cars. There will likely be both private and commercial versions, and battery sizes ranging up to 111 kilowatt-hours, or enough for more than 300 miles of range.
