Could the Kombi finally, finally make a return?
Since 1949, the Volkswagen Kombi has always held a special place in the hearts of its fans. Some love it for its charm and character, others for its synonymity with the counterculture Hippie movement of the swinging ‘60s. This is what Volkswagen would describe as an “emotional car,” the kind that carries with it great sentiment to both the brand and its fans, the kind of car that Volkswagen previously said it didn’t want to focus on too much as it moves into the future.
Speaking to AutoExpress at the launch of the new Volkswagen Polo, company boss Herbert Diess said that “emotional cars are very important” for Volkswagen. “We are still selling loads of Beetles still, particularly in US markets. But we will also have the Microbus that we showed, which we have recently decided we will build.”
The ID Buzz is the second instalment in Volkswagen new range of ‘ID’ electric cars, that was first seen at this years’ Detroit Motor Show. Sitting on the modular MEB electric vehicle platform that debuted with the original Volkswagen ID hatchback (which we saw at the 2016 Paris motor show), the Buzz will offer immense amounts of space, something that VW’s design boss Oliver Stefani spoke about previously. “With the MEB platform, this is the chance now to get the proportions back. You can also get much more interior space, almost one class higher.”
The ID Buzz means a lot to the people within VW, too. Stefani commented some time ago, “We would like to bring this [Microbus] back because it fits so well with what the brand stands for: It’s emotional, it has functionality, it makes your life easier.” That last bit may have been in reference to the self-driving autonomy that the Buzz is expected to offer when it hits the market sometime after the ID hatchback goes on sale in 2020.
Stefani also went on to posit that there may be derivatives of the Buzz when it arrives, given its highly-customisable platform. “The T1 also had some family members. Like the pickup, the Camper, the Samba… so I think there are a lot of possibilities with this car.” This lines up with Volkswagen’s idea of transferring “a Microbus feeling into the future,” and may see the Buzz utilised as the face for the brands’ ridesharing service MOIA, which will go live in 2020.
With eight seats, a flat floor and impossibly short overhangs, the Buzz also packs retro Microbus touches like the plunging character line up front, oversized Volkswagen badge on the snout, and a two-tone exterior colour scheme. Despite riding on massive alloys and featuring complex LED headlights, it’s an unmistakable relative of the Kombi from the 50s and 60s. Couple that to the flexible layout offered by the flat floor and multi-adjustable chairs (that can swivel all the way round to make for a comfy ‘lounge’ setup while the car drives itself), and you can almost imagine fitting in a little cooker and flatbed for awesome camping holidays…
You can read our launch article of the I.D. Buzz here. And for more information on Volkswagen, check out our Showroom.
