VW I.D. Buzz gets OK for production

The Boss of Volkswagen, Herbert Diess, has confirmed to reporters that the company will put its I.D. Buzz concept electric MPV into production.

The EV features strong graphic references to the iconic Type 2 Microbus of the 1950s and ’60s, with a two-tone colour scheme where the upper level reaches down the nose of the car to make space for an enormous VW badge. Modernising the look is an LED headlight design (seen on all the I.D. concepts) that looks like cartoonish eyes to add “emotion.” In fact, adding emotion is the name of the game here:

“Emotional cars are very important for the brand. We are 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.”

That’s what Diess said to Auto Express during the launch event for the new Polo VI, which confirmed a production I.D. Buzz – a car with which we at CDN are very familiar, having covered it during both the Detroit and Geneva motor shows to give subscribers an overview of the semi-autonomous car, and a closer look inside.

During one of these, interior designer Thorsten Richter hinted that this car reaching production was distinctly plausible, saying, “Since we said this car is autonomous, and one of our bosses said that will come for us in 2022, you can guess [what it would be]… if we make it.”

Make that ‘when’, then. Though the early 2020s is as close as anybody will predict at present.