This week, on Wednesday March 9th, Volkswagen will officially unveil the modern, all-electric version of its iconic Type 2 model. For now, the updated van is known as the ID.Buzz, but we'll have to see what happens to that name when the veil lifts.
For now, after the requisite spy shots recently teased the exterior and interior of the newest VW, the company is teasing us some more with the first official images. And it's the interior that's in the spotlight, not surprisingly; we're saving the exterior for Wednesday's presentation.
In base form, the van seats up to five people and offers cargo space in the back. This short/regular wheelbase model is not intended for North America (more on our versions later). Buyers will have a choice of seven colours for the interior, but also the option to go with one of four two-tone approaches. Some will even be inspired by the colour schemes that were available when the original microbus arrived on the market in 1950. Better yet, these will be matched to the paint, all for a... buzz effect. The photos shared byh VW show it well: the colours of the interior will also be those of the bodywork.
And there will be some nice little aesthetic touches, like the design of the vehicle's silhouette engraved inside some interior surfaces. As for the equipment, we'll have to wait for the official presentation, although ultimately, we'll only know for sure when we see the Canadian version's details. Volkswagen sometimes succeeds in singling out our variants, so we'll have to keep an open mind when we see the model this week.
Built on the MEB modular platform, the ID.Buzz features an 82-kWh lithium-ion battery. This powers a rear-mounted electric motor, for an output of 201 hp. In our case, we'll wait for the long-wheelbase, seven-seat version, set to be presented later. We're also anticipating an all-wheel drive variant for the Canadian market, similar to the ID.4 SUV, which uses the same components. The latter will offer more power and capacity. As for range, the ID.4's figures (some 400 km) can serve as a basis, but again, several things remain to be confirmed.
Much more will be known about the model on Wednesday. After that, fanswill have to be patient because this new addition could take two years to reach our roads.
