For the United States and Canada, the première has already taken place in Huntington Beach in California on 2 June, the date which has been proclaimed ‘Volkswagen Bus Day’. For Europe, however, it will be necessary to wait for the imminent VW Bus Festival in Hannover scheduled from 23 to 25 June.
We are talking about the debut of the long version – with three rows of seats – of the recent Vokswagen ID.Buzz minibus which represents a further step forward in the electrification strategy of the Wolfsburg company, especially in terms of communication and marketing.
This is because the Lwb (long wheelbase) version is closest in positioning – and could also be in collecting value – to the legendary Samba Bus with 23 windows from the 50s and 60s. In the modern ID.Buzz Lwb this anthology of window openings has instead been replaced by high tech with the debut of a new concept panoramic sunroof with electronically controlled darkening, the largest glass roof ever produced by Volkswagen.
“Volkswagen is an extremely strong global brand with a great history, with millions of loyal fans and with legendary products – commented Thomas Schäfer, member of the board of management of Volkswagen AG, for large-volume brands – and this is even more evident at what is the largest VW Bus festival in the United States”.
“I am delighted that the Volkswagen Group of America team is celebrating the premiere of the ID.Buzz with a long wheelbase. With this model, we are taking a big step towards becoming a passion brand again.”
With a length of 4,962 mm and an internal layout of up to seven seats, the new ID.Buzz is ready for marketing in North America, which begins next year. The greater length of the car body derives from the increase in the wheelbase of 250 mm and therefore offers an increased width in the passenger compartment.
ID.Buzz Lwb therefore offers space for a third row of seats – which when folded down behind the two front ones form a large bed, the basis for a whole series of camper set-ups. The space on board rises up to 2,469 liters also available for the stowage of loads and objects, even voluminous ones.
Among the new features a larger 85 kWh net capacity battery that offers even more autonomy, a new heat pump to increase efficiency in winter and, above all, a 210 kW (286 HP) electric motor that increases the maximum speed up to the electronic limit of 160 km/h.
Volkswagen is at the same time expanding the range of possible applications of the ID.Buzz in Europe. Waiting to know more details on the version for the continental markets – which will be communicated at the Vw Bus Festival in Hanover – the Wolfsburg House itself has anticipated that in 2024 the GTX all-wheel drive version of ID.Buzz Lwb will be launched with a total power of 250kW (339hp). This model will be able to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.4 seconds.
Source: Ansa
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