VW Cruelly Teases an ID Buzz Pickup Concept It’ll Never Build
It’s a glorious throwback to the company’s classic Type 2 cab chassis pickup models.
The Volkswagen ID Buzz has been one of the company's most keenly-awaited products in a long time. The retro-styled reimagining of the classic VW Bus will bring the company screaming into the age of EVs, while looking damn fine to boot. Now, Volkswagen is adding fuel to the excitement fire by sharing a render of a very stylish ID Buzz pickup.
The ID Buzz was first revealed to the world in 2017 at the North American Auto Show, before finally entering production this year for the European market. The US will have to wait a little longer, until 2024. However, the reward for that patience will be a longer-wheelbase model with three rows of seats. The Drive's Stef Schrader got behind the wheel of a Euro-spec model earlier this year and praised the responsive electric drivetrain and practical interior.
As for the pickup concept, VW says the render is an "unseen design draft" from earlier in the development process. It bears a strong resemblance to the ID Buzz Cargo concept shown in 2018, which was VW's idea of an electric work van. Both lack the flap on the body panel just behind the right rear wheel that's seen on the European production models, for example.
The pickup design appears to have four doors. No proper handles are visible, so it's difficult to figure out exactly how they open. However, the fact that the two doors meet in the middle suggests the designer may have been considering a suicide door setup, where the rear door opens towards the back of the car.
There's also a helpful step cut into the side of the body to ease access into the bed. It's likely the concept was envisaged to be built on the long-wheelbase version of the ID Buzz, so as to allow for a decent-sized bed.
Unfortunately, the render is likely to remain just that; VW has expressed no plans to bring such a version of the ID Buzz into production. While the classic VW Type 2 bus had some success with a pickup version, it's unlikely an ID Buzz pickup would have the practicality and storage to make it a capable competitor for modern pickup trucks.
Those looking for a work vehicle in this vein would instead be directed towards the ID Buzz Cargo, which comes complete with a three-person bench seat up front. It provides plenty storage space in the rear, and as a bonus, the enclosed van protects anything in the back from theft or the elements. It just doesn't have quite the same fun-loving spirit as the pickup design, is all.
Thus, it's unlikely we'll be throwing surfboards in the back of an ID Buzz pickup anytime soon. Regardless, it's a fun design study, and who knows—if the new model takes off to some huge degree, maybe we'll get that pickup one day down the line.
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