Official: Volkswagen Kombi to return

After at least five previous attempts, Volkswagen has finally committed to releasing a modern replacement for its beloved Kombi van, which was discontinued after an unrivalled 56-year production run in 2013.

Unlike the original Kombi — known as the Microbus in the US and Bulli in Germany — VW’s second born-again classic after the Beetle will be a cutting-edge, all-electric people-mover and commercial van that will be able to drive itself when it’s released in 2022.

However, it’s not yet clear whether the production version of the I.D. BUZZ concept, which emerged at this year’s Detroit motor show, will be sold outside North America, Europe and China.

Confirming the I.D. BUZZ for series production at California’s Pebble Concours d'Elegance car show over the weekend, Volkswagen CEO Dr Herbert Diess said the German giant’s I.D. EV family, which will launch with a small five-door hatch in 2020, will concentrate on those big left-hand drive markets.

"This vehicle unites past and future as well as Pebble Beach and the Silicon Valley,“ said Diess.

"The vehicle is an important pillar in Volkswagen's electric drive initiative and carries the Microbus driving feeling into the future.

"After the presentations at the global motor shows in Detroit and Geneva, we received a large number of letters and emails from customers who said, 'please build this car‘.

"The Microbus, which is what the Bulli is called in America, has always been part of the California lifestyle. Now we're bringing it back by developing Volkswagen's next e-generation and by reinventing the Bulli as an electric vehicle."

As well as a passenger model, VW said the production version would be available as a commercial van dubbed the I.D. BUZZ Cargo.

"Along with a minibus version, we'll also be offering an I.D. BUZZ Cargo variant for zero-emission delivery operations in a Level 3 vehicle that boasts a high degree of automated driving capability," said Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles CEO Dr Eckhard Scholz. "It's an ideal electric van concept, particularly for inner cities."

Measuring 4942mm long, 1976mm wide and 1963mm tall and riding on a massive 3300mm wheelbase, the I.D. BUZZ concept was about the same size as a VW Transporter.

It incorporated a 111kWh lithium-ion battery in its floor, a 150kW electric motor at each end, variable seating for up to eight people, interactive connectivity and a high level of automated driving.

Volkswagen said many of its technologies will carry over into production, meaning it’s likely to also offer all-wheel drive, 275kW of total system power, 0-100km/h acceleration in about five seconds, a 160km/h top speed and 600km of driving range.

The I.D. BUZZ’s battery is claimed to take 30 minutes to charge to 80 per cent, which is enough for a 480km drive.

Volkswagen has also proposed a 200kW two-wheel drive version, which would be closer to the original Kombi’s rear-drive, rear-motor concept.

It remains to be seen whether other aspects of the concept’s innovative features make production, which will take place in Hanover, Germany – the same plant where all six previous generations of the Kombi were built.

These include its 22-inch wheels, air suspension, front seats that swivel 180 degrees and a combined touch pad and steering wheel that retracts into the dashboard to maximise interior space when the car is in the I.D. Pilot mode that Volkswagen plans to introduce in 2025.

The reincarnated Kombi, which follows the 2011 Bulli concept and the 2016 BUDD-e concept, will be just one of five all-new, battery-electric I.D. models based on Volkswagen’s Modularen Elekrisch Baukasten (MEB) scalable electric-car architecture.

The MEB EV platform is also expected to spawn a sports car and an SUV, the latter already previewed by the I.D. Crozz concept at this year’s Shanghai show.

Under its Strategy 2025 business plan, the world’s largest car-maker hopes to sell more than a million EVs per annum globally by 2025, by which time it plans on selling more than 30 battery-powered models.

The future of these vehicles remains unclear in Australia, where Volkswagen is yet to offer an electrified vehicle of any kind.

However, the German brand is currently testing the Golf GTE plug-in hybrid here ahead of a likely local launch next year, and previously told motoring.com.au the I.D. model family would become available in Australia if it could be priced competitively.

While the I.D. hatch is expected to cost around $40,000 and also travel up to 600km between charges, making it competitive with EV rivals such as Nissan’s next LEAF, there’s no guantee the I.D. BUZZ people-mover will make it here — despite Australia’s love affair with VW’s original Kombi.