Volkswagen’s ID Buzz has been confirmed to get a camper version – and now an ID ute is on the cards.
The new Volkswagen ID Buzz EV is in line to receive an open-backed ute variant to rival the Rivian R1T, according to a previously unseen design sketch revealed by a senior designer.
Shared on World Design Day by Volkswagen Group design boss Klaus Zyciora, the sketch shows the original Buzz concept with the rear third of its roof removed for an open-top ute bed.
The designer didn’t share any further details about the digital sketch, but he did ask if fans would like to see it taken “to the next level” and many on Instagram responded: “Build it; build it now!”
In a separate tweet, VW also suggested other versions could be on the cards, adding: “There are a lot of unseen design drafts.”
Notably, Volkswagen bosses recently revealed to us that an electric version of the Amarok (and the new Ford Ranger) is on the cards and could be launched around the middle of the decade. However, this would be marketed with a more overt commercial focus than any ute version of the lifestyle-friendly ID Buzz.
The ID Buzz, an electric follow-up to the 1950s Microbus available in MPV and van forms, comes equipped with a single-motor electric powertrain used by other ID models, with 150kW and 310Nm of torque sent to the rear wheels.
Official pricing has yet to be announced, but the line-up will start at around £40,000 (AUD$70,000) for the van and increase for the MPV. No Volkswagen ID models have yet been confirmed for Australia.
These most recent sketches were released just over a year after a convertible variant of the Volkswagen ID 3 was teased. Volkswagen CEO Ralf Brandstätter suggested that an open-roof version of the brand’s electric hatchback “could provide an entirely new, extraordinary feeling of freedom”.
Will Rimell