Volkswagen Microbus Is Coming Back

The company said on Friday it plans to launch the car in question in the United States in late 2023. Scott Keogh said during a media interview that ID.Buzz is one of the "most anticipated and most exciting" models of the Volkswagen brand since the company introduced the new Beetle in the late 1990s. On Thursday Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess said, "The legend returns on March 9, 2022!". Volkswagen has shown off a number of prototypes for a new Microbus over the past decade. But previous show vans - Budd.E and Bulli - never went into production, much to the disappointment of fans of the vehicle. Keogh said the three-row version of ID.Buzz will launch in late 2023 or early 2024 in the United States, where the original microbus has become a cultural icon. Volkswagen does not plan to initially manufacture the ID.Buzz model at its US plant in Chattanooga. “We aim to reach 100,000 units before localization,” Keogh said. The company said it will increase production of the ID.4 electric SUV in Chattanooga this year. Earlier on Friday, Volkswagen said sales of VW brand vehicles in the US rose 15% in 2021, largely driven by strong sales of gasoline-powered SUV models such as Atlas and Tiguan. Keogh stated that vehicle shortages resulting from problems in the chip supply chain will continue to limit vehicle production and sales in the United States through 2022. He said he believes as many as two million potential car buyers did not purchase vehicles in 2021 due to a lack of supply, creating pent-up demand for this year and beyond.