When Volkswagen unveiled the ID. Buzz, the world was ecstatic, and when they announced that it would become a reality. A new Volkswagen bus was a dream come true. But now everyone is already wondering about the longevity of the model, and if we were to guess, we think the ID. Buzz will be discontinued earlier than one might expect. There might be a facelift, but we find it hard to believe there will be a completely new generation with the same theme.
Volkswagen isn’t particularly good at the retro game. They revived the Beetle once before, and around the same time, the Fiat 500 and Mini Cooper were also revived. Those two models are still thriving and alive, while the new Beetle has been dead and buried for a long time. Perhaps Volkswagen should stick to making boring cars that people actually want?
Volkswagen’s CEO doesn’t seem inclined to bring back more quirky models and wants to focus on the strong and successful brands. Thomas Schäfer had this to say to Autocar:
We have decided that we will not throw away the traditional, successful names that have carried us for so long, that we have invested in for so long, like the Golf and Tiguan. Why would you let them go? Of course, we have many names in our history, but there are only, I would say, a little over a handful that are truly iconic and global. There are the typical ones, Golf, Tiguan… Would you choose Scirocco or Arteon? Probably not.
It seems, therefore, that the ID frenzy will disappear as soon as possible, if Thomas has his way. Which feels a bit ironic when they are in the process of launching the ID.7. When asked about the Beetle’s return, he responds that you should never say never, but it’s not currently on the table.
From where I stand now, I wouldn’t consider it. It’s the same as the Scirocco: it had its time, then a new model based on an interpretation came. Doing it again? I don’t think so. And to continue balancing all these technologies and the associated costs, you have to invest money in the best possible place.
In other words, focus. Both Thomas Schäfer and Oliver Blume, CEO of Volkswagen Group and Porsche, respectively, seem extremely focused. The important models need to be in place, and quickly, so don’t expect any nonsense or extravagance from Volkswagen before 2030.
