What's the first thing we thought of when the Volkswagen Bulli rolled out at tonight's reveal? We'll give you a hint; it wasn't the Microbus.
That's what Volkswagen wanted us to think, of course, but we weren't feeling it. Sitting there on the stage, the Bulli looked more like a slightly more stylish Scion xB.
Volkswagen would counter that argument with the fact that the Bulli concept is an all-electric vehicle with zero emissions, so clearly it is a one-of-a-kind machine. It has a theoretical range of around 186 miles says Volkswagen, but its top speed is only 87 mph and the 0-60 time is a rather leisurely 11.5 seconds. Don't worry, though; the Bulli was also built to house any number of Volkswagen's small-displacement four-cylinder gas engines, too. With one of those providing the power, the Bulli might be a little more than just a wannabe xB.
ed124c says:
03:53 PM, 02/28/11
It is too small for the price tag they will probably put on it. It might as well be a Tiguan-- another VW that is too small for its asking price.
Why is it so chopped off in the rear? It really limits cargo capacity. It would look fine if it had about a foot more of rear overhang.
Too bad it has a front hood, etc., because it is probably as long as the original VW Microbus, but the original had way more interior room than this has, due to the flat four under the rear deck. Of course, nobody wants to drive a vehicle where your feet are resting on the front bumper, which is just about the layout of the original.
So, we get this. If you want it. Apparently the new Tiguan costs 33K in Germany. Just imagine how much this will cost.
I'll take a Mazda5, with a stick, for about 20K, if I want a small van. Then again, we really don't know how good the new Ford C-Max will be.
cjasis says:
04:06 PM, 02/28/11
I think it's fantastic.
technetium99 says:
04:19 PM, 02/28/11
I saw the picture before reading the caption and I thought it was another character from Cars 2.
throwback says:
05:18 PM, 02/28/11
Is this on the up! platform.
heidis says:
06:07 PM, 02/28/11
So we'll all be stuck behind it on any grade greater than .5% then? Very true to the original microbus character.
jsforbes says:
06:36 PM, 02/28/11
I bet that anything resembling the original microbus in terms of layout would be impossible to make given current safety standards.
Too bad, this thing looks dopey.
jrhoglund1 says:
09:45 AM, 03/ 1/11
ITS DIFFERENT, MAYBE EVEN COOL...IF IT CAME WITH A 2.0 TURBO AND WAS PRICED UNDER 25K LOADED. JUST SAYING.......
roger03 says:
06:44 PM, 03/ 1/11
I also find it looks fantastic while maximizing interior space.
jorge05 says:
02:51 AM, 03/ 2/11
A Microbus for only 4 passengers? I find that nonsense. And if it becomes to production it will be with certainty, EXTREMELY overpriced, like every car VW produces.
anthony94114 says:
09:23 PM, 03/ 2/11
This is more like a Fiat Multipla or a Honda FRV- two rows of 3-across seating, so it IS a six-seater. Is it the answer to a question anyone was asking?
A big, real van-sized bus reinvention like the prototype they showed 10 years ago would be awesome. In fact, that vehicle today hasn't aged a moment. Just build and sell THAT.