What's the news?
Volkswagen has revealed what may turn out to be the coolest concept of the Geneva motor show 2019 - the all-electric ID. Buggy Concept. It's, very obviously, a salute to the classic Meyers Manx buggies of the sixties and seventies. These simple, one-piece fibreglass creations were mounted on a Beetle chassis, suspension, and engines and that's the idea behind the ID. Buggy Concept; take a cool looking body, and drop it over a sensible mechanical package. In this case, the package just happens to be the Volkswagen Group's new MEB electric car architecture.
Underneath the funky bodywork is a 62kWh battery, and a single 201hp electric motor. That motor is, but of course, mounted at the rear and drives the rear wheels only. Volkswagen says that it's good for around 250km between charge-ups. That layout is flexible, though. As well as having the ability to easily switch this two-seater layout into a 2+2, Volkswagen says that it could also potentially add an extra electric motor at the front to create a 4WD Buggy.
That will probably happen, too, as the word coming from the Geneva show floor is that in spite of the toy-like styling of the ID. Buggy, there's serious production intent behind it and that it will eventually become a production leisure off-roader.
Painted in matte Fern Green, while the bottom portion is painted in a textured Grey Tech Blue, the ID. Buggy looks achingly cool and lacks any roof, doors, or bootlid. There are 18-inch wheels with BF Goodrich off-road tyres, a solid aluminium bash plate under the chassis that protects delicate suspension and battery parts, and red steel eyelets built into the bottom of the chassis so that the Buggy can tow or be towed if needed.
There's no roof, as such, but there is a black tarpaulin that can be stretched between the windscreen header and the targa-style rollover bar for a bit of rudimentary weather protection. The entire cabin has been made water resistant, with non-slip patterns on the floor and seats that are basically simple, integrated plastic shells.
0-100km/h is claimed at 7.9 seconds, and the top speed is limited to 160km/h.
Here's hoping that the claims of production readiness are true. Has Volkswagen maybe created the most desirable electric car yet?