Volkswagen ID. Buzz ute concept revealed

On the occasion of World Design Day, Volkswagen has presented a rendering of an ID. Buzz pickup truck concept.

The picture was tweeted out overnight from the company with the note: “Today is World Design Day. On the way from the idea to production, many unseen design drafts are created – like this one: An ID. Buzz pickup!”

Volkswagen then asks users to comment and vote via emoji. At the time of writing, the overwhelming majority of respondents were positive about the car.

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The ute rendering is based on the 2017 ID. Buzz concept rather the final production version. Aside from the tub, the Ute concept has smaller rear doors and a small step forward of the rear wheel arch.

The ID Buzz was inspired by Kombi Vans of yesteryear, and Volkswagen has offered a Ute version of each generation of vans.

It’s unclear at this point how seriously the company is considering building a Ute based on its retro-styled electric people mover and van.

The company has been considering a recreational pickup truck for the lucrative US market for many years, but has yet to put anything into production. The most recent attempt in this regard was the Atlas Tanoak concept in 2018.

Based on the MQB architecture and sharing much with the family-friendly Atlas crossover, the Tanoak would have been more of a competitor for the Honda Ridgeline than mid-size body-on-frame models like the Toyota Tacoma, Chevrolet Colorado, Nissan Frontier, and Ford Ranger .

Speaking of the latter, the next-gen Volkswagen Amarok will use the same platform, powertrain and electronics package as the Ford Ranger.

While that makes the new Amarok a tech possibility for the US, it’s in all likelihood a non-starter since the new Ute will be built in South Africa. The 25 percent “chicken tax” for light trucks and vans imported into the USA would make the new Amarok uncompetitive.

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