New Volkswagen I.D. Buggy concept revealed ahead of Geneva debut

The all-electric Volkswagen I.D. Buggy concept sits on the brand's MEB platform, and takes its cues from American dune buggies of the past

Volkswagen’s unrelenting onslaught of electric vehicle releases continues with the announcement of a new EV dune buggy concept. Like the I.D. Buzz, the new car, expected to be called I.D. Buggy, takes inspiration from a past icon in VW’s history: the Beetle-based beach buggies of the ‘60s and ‘70s.

The concept is set to be revealed in full at the Geneva Motor Show in March, with only a couple of dark teaser images to whet our appetite until then. The nods to the original are clear though: chunky, off-road tyres sit within huge wheel arches that flare out from the sides of the doorless cabin.

• Volkswagen I.D. Buzz concept review

As with other I.D. models, the nose features a backlit Volkswagen logo, while the headlights take inspiration from the round spotlights of the original. Extra protection for the buggy and its occupants come in the form of a rear roll bar and a skid plate to shield the floor pan.

That floorpan is a variation of the VW Group’s MEB platform, and the concept has been produced, in part, to demonstrate its versatility.

While the original buggies were rear-engined and rear-wheel drive, the concept’s use of electric motors would enable the possibility of a twin-motor setup for four wheel drive. As yet, however, no specs about the concept’s drive configuration, range or power output have been released.

While a production model isn’t yet confirmed, the concept shows that, thanks to MEB, niche models such as this are a possibility in future.

Click here for all the latest in the build-up to the 2019 Geneva Motor Show…

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