Volkswagen Bulli Concept
Time for another trip down memory lane. Recall the Volkswagen Microbus concept shown in Detroit a decade ago; we’ll give you a moment. This Bulli concept—the moniker resurrects a popular German nickname for the T1 VW Bus—is supposedly a sequel to that earlier show van. Whereas the original and the 2001 concept were, you know, buses, this little tribute is a compact MPV with four hinged doors. The Bulli makes its debut at the 2011 Geneva auto show.
Honey, I Shrunk the Time Machine
It would perhaps more accurately be called a Nanobus, but Volkswagen design at least got the retro cues right without overdoing it. The concept bears the two-tone treatment so popular on the original, with red and white hues gathering at the front to form the V-shaped altar for one large VW logo. The lighting elements are LEDs to better match current VW design, and the chrome-hubcapped wheels get a futuristic turbine-fin treatment that alludes to the electric powertrain that spins the front wheels.
Two benches provide seating for six. The floor is flat, and the seats are reconfigurable: the rear seat can be stowed, and the whole mess can be rearranged to form a bed. Cargo capacity in six-passenger mode is 13 cubic feet, expandable to 57 behind the front seats. The center of the dash is dominated by an iPad-as-media-center that controls a Fender-branded sound system; VW has retained hard controls for the climate-control system, however. There’s a utilitarian cleanliness to the interior’s design, like a German interpretation of the Japan-only second-gen Nissan Cube cabin. Pull the iPad out, and the interior is practically ready for the assembly line.
The Bulli’s electric motor resides up front and is powered by a 40-kWh lithium-ion battery pack that sits below the floor. The electric motor produces 114 hp (85 kW) and 199 lb-ft of torque, and is capable of propelling the 3200-pound retromobile to 62 mph in 11.5 seconds and on to a top speed of 87 mph. The battery is said to provide a range of about 186 miles.
What’s Up, Microbus?
Ignore the retro front end for a moment, and you notice a greenhouse and daylight openings that almost exactly match those of the Space Up! concept and the fleet of city-specific taxis it has spawned. The 102-inch wheelbase is within concept-to-concept error of the Space Up!, as well. Given that and the fact that VW says the concept’s batteries are sandwiched in the floor (just as they will be in electrified versions of the Up!), not to mention other similarities in size, weight, and EV output, it’s pretty likely that this car rides on VW’s next-gen small-car platform.
As to the probability of a production version, there are some not-so-subtle hints. VW says the Bulli concept could “establish a new, fifth brand of people carrier” alongside its Caddy, Touran, Sharan, and Caravelle lines. (Read: It will.) In addition to the EV powertrain, the platform “can also incorporate” gas and turbo-diesel engines, “with 1.0- or 1.4-liter displacement.” (It will do that, too.) VW has a whole range of 1.0-liter three- and four-cylinder gas engines, some turbo- and twincharged 1.4-liter gas four-cylinders, and a 1.4-liter three-cylinder turbo-diesel at its disposal.
The Bulli is better looking than any of the umpteen—we’ve lost count—Up! concepts, and certainly the most likely to be shipped to our shores. If the Bulli does become reality, we wouldn’t mind seeing it in the States. Just don’t take ten years to make up your mind, okay, VW?
Time for another trip down memory lane. Recall the Volkswagen Microbus concept shown in Detroit a decade ago; we’ll give you a moment. This Bulli concept—the moniker resurrects a popular German nickname for the T1 VW Bus—is supposedly a sequel to that earlier show van. Whereas the original and the 2001 concept were, you know, buses, this little tribute is a compact MPV with four hinged doors. The Bulli makes its debut at the 2011 Geneva auto show.
Honey, I Shrunk the Time Machine
It would perhaps more accurately be called a Nanobus, but Volkswagen design at least got the retro cues right without overdoing it. The concept bears the two-tone treatment so popular on the original, with red and white hues gathering at the front to form the V-shaped altar for one large VW logo. The lighting elements are LEDs to better match current VW design, and the chrome-hubcapped wheels get a futuristic turbine-fin treatment that alludes to the electric powertrain that spins the front wheels.
Two benches provide seating for six. The floor is flat, and the seats are reconfigurable: the rear seat can be stowed, and the whole mess can be rearranged to form a bed. Cargo capacity in six-passenger mode is 13 cubic feet, expandable to 57 behind the front seats. The center of the dash is dominated by an iPad-as-media-center that controls a Fender-branded sound system; VW has retained hard controls for the climate-control system, however. There’s a utilitarian cleanliness to the interior’s design, like a German interpretation of the Japan-only second-gen Nissan Cube cabin. Pull the iPad out, and the interior is practically ready for the assembly line.
The Bulli’s electric motor resides up front and is powered by a 40-kWh lithium-ion battery pack that sits below the floor. The electric motor produces 114 hp (85 kW) and 199 lb-ft of torque, and is capable of propelling the 3200-pound retromobile to 62 mph in 11.5 seconds and on to a top speed of 87 mph. The battery is said to provide a range of about 186 miles.
What’s Up, Microbus?
Ignore the retro front end for a moment, and you notice a greenhouse and daylight openings that almost exactly match those of the Space Up! concept and the fleet of city-specific taxis it has spawned. The 102-inch wheelbase is within concept-to-concept error of the Space Up!, as well. Given that and the fact that VW says the concept’s batteries are sandwiched in the floor (just as they will be in electrified versions of the Up!), not to mention other similarities in size, weight, and EV output, it’s pretty likely that this car rides on VW’s next-gen small-car platform.
As to the probability of a production version, there are some not-so-subtle hints. VW says the Bulli concept could “establish a new, fifth brand of people carrier” alongside its Caddy, Touran, Sharan, and Caravelle lines. (Read: It will.) In addition to the EV powertrain, the platform “can also incorporate” gas and turbo-diesel engines, “with 1.0- or 1.4-liter displacement.” (It will do that, too.) VW has a whole range of 1.0-liter three- and four-cylinder gas engines, some turbo- and twincharged 1.4-liter gas four-cylinders, and a 1.4-liter three-cylinder turbo-diesel at its disposal.
The Bulli is better looking than any of the umpteen—we’ve lost count—Up! concepts, and certainly the most likely to be shipped to our shores. If the Bulli does become reality, we wouldn’t mind seeing it in the States. Just don’t take ten years to make up your mind, okay, VW?
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