Volkswagen Bulli concept
Now it's back. Volkswagen's newer take on the, er, new Kombi, was shown at Geneva motor show - but though the shape is familiar, it's not what you'd expect. For one the Bulli - the German nickname for the original 1950 concept - is smaller. Second, it's powered by batteries.
Yes, it's just a concept but whispers on the Geneva show floor say it's very possibly in showroom contention. Volkswagen product director Ulrich Hackenberg says there's a "big chance" it will be built.
The concept Bulli gets seating for six - three in the front, three in the back - and runs on lithium-ion batteries stored under the floor. The concept has a single, 85kW/270Nm electric motor under the blunt nose and drives the front wheels.
Volkswagen claims a 0-100km/h time of 11.5 seconds (compared to an hour and a half in the 1960s Kombi) and a 300km range. But for production, Volkswagen is looking at a petrol or diesel engine.
Given the space under that short nose, this is likely to be the 1.2-litre, three-cylinder petrol or diesel engines. All the cues of the past - except the gaping accommodation in the rear - are there including the bold VW emblem on the nose.
As for size, it's small. The Bulli is 3900mm long (the 1969 bay-window Kombi is 4350mm); with a 2550mm wheelbase (2400mm in 1969), and is 1650mm tall (1918mm).
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