The long wheelbase variant of the all-new Volkswagen ID. Buzz electric minivan, which was designed specifically for the United States market, was revealed just a couple of days ago, but discussions over possible unfair dealer markups have already surfaced online, even though there’s no price list yet.
In a recent piece published by Automotive News, VW Group of America CEO Pablo Di Si says that the company needs to find a way to keep dealers and customers happy, but that one thing is certain: there will be no price gouging on the new all-electric people-carrier.
"We cannot make a mistake [with] this vehicle. With respect to the customer ... let's discuss it. We have a good relationship with the [dealer] network," he said for Automotive News. "We cannot have markups."
Ford recently announced that starting next year, it will adopt a no-haggle strategy for the sales of its EVs, with customers getting the choice to buy the car online and set up a remote delivery, without having to go through the classic dealer experience.
Gallery: US-Spec 2024 Volkswagen ID. Buzz LWB
It seems that VW is looking to do something similar, but as Di Si puts it, a solution hasn’t been found yet:
"We need to find a fair way ... for the consumer and the dealer — there's no overpricing, that the system doesn't crash," he said. "We have, I would say, another three to five months to figure it out. We don't have the solution yet."
Sales of the ID. Buzz LWB are scheduled to start in the third quarter of this year, with the first made-in-Germany units slated to arrive States-side in the first part of next year, so there’s still time for the German brand to figure it out, but Di Si seems adamant in his belief that consumers can’t be penalized for the well-being of the dealers, even going as far as excluding the possibility of a premium-priced launch edition: "I don't think people should pay more," he said.
In Germany, a short-wheelbase Volkswagen ID. Buzz starts at around $58,500 (54.669 €), so it’s expected that the LWB variant, which is almost 10 inches longer and has three rows of seats instead of two, will be more expensive when it goes on sale in the US.
Additionally, because it will be built outside North America, ID. Buzz customers won’t benefit from the $7,500 tax credit when purchasing it from the dealer. However, a tax credit for leasing is still available.
As always, we’d like to know what you think about this, so head over to the comments section below to give us your thoughts.
