Volkswagen's all-electric MPV ID.Buzz is about to enter China. The price determines its fate. The 180,000 yuan model will be very popular, while the 300,000 yuan model will definitely fail.

In the era of new energy, many old rules of the game in the automotive industry have been rewritten, and many previously unpopular car models will also be played out in a new way, MPV is one of them.

In the era of fuel vehicles, only a few MPVs such as Buick GL8, Toyota Sena, Honda Odyssey, Toyota Alphard, etc. can be recognized by users, and the sales volume has always been in a market of neither small nor large. In the past two years, due to the support of new energy, the concept of MPV has suddenly become popular, and major manufacturers have flocked to it.

Volkswagen has also recently joined this group, announcing that the pure electric MPV ID.Buzz will soon be launched in the Chinese market.

The most explosive news about this car recently is that its price in China may be as low as 180,000 yuan, which quickly attracted the attention of the entire network.

The main reason why Volkswagen ID.Buzz has attracted so much attention is its unique "cute" appearance. The current mainstream MPVs in China are generally similar to the "ancestor" Buick GL8, pursuing a wide body and a grand style, but ID.Buzz has taken another path beyond business - a family car that can accommodate three generations under one roof.

Its length is only 4712mm, which is similar to that of ordinary A-class cars, but its wheelbase reaches 2988mm, which is close to some medium and large MPVs. The reason for this "cross-level" wheelbase is that the front face of this car is extremely short and the tailgate is almost vertical to the ground, so the practical space inside the car far exceeds that of SUVs of the same level.

The front face has a simple shape, and the roof and side lines are straight. This design is rare in the current MPV market, and it has the unique temperament of a retro classic car.

ID.Buzz is expected to provide three seat layouts: 5-seat, 6-seat and 7-seat. After folding down, it can form a completely flat space, which will be a very luxurious "double bed" for self-driving tours and camping. Currently in the domestic market, there are not many MPVs that can fold the seats completely flat, which is very rare. From this function, it is likely to be favored by many family users.

In terms of interior, the Volkswagen ID.Buzz is equipped with a large-size central control screen, supports smart cockpit and intelligent driving assistance functions. The specific configuration information has not been announced, but this car starts at 55,000 euros in the European market. It is a high-end model and is expected to perform well in terms of intelligence.

In terms of power configuration, the 82kWh battery pack will become its "big heart", with a maximum output power of 201Ps and a maximum torque of 310N·m. The cruising range is a little shorter, only 400km. If you go camping, you have to find a place to recharge along the way, otherwise you will definitely be anxious.

From these basic information, it can be seen that Volkswagen ID.Buzz has certain strength, but the question is, what is the key to whether a car can sell well?

The Chinese market is so realistic. People can talk about feelings on the keyboard, but if they really want to support it, they will weigh it again and again. So in addition to performance, it is price.

The appearance, space and power of Volkswagen ID.Buzz are all quite good. The only thing that can stop it from becoming popular is its price.

As mentioned before, its starting price in Germany is 55,000 Euros, which is roughly equivalent to 435,000 RMB at the current exchange rate. If tariffs and other fees are taken into account, the starting price after entering China will have to be at least 500,000 RMB.

If it is really implemented at this price, its prospects in the domestic market may not be very good.

500,000 yuan can buy many other models such as the M9. For the local tycoon users, its cute baby shape that can only be used at home does not seem to match the price of 500,000 yuan - 500,000 yuan is enough to buy a car with toy and sentimental attributes. The parking space of the local tycoon is also tight. It's not that they can't afford it, but they just can't put too many cars in it.

But what if the starting price is really 180,000 yuan?

There is a tight parking space for a Volkswagen ID.Buzz that costs RMB 500,000, but there is room for it anywhere when it costs RMB 180,000.

The price difference is so huge, how likely is it that the price will drop by two-thirds in an instant?

Don’t say it’s impossible, Volkswagen has actually done this kind of thing.

The price of ID.3 in the domestic market is 120,000 yuan, but the starting price of the same car in the German domestic market is 39,000 euros, which is 320,000 yuan. This has made German users jealous and resentful until now. Their mood is just like when we see the price of a certain laptop in the United States.

Let's assume that the 180,000 yuan thing is true, then what kind of competitive environment will the Volkswagen ID.Buzz at this price face in China?

For comparison, Volkswagen's Touran L is also a compact MPV, priced at 166,800-195,800 yuan, but the wheelbase of this car is only 2791mm, which is nearly 20cm shorter than the Volkswagen ID.Buzz; the fuel consumption per 100 kilometers is about 6.5L, and the cost of using the car is several times that of the Volkswagen ID.Buzz.

In the new energy MPV segment, the Denza D9 is currently the only medium-to-large MPV that can sell over 10,000 units a month. However, the starting price of this car is as high as 339,800 yuan, which is still very "discouraging" for most family users. However, in terms of the diversity of usage scenarios, the D9 is absolutely better than the ID.Buzz. So even if the ID.Buzz is priced in the 300,000 yuan range, it will sigh in vain, "Since there is Yu, why is there Liang?"

So, it's still the price. Although ID.Buzz is a compact MPV, it has an interior space comparable to that of a medium-to-large MPV, and at the same time has a much lower cost than a fuel-powered car of the same level. Consumers who can't park a medium-to-large MPV in their garage can choose a small-sized, large-space model like ID.Buzz as a second choice.

To describe it with a popular word, it is: substitute.

The Volkswagen ID.Buzz, priced at RMB 180,000, can realize most of the functions of a high-end MPV of RMB 300,000. Even though it has certain shortcomings in terms of comfort and intelligence, it can still be recognized by many users.

No matter what, the key to how this car performs after entering China lies in its price.

If it is priced according to the European market, this car will most likely become another negative example for Volkswagen in China after the Volkswagen Viloran; if it adopts the same pricing strategy as the ID.3 and enters the Chinese market at an ultra-low price of 180,000 yuan, it will inevitably become a hot model.

At present, there are almost no compact MPVs that are truly recognized by users in the domestic market. If Volkswagen ID.Buzz really gives a reasonable price and occupies a unique ecological niche, it is very likely to open up the overall situation of Volkswagen's new energy in China.

In general, Volkswagen has the urge to make ID.Buzz a market pioneer. In terms of the product, its real rival will not appear until the second half of the year, that is, Zeekr MIX. Although this car has not been officially released, its price will be similar to that of its brother 007, fluctuating around 200,000 yuan. If ID.Buzz dares to set the starting price at 180,000 yuan, and the high-end models go up to 250,000 yuan, then MIX will definitely be the one crying.

Now everything depends on Volkswagen’s top management. Do they want ID.Buzz to become a hit as soon as it goes on the market?

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.