Coming soon Volkswagen Bulli People carriers/MPVs

NEW PRICE: To be determined

VW's Bulli is a small, six-seater MPV concept that draws heavily on VW's past, particularly the Sixties Bus. It's about the same length as a Volkswagen Polo, yet it's roomy inside thanks to the square sides and relatively wide stance.

How is it powered?

The Volkswagen Bulli concept harks back to the Sixities Bus

VW says this concept is electric, with some impressive range and performance claims: 0-62mph in 11.5 seconds and on to a limited top speed of 87mph. More importantly, the 186-mile range is streets ahead of current production electric cars. There is also scope for more conventional petrol and diesel power too, according to VW.

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What about the interior?

VW claims the electric-powered Bulli will hit 62mph in 11.5 seconds

We sat in the Bulli's interior, and although we enjoyed the retro-look fabrics (the seat backs have a sort of Sixties hessian covering) the 3+3 layout means you'll need to be friendly with your neighbouring passengers. And both front and rear bench seats are very flat, so you won't want to be throwing the Bulli into corners.

Despite this six-seater configuration, there's 370 litres of space in the boot - that's a touch larger than the current Golf, and about what you'd need for six people on a day trip.

There's no conventional hand brake or gear lever, as the centre space has been freed up to accommodate the sixth passenger.

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Where do I put my iPad?

You can slot your iPad directly into the dashboard, into a mount that swivels and slides left and right enabling the driver and passengers to operate it. So it looks like iPod docks are yesterday's news - bring on the iPad dock. In all seriousness, it makes sense to use something with such a large display and user-friendly touch-screen for infotainment and navigation functions.

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When will I be able to buy one?

A six-seater compact MPV, the Bulli is about the same length as a VW Polo

This is the six-million dollar question, and something that VW isn't currently prepared to answer. VW has a history of producing interesting concepts that never see the light of day. The Bulli is in fact an evolution of an earlier concept, the Microbus, from 2001.

We suspect that flat front bench seat is probably not feasible for production - which would be a shame, because without it the six-seat Bulli would turn into a five-seat MPV - in other words, a Golf Plus. Perhaps this is why VW is staying tight-lipped on any production intent.

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