No Microbus For You!

Consensus among current EV owners good riddance!

JoBo

That's not what I read:

It's simply not just focusing on the American market anymore and is scheduled for 2007.

Wouldn't surprise me if VW waits a few years, gives the existing T5 (a beautiful vehicle, BTW...wish we got it here now) a nose and tail restyle, and then imports the T5 as-is.

VW Vortex is reporting that the vehicle is tottally dead as well.

You're right. Here's the key paragraph:

**** At this point in an effort to try and keep the labor agreement intact, VW has announced that they plan to still build some type of van with "emotional" styling that can be sold in the U.S. and in the European market giving the vehicle a broader market base. Volkswagen isn't disclosing a lot of details about this "new" van, but has clarified that it won't be a retro-styled Microbus as pictured above. Will Volkswagen offer something like the current T5 Eurovan again or will it be more similar to the Sharan sold in Europe. Time will tell as VW has committed to bringing the vehicle to market in 2007. ****

So there will be a Microbus of some sort, but not the one we've been seeing.

I think you're mis-wroding this slightly. There will definitely be a replacement for the Eurovan. But it will most likely not be anything like or anything related to the Microbus and will certainly not have the same level of "retro" styling the Microbus concept did. I firmly believe that VW made this decision - in part - after watching the sales of the New Beetle drop a great degree, almost at the same time that everyone was forgetting about Chrysler's PT Cruiser. And let's not forget the Plymouth Prowler. "Retro" styled cars don't remain popular for very long. The minivan market here in North America has grown small and extremely competitive and VW needs something that (unlike the Eurovan) will continue to draw interest from a broad buyer-base over a period of at least 8 years. In the meantime, they need to get back on the ball and get out the new Passat, Golf and Jetta. Making some in-roads as-per lowering the Toureag's base price and getting a more powerful V6 into the base model would be nice too. The 3.2 is severly lacking when it comes to hauling around the 5300 Lbs. SUV.