Volkswagen ID. buzz
The beacon of hope
VW ID. Buzz 2023
© press-inform – the press office
Vehicles with the Volkswagen logo on the front, which warm the hearts of the occupants, are largely in vain in the Wolfsburg portfolio apart from the Golf GTI. That should change with the electric ID. Change Buzz, because it should not only score points with its number of items, but also bring a powerful image boost.
Volkswagen’s ID family didn’t have an easy start. Again and again, design and moderate interior quality provided a topic of conversation, then the debut work ID.3 was probably the wrong starting model and when it came to electrical engineering, many a competitor was ahead by a nose. After you slowly turn onto the road to success with ID.4 and ID.5 and the software finally fits, the VW ID. Buzz now arouse the great emotions. While the electric bus will be on the market in Europe at the end of this year, the Americans will have to wait until the beginning of 2024 before the XL version with a long wheelbase goes on the hunt for votes. In North America in particular, Volkswagen has high hopes for the family fun vehicle, which has so far appeared to be the most interesting choice for many first-time customers in the still young ID family.
At the market launch at the end of 2021, the inclined customer does not have much choice. The normal wheelbase, five seats, 150 kW / 204 hp / 310 Nm and an 82 kWh battery, which should guarantee a range of up to 500 kilometers, are mandatory for the Buzz. It is quite possible that the cargo variant of the ID. Buzz with an identical drive and a particularly high utility value is even more interesting than the car version for tradespeople in many countries. However, both of the expected crowd favorites are not all that fast, because thanks to a 145 km/h limit, the ID. Buzz to the slow bus. Refueling is quicker because both versions of the ID. Buzz with an output of up to 170 kilowatts, which charges the battery pack in the underbody from five to 80 percent after around 30 minutes.
Either way, there’s a well-done design, reminiscences of historic samba buses, and plenty of space inside. If you fold down the rear seats of the 4.71 meter long electric van, the loading compartment increases from 1,121 to 2,205 liters. That’s more than handsome. The long version will optionally offer six or even seven comfortable seats. Instead, the cargo version shines with 3.9 cubic meters of cargo space, one or two sliding doors and space for two or more people in the first row. There is space for two Euro pallets behind the partition, so that the 650 kg load can be used accordingly. The permissible total weight of the ID. Buzz Cargo: three tons, with the load being secured using lashing eyes in the floor and rails in the side walls. With both versions, the customer can choose between a normal paintwork and the traditional two-tone paintwork that is associated with the ID. Buzz, produced at the Hanover plant, gives a different character.
Inside there is the all too small 5.3-inch instrument cluster and an optional ten to twelve-inch central screen, which can be used to operate the functions apart from the sound and navigation system with a swipe of your finger. The seats are comfortable and can be adjusted in many ways, but with the ID. Buzz at least on the European market for fine leather seats or a corresponding steering wheel. Here, recycling materials have to suffice in order to meet the luxury demands of customers. The numerous shelves and a veritable army of USB plugs, with which mobile devices in the interior can be easily charged, are better. The new VW ID. Buzz is not the first Bulli with an electric drive. As early as 50 years ago, Volkswagen presented a T2 Transporter at the Hanover Fair that was powered by an electric motor in the rear, while the lead-acid batteries were housed in a double vehicle floor. The maximum range back then: a narrow 85 kilometers. But the price of the VW ID. Buzz unrecognizable. Hardly anything can be done for less than 55,000 euros.