New Volkswagen ID. Buzz electric MPV will offer seating for seven and a range of around 250 miles…
On sale: Autumn 2022 | Price from: £50,000 (est)
What do The War of the Worlds, Ben Hur and Cinderella have in common? They’re all films which originally came out in the 1950s but have been remade for modern times. The same thing can happen with vehicles, and the Volkswagen ID. Buzz is the latest example of an era-defining car that’s been pulled into the modern era.
While parts of its design echo back to the hippy-pleasing Type 2 camper, though, the rest of the ID. Buzz is bang up to date. LED lights feature at the front and rear, for example, with those at the front able to adapt their full beam pattern for maximum visibility without blinding oncoming drivers. Oh, and the Buzz is fully electric, too.
Power is provided by a single 148bhp electric motor, which takes its energy from a 77kWh battery pack and drives the rear wheels. Although Volkswagen has yet to reveal any data on how far the ID. Buzz will take you on a charge, the same set-up is already used in the substantially more aerodynamic ID.4 SUV, in which its performance suggests that the Buzz should manage a range of around 250 miles in real-world conditions.
That compares well with the even larger seven-seat Mercedes EQV, which has an official range of up to 213 miles between charges, putting the Buzz in the same ballpark as large electric SUV rivals that include the Audi E-tron, BMW iX3 and Mercedes EQC. The Buzz’s top speed is limited to 90mph.
You could shoot a Hollywood film inside the Buzz’s boot, which has more than 1100 litres of storage space available in five-seat form, or more than 2200 litres if the second row of seats is folded down – they split and fold in a 60/40 configuration as standard. That luggage capacity is bigger than you’ll find in any large SUV rival, and more than is offered by combustion-engined MPVs such as the Ford Galaxy and Volkswagen Touran.
For now, the ID. Buzz will only be sold in five-seat format, but six and seven-seat versions, as well as a model with more space between its front and rear wheels, will follow, likely in 2024.
You won’t see any animal-derived leather inside the ID. Buzz – instead, recycled materials including synthetic leather and fibres made from ocean plastics are used throughout.
The technology available will be familiar to you if you’ve looked inside any of the other ID-badged electric cars Volkswagen offers; this includes a 5.3in digital driver’s display that shows your speed and journey information, and an infotainment touchscreen (up to 12.0in) on the dashboard.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring are included as standard. Unlike some MPV rivals, though, the ID. Buzz’s has touch-activated climate controls rather than conventional buttons and dials, and this could make them harder to use on the move.
Sticking with technology, nobody should feel short-changed when it comes to charging their devices; the ID. Buzz has eight USB-C ports available throughout its interior, plus a tray for charging your smartphone.
The Buzz comes with the latest driver assistance and safety systems, including the facility to control its own acceleration, braking and lane positioning on the motorway in an effort to reduce driver workload, and the ability to receive information from other connected cars about delays on your route.
Charging the Buzz’s battery to 80% can take as little as 30 minutes if you can find a charging point capable of supplying its maximum rate of 170kW. Of course, charging via a wall box or a three-pin socket will take substantially longer.
For anyone envisioning the ID. Buzz as a working vehicle, there’s a Buzz Cargo van variant that sacrifices its second row of seats for more storage space, and can carry two euro pallets in the back. It offers seating for three people up front and uses the same electric motor and battery as the regular Buzz.
Prices have yet to be revealed, but a starting price in the region of £50,000 is likely, making the ID. Buzz slightly cheaper than most large electric SUV rivals. And with specs like these, this may be one remake that lives up to the original.
Keyword: 2022 Volkswagen ID. Buzz electric car revealed: price, specs and release date