“The Volkswagen ID. Buzz is a funky, practical, 250-mile nostalgia trip… unfortunately, nostalgia costs money”

Aside from the Beetle, the Type 2 van from the 1960’s is perhaps one of the most iconic Volkswagen models of all time. With over nine million examples produced, it has cemented its place within automotive history as well as our hearts.

Now, the German brand is now attempting to capitalise on our fascination with the past as it transitions into the new electric age with the hotly-anticipated Volkswagen ID. Buzz. This new electric MPV model acts as the spiritual successor to the much-loved VW Type 2 Microbus with its distinctive retro-futuristic design, and is available as both a five-seater people carrier and a load-lugging ID. Buzz Cargo van.

While its name may elicit groans (electric + bus = Buzz), the ‘ID.’ prefix ties the ID. Buzz in with the rest of Volkswagen’s electric car lineup. Yet, a name isn’t the only thing the ID. Buzz shares with VW’s other electric cars – the plug-in MPV sits on a modified version of the ID.3 and ID.4’s underpinnings, too.

From launch, the Volkswagen ID. Buzz will only be available with the top-of-the-range ‘Pro’ powertrain. This incorporates a 77.4kWh battery alongside a single, rear-mounted electric motor with 201bhp. Impressively, 170kW fast charging comes as standard – allowing drivers to top-up their ID. Buzz from 5-80% in as little as 30 minutes.

After a full charge, Volkswagen claims the ID. Buzz should be able to manage around 250 miles before needing to be plugged-in again – on par with rivals such as the Peugeot e-Rifter and Mercedes EQV. While the 201bhp at the electric motor’s disposal suggests the ID. Buzz could be hot hatch-quick, the reality is that 0-62mph takes a confoundingly slow 10.6 seconds; a vehicle of this size and weight really needs a bit more power.

android, volkswagen id. buzz mpv review

Speaking of size, the ID. Buzz feels incredibly spacious on the inside. The VW’s boxy shape means there is plenty of headroom and a multitude of clever storage solutions means that there is always somewhere to place your valuables. While there isn’t quite as much space as some van-based MPVs, the Buzz still packs a cavernous boot – almost double the size you’d expect in an equivalent electric SUV.

Quality has also seen an unexpected step up from the ID.3 and ID.4; while Cargo models feel suitably utilitarian, passenger vans are fully adorned in high-quality and eco-friendly materials.

What holds the ID. Buzz’s cabin back, however, is its frustrating infotainment system. Just like in the sporty ID.5 SUV, it is incredibly laggy to respond and is utterly loaded with bugs. Another annoyance are the climate controls which come in the form of fiddly touch-sensitive sliders; these aren’t illuminated, making them even more difficult to use when on the move.

android, volkswagen id. buzz mpv review

All versions of the ID. Buzz come well-equipped as standard; from launch there are two trim levels to choose from: Life and Style (the limited-run First Edition is now sold out). Starting at around £57,000, the entry-level Life trim gets things like LED headlights, 19-inch alloy wheels, adaptive cruise control, a heated steering wheel and a reversing camera. For an extra £5,000, ID. Buzz Style models benefit from neat visual touches such as larger alloys and a front light bar.

While it may be expensive to buy outright, the ID. Buzz will appeal to company car drivers thanks to low Benefit-in-Kind company car tax bills. Despite costing over £40,000, the ID. Buzz isn’t liable for annual VED road tax either, due to its zero-emissions electric powertrain, which will help keep running costs low.

The ID. Buzz uses battery packs familiar from the rest of the ID range, but its large size and extra eight means range figures are slightly down on smaller models like the ID.3 hatchback. Still, it should be possible to drive further than most would want to in a single day behind the wheel, and the Buzz can charge quickly.

VW is also making a big deal about sustainable production; you won’t find any leather in the ID. Buzz, and some of its upholstery is made from recycled bottles and plastics recovered from the ocean. Volkswagen has also committed to taking back the batteries at the end of their life, so they can be repurposed – in applications like home energy storage – or recycled.

Volkswagen ID. Buzz range & charging 

The Buzz is based on the same MEB underpinnings as the rest of the ID range, so it gets the same 77kWh battery pack. According to the official WLTP figures, every version tops 250 miles of range, but as usual this appears to be slightly optimistic. During our first drive in warm weather, with a mixture of urban and motorway driving, we managed around three miles per kilowatt-hour (kWh), which should give a real-world range of around 230 miles.

That’s significantly less than a Cupra Born with the same battery pack, which can manage up to 340 miles according to the WLTP test. The ID. Buzz can charge faster, though, managing up to 170kW at a suitable public chargepoint. This can take the battery from 5-80% in around half-an-hour, giving the MPV significantly longer legs if you don’t mind taking a break. Three-phase 11kW charging is also possible – usually found at business premises – while the more common 7kW speed of most home wallboxes can fully charge the Buzz in 11 hours.

Despite its size and number of seats, the ID. Buzz’s electric powertrain means it’s exempt from VED (road tax). It also falls into the most affordable Benefit-in-Kind company car tax band, making it all the more appealing for businesses and company-car drivers.

Insurance groups

Insurance groups haven’t been announced yet for Volkswagen’s first electric MPV, and its relatively unique position in the market makes them tricky to predict. The ID.4 SUV with the same powertrain starts in group 29 out of 50, so it’s unlikely to be much lower for the Buzz, making it on the pricey side to insure.

Servicing

There are far fewer serviceable parts on an electric car, which doesn’t have spark plugs, a clutch or cambelt, let alone any engine oil. This should make the ID. Buzz cheaper to maintain than a Volkswagen Multivan, but the braking system, climate control and other systems still need checking and maintaining. We expect the Buzz will need servicing the same amount as the ID.4, which requires a visit to the dealership every two years.

Warranty

Volkswagen covers all of its models for three years/60,000 miles, but the ID. Buzz should also benefit from a longer eight-year/100,000-mile battery cover, to reassure buyers wary of the new technology failing prematurely.

The majority of van-based MPVs seem to struggle to shake their commercial origins out on the road but ID. Buzz was always designed as a passenger car on state-of-the-art electric underpinnings. As a result, it feels much more ‘car-like’ to drive than you might expect.

The low centre of gravity created by the low battery placement means there is very little body roll through high speed bends, while the rear-wheel-drive layout almost makes the practical ID. Buzz feel somewhat sporty.

2022 Volkswagen ID. Buzz: electric motors

From launch, Volkswagen is only offering the ID. Buzz with a single electric motor setup: a 201bhp unit mounted on the rear axle. On paper, this may seem like an impressive number for such a car – the Citroen e-Berlingo makes do with just 138bhp – however, just like the Citroen, a lack of power makes the larger ID. Buzz relatively sluggish off the line.

Electric cars are well-known for their blistering acceleration figures, yet the ID. Buzz can only manage the 0-62mph sprint in 10.6 seconds – only marginally faster than the hybrid version of the Volkswagen Multivan. This does feel slightly brisker than the figures suggest thanks to the instant torque from the electric motors, but don’t expect the ID. Buzz to be sailing past supercars at the lights like a Tesla Model Y can.

What’s more concerning is that this figure does not account for the car being full to the brim with passengers and luggage; most ID. Buzz owners will use their car as a load-lugging workhorse, so we expect the retro EV to be even slower when carrying more than just a single journalist and his notebook.

Despite its tall and boxy shape, the Volkswagen ID. Buzz is surprisingly refined behind the wheel. The curved front end means there isn’t a huge amount of wind noise, and while the suspension setup is relatively firm, it doesn’t cause too much disturbance in the cabin beyond the largest of potholes.

2022 Volkswagen ID. Buzz: dashboard

Despite being renowned for producing solidly-built cars, Volkswagen’s ID. lineup has, until now, been shipped with rather lacklustre interiors. The ID. Buzz seems to buck this trend, however, as the materials used throughout the cabin feel of much higher quality than what we’ve seen in VW’s other electric cars.

Our switch from combustion engines to electric power is all about sustainability and Volkswagen appears to focus on that in the interior of the ID. Buzz; the seats are constructed using a material that is made from 10% collected ocean plastic and 90% recycled plastic bottles.

android, volkswagen id. buzz mpv review

The overall design of the cabin is incredibly minimalist and full of nifty touches such as a removable centre console, dubbed the ‘Buzz Box’, and an optional three-pin plug under the front passenger seat.

Sitting on top of the dashboard is a 10-inch touchscreen (12-inches in the First Edition), which comes as standard with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. This is bolstered by a small five-inch digital instrument cluster and is, unfortunately, rather frustrating to use. Volkswagen’s latest operating system is absolutely filled with bugs and glitches, while the screen itself can be very laggy to respond.

Another issue we have is with the climate controls which sit underneath the central screen. These are touch-sensitive sliders and can be much more difficult to use when on the go than a traditional knob or dial. To add insult to injury, just like in the new Mk8 Volkswagen Golf, these controls aren’t illuminated either, making them even more of a pain to operate in the dark.

Trim levels & equipment

Buyers can configure their new ID. Buzz in one of two distinct specifications: Life and Style. Starting at around £47,000, the entry-level ID. Buzz Life model has all the equipment the majority of buyers will ever need such as LED headlights, 19-inch alloy wheels, the aforementioned 10-inch infotainment system, sliding rear doors, 60:40 split folding rear seats, keyless start, a reversing camera and a host of safety and driver assistance features such as adaptive cruise control and autonomous emergency braking.

For around an extra £5,000, the top-of-the-range Style trim boasts larger 20-inch wheels, Matrix LED headlights, stainless steel pedals, two-tone upholstery and a powered tailgate. The limited-run First Edition model is now sold out, but included a more expansive 12-inch touchscreen as well as 21-inch alloys and an upgraded interior.

Other than its retro styling and low running costs, probably the main reason people will choose the ID. Buzz is its spacious interior. Thanks to the lack of an engine, Volkswagen has been able to stretch the wheels out to each corner to maximise room inside. That, alongside a tall, boxy shape means that there’s very little that the ID. Buzz won’t be able to swallow.

2022 Volkswagen ID. Buzz: interior space and storage

The majority of MPVs of this size offer a seven, or even eight-seat configuration; unfortunately, Volkswagen is only offering the ID. Buzz with five seats in the UK. Nevertheless, all five are incredibly roomy, with those at the front getting armchair-style armrests.

The boxy silhouette of the ID. Buzz means there’s plenty of headroom for those in the front and back, allowing even the tallest of passengers to get comfortable. Volkswagen has filled the interior with countless clever storage solutions such as a removable ‘Buzz Box’ centre console. The sliding rear doors make accessing the two rear ISOFIX child seat mounting points a breeze, although it's a shame the seats themselves can’t be slid backwards and forwards for greater space in the footwell or boot.

Boot space

android, volkswagen id. buzz mpv review

In terms of outright capacity, the ID. Buzz boasts 1,121 litres of space in the boot. While this is short of the utterly vast 1,700 litres offered in the five seater version of the Volkswagen Caddy-based Ford Tourneo Connect, it’s still a lot more than what you’d find in the equivalent family SUV.

Fold the rear seats down and this increases the ID. Buzz’s load space to 2,205 litres – making it almost as practical as the Cargo model. Unfortunately, the folded seats create an annoying ridge making it difficult to slide larger items through; although, this problem can be solved by specifying an optional adjustable boot floor.

Both the ID. Buzz and its electric ID. siblings are yet to appear on our Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, but with few moving parts, all should be painless to own. Nevertheless, Volkswagen has an impressive track record when it comes to safety ratings, so we expect the ID. Buzz to be one of the safest MPVs you can buy.

2022 Volkswagen ID. Buzz: reliability

Electric car reliability is a point of discussion as the majority of cars are too new to have developed a problem; however, the simplicity of an electric powertrain also means that apart from software glitches, there’s very little to go wrong.

That’s a good thing as Volkswagen has not performed well in our recent Driver Power surveys. In 2022, the German brand placed a disappointing 18th out of 27 manufacturers, with over 18% of owners reporting an issue within the first year of ownership. The main complaints were with the brand’s infotainment system and touch-sensitive controls, however low running costs were a highlight.

Safety

The ID. Buzz is too new to have appeared in a Euro NCAP safety test, but if the other electric ID. models are anything to go by, we expect the Buzz to achieve the full five stars – in fact, there hasn’t been a Volkswagen model since 2016 that hasn’t received top marks.

Standard safety equipment for the ID. Buzz is high, with all models getting things like adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, road-sign recognition and lane-keep assist.

Keyword: Volkswagen ID. Buzz MPV review

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