Test VW ID.Buzz: Not perfect
We jump into a VW ID.4 at the airport in Copenhagen. Drive a few kilometers, round a corner and there they are: A long line of Volkswagen ID.Buzz. Lacquered in something that can perhaps best be called white and lemon yellow. It’s a cool sight – and it’s something I’ve been looking forward to for a long time.
For ID.Buzz, we have certainly had to wait! It is over 20 years since VW showed us the Microbus/Bulli concept car for the first time. Here, the legendary Hippie bus was to get a modern sequel and the interest was enormous. Nevertheless, the project was eventually shelved. Men Volkswagen’s extensive investment in electric cars has given models a second chance. In 2017, we got to see the ID.Buzz concept car for the first time.
Much of the reason it has reached this point is economies of scale. VW has developed a completely new platform for electric cars, called MEB. Thus, they can reuse a lot of what we find in, for example, ID.4 here. This helps to keep costs down. The starting price of the ID.Buzz Pro, which is the first model out, is DKK 484,400.
But enough about boring things like costs and prices. Well, first we have to go in and get a quick briefing about the car. Then it’s finally time to drive!
We wrote this about Microbus 11 years ago
ID.Buzz and ID.Buzz Cargo as far as the eye can see. I almost fall!
How is it to drive?
The question many will ask here is this: Does the ID.Buzz feel like a passenger car? Or is it the bus/van factor that cannot be hidden?
The answer becomes clear after just a few minutes behind the wheel. This definitely feels like a passenger car. We sit high and the dashboard in several “floors” shows that this is a tall car. But beyond that, there is not much gossip about the fact that ID.Buzz also has an almost identical van brother called Cargo.
The height is naturally felt when cornering, but we are not talking about annoying heeling. The VW engineers have done a good job here.
High seating position and decent headroom, yet we don’t get the bus feeling here.
The noise damping against the wheels is good, but at motorway speeds you can feel a bit of wind. The absence of engine noise also plays a role here, of course.
The electric motor, which is located at the back and drives the rear wheels, offers 204 horsepower. The battery pack is 77 kWh net. This is the same powertrain that we know from cars like the VW ID.4 and Skoda Enyaq. There it gives a nice surplus of power. For ID. Buzz is no more than it should be.
The car is fast at first, but then it falls off a bit. Bånn gas out on the country road outside Copenhagen does not produce anywhere near the effect we know from many other electric cars. Then it also uses 10.2 seconds for 0-100 km/h. On an electric car in 2022, it is a surprising amount.
The range is 418 kilometers. Nor is it anything close to class-leading. We don’t measure consumption on this quick test trip, but on country roads. and motorway driving and without any tank truck on a reserve current, we are at around 21 kWh/100 kilometres. It’s the same as the official consumption figure and not bad, by the way.
In winter, the large coupe will probably affect the range figure quite a bit. There is a lot of air to be heated here. With freezing temperatures outside the car, it draws power. Worth thinking about if you have a cabin on the mountain and a piece of yours.
Maximum charging speed is 170 kW. It must be said to be good.
Finally, we must mention the turning radius. The number 11.1 meters may not tell you very much, but this is very good and makes the car extra easy to maneuver in, for example, narrow city streets.
No – sometimes you shouldn’t use your mobile phone
VW ID.Buzz copes with city traffic surprisingly well, good turning radius helps to contribute to that.
Space and practical solutions:
In case you were wondering: ID.Buzz is a very roomy car. The body shape is worth its weight in gold in that way. With a length of 4.71 metres, it is shorter than most traditional station wagons. But it takes ID.Buzz back in both width (1.98 meters) and height (1.92 meters).
Solid boot space, this is almost like having an extra stall.
Luggage space of a whopping 1,121 liters is about twice as much as we find in the station wagons mentioned. And if you pack at a height, you will seriously get a lot with you here. With the rear seats down, the space increases to 2,205 litres. You get the car with towbars and it can tow up to 1,000 kilos. But with this interior space, you’ll hardly need a trailer that often. Roof loads of up to 100 kilos are also solid.
At the front, it’s good to have a storage space. There is also a space for cups/bottles between the front seats and smart cup holders as common down from the center console. But we miss that little extra, which really had the feel of a smart and innovative multi-purpose vehicle. Strange that VW has not prioritized it in a car that otherwise has so much character.
This is where ID.Buzz appeared for the first time in Norway
High seating position both front and back, here there is very good space for five people.
Life in the backseat:
Volkswagen set the bar high for itself with the interior shown in the concept version of the ID.Buzz. Hers was the separate bakery, sliding table and lots of smart solutions.
Therefore, the rear seat solution in the test car is immediately a letdown. Because where has the cool interior gone? Well, that might come eventually when VW will launch six and seven seats. But initially it is five that apply, with a fairly traditional rear seat.
Two-part rear seat, we are surprised that VW has not gone for three separate seats here.
The fact that VW has not gone for three separate seats can hardly be due to anything other than cost savings, because the width should hold up just fine.
Instead, it is a two-pronged solution. Fortunately, both rear seat parts can be pushed lengthwise, you can also angle the backs quite far back. Even in first position it is good to be.
The rear seat passengers each have their own power outlet, it is located on the side of the door. It is to have pockets on each front seat back and also for folding table. Admittedly, a bit thin and squishy, but they are at least there and are especially welcome for families with children.
There is also space for, for example, bottles in the door sides, but we miss cup holders and more smart storage spaces.
Another detail: It is not actually possible to open windows in the back seat. Anyone who has been on a trip with car-sick children knows that it can be important sometimes.
Skyrocketing interest – VW increased production
See video from the back seat in ID.Buzz below:
Behind the wheel:
A high seating position and a good overview characterize the driver’s environment. The front seats look quite simple, but offer good support and fine comfort. Plus for seat cushion extender.
Here we recognize a lot from the other ID. models. Sober is perhaps the word we think best describes screens and other dashboard solutions.
We recognize the instrument display above the steering wheel from the other ID. models. We do the same with the infotainment screen in the middle. With its 12 inches, it is not huge. It is easy to maneuver around the menu, but this is not a great user experience. Here, VW places itself very much in the middle of the tree.
And then there are the haptic buttons… They just don’t get familiar with, even after encountering them quite a few times now.
Two ID.Buzz decorate a city street in Copenhagen.
Design – outside and inside:
Externally, this sits like a shot. When we take the Buzz down to a rather fancy place south of Malmö and turn outside a few sidewalk restaurants, it’s easy to see that it’s causing a stir. A well-grown lady films the session, several others point and take pictures. Then Volkswagen has hit something!
The car is also clearly color dependent. Some fresh colors and preferably some of them – it will do. At the launch event, VW has, among other things, a car that is white/orange. It looks good!
High and quite blunt front, it doesn’t take much before the insects settle here.
You see the Hippie bus has been an important source of inspiration here. Nothing is a blueprint, but the VW designers have succeeded in giving it a modern version. Relatively compact dimensions also mean that we avoid such a high van factor here.
Then there was the interior: for many, it will probably be an immediate letdown. Because where is the retro factor? And where are all the smart and cool solutions from the concept car?
Here, Volkswagen has made a choice and has clearly decided to stick with retro design on the outside. We expect that there will be more creative interior solutions when it is ready for the six- and seven-seater versions. The way it’s done, it feels very traditional.
The screen solution from the other ID. cars works fine, but this is also quite ordinary. We think a car like the ID.Buzz deserves a little better than that.
Those with an electric car can rejoice: the state pays most of the freight
The design causes a stir at the start, VW has succeeded well here.
Conclusion:
Volkswagen has done a lot right with this car. And then they have done quite a few things that disappoint us a little. The biggest point of appeal is the interior and especially the rear seat solution. It just feels a bit awkward compared to what we saw on the concept model.
It also seems almost pointless with such a large luggage compartment. Few people will need that very often, then it would have been better to have the option of several seats, all at once.
We also miss more retro factor and more smart solutions in the interior. Men for all: It works just fine. It just could have been better.
Rear-wheel drive and a range of 418 kilometers will also be a point of appeal for many, perhaps especially in winter. Accessibility can be a challenge. And motorway driving in many degrees of cold requires a lot of power on cars as tall as this one.
It is no secret that a longer version of ID.Buzz is coming. It gets more seats and it also gets the option of a larger battery pack and thus better range. Not least, it also gets 4×4. But in return, you have to live with a car that is probably too big on the outside for many people.
This is how we set VW will be able to get both a larger battery pack and 4×4 within the 4.71 meter test car measures. Whether it is realistic or not is still unclear.
Was it very negative? Then we hasten to add that it is also very good here.
It is designed to sit like a shot in our opinion. The car has charm and character and will attract attention, at least until there are very many of it on Norwegian roads. How fast it goes is hardly dependent on the customer. They will be there – the question is how quickly the importer manages to get a significant number of cars into the country.
And coming from an SUV or a traditional station wagon, you might not miss the lack of multi-purpose vehicle factor in the back seat. It works just fine and is mentioned in plenty of space, just like the boot.
Therefore, we have no doubt that this will be a sales success in Norway. Then it asks how many people jump in and buy now – and how many sit on the fence to wait for more range, 4×4 and more seats.
You can watch the video of the VW ID.Buzz at the top of this article
ID.Buzz is sold out – most cars are going to Norway
Volkswagen ID.Buzz Pro 77 kWt
Engine:
- Electric, one motor
- Power: 204 hp
- 0-100 km/h: 10.2 seconds
- Top speed: 145 km/h
- Consumption (WLTP): 21 kWh/100 kilometers
Battery/charge:
- Battery pack: 77 kWh net
- Range: 418 km (WLTP)
- Fast charging: 170 kW
- On-board charger: 11 kW
Measurements, weight and volume:
- Length x width x height: 471 x 198 x 192 cm.
- Luggage compartment: 1,121 litres
- Weight: 2,416 kilos
- Trailer weight: 1,000 kilos
- Weight: 100 kilos
Price:
- Starting price: from DKK 484,400
Video: Here the very first cars rolled out of the factory