VW ID.Buzz tested – TEST: The coolest electric car of this year

Several years have passed since Volkswagen unveiled the first concept car in which the designers were clearly inspired by the factory’s “hippie buses” from the 1950s and 1960s. There is usually little left of the eye-catching design in car factory design studios when the model is ready for production. This time it happened. The production version of the VW ID.Buzz is almost identical to the first design study.

The first cars are now on their way to dealerships across Norway. They are sure to attract a lot of attention due to their looks. But ID.Buzz is much more than a style icon.

Very practical

First, it’s super practical. Two large electric sliding doors facilitate access to the three rear seats. Here the children sit high up, with a good overview of everything that is happening in the traffic around them. Head and leg room is very good and this is perhaps the simplest car to put child seats in. And last but not least to get children on and off the seats.

Opening the large electric tailgate reveals a trunk of over 1,100 liters. For comparison, the VW ID.4 has a trunk of 543 liters. In other words, there is plenty of room here for what a family with children has to take with them.

Winter test

Technically, the Buzz ID is built on the same platform and with much of the same technology as the VW ID.4. This means it has a 77 kWt battery, 204 horsepower electric motor, and rear-wheel drive. The range, which is claimed to be 42 miles, is good enough for most people.

When we tested the ID.4 in severe winter conditions in January, it received a die roll of 5 and was praised for being able to maintain good range in the cold. In addition, it received an advantage for good driving characteristics on winter roads. Since ID.Buzz is built with the same technology, there is reason to believe that these positives will apply to it as well.

The car can be quickly recharged up to 135 kW. In the winter test, however, the ID.4 revealed that charging in the cold was slower than most of the competitors. We don’t know if VW has corrected it now.

Good driving characteristics

So far we have driven the ID.Buzz in good summer condition on Danish roads. There it shows that the 204 horsepower engine is powerful enough to provide good acceleration and an easy-to-drive feel. Stability in quick and critical maneuvers is surprisingly good, also thanks to a good electronic stabilization system and a battery pack positioned in the lower part of the car.

The interior noise, which we have often experienced is a bit louder in this type of car, is surprisingly low. It remains to be seen whether it is that low on Norwegian asphalt and bolted.

Modern interior

Suspension comfort is good in most situations, but a bit blunt in the small bumps. This is quite common for heavy electric cars. After all, the ID.Buzz weighs around 2.5 tons, including the driver.

If the exterior design is reminiscent of the bus from the 1960s, it is completely different when we get behind the wheel. Here everything is very modern. The interior features two fairly easy-to-read and easy-to-use screens.

A little unusual

Most unusual is that the gear selector, which is normally located somewhere to the right of the steering wheel, has been moved to the left. The sense of space is very good and the overview of everything that happens in the traffic around the car is good. The driver’s seat also suits us.

Cheaper version of ID. Buzz costs 494,400 NOK. With winter wheels included, it costs just over NOK 500,000. There is no doubt that you get a lot of cars for the money if you need the space that the car offers.

It comes with four-wheel drive

Whether ID.Buzz will be a sales success? It should be, but this is a type of multi-purpose vehicle that was popular with Norwegian car buyers 20 years ago. Today, most people who buy a new car are SUVs. It can help a bit when the ID.Buzz, after all the sun marks, comes with not-too-long all-wheel drive. A longer version with seven seats will also be on the way and a 100 kWt battery is ready.

So far, the demand is so great that you have to wait until next year to get a car if you haven’t already ordered one.