VW ID. Buzz heads to U.S. dealers in a few weeks

Update: ‘Paint options’ added to ‘Design’ and ‘Interior,’ ‘Specifications,’ ‘Price,’ and ‘TopElectricSUV says’ updated.

The U.S.-spec VW ID. Buzz is regularly making promotional appearances at media and public events (the Euro-spec van is also on tour across the states), and I had a chance to explore the features, space, and comfort of the electric VW Bus at one of these stops. Here are my impressions:

Design

Highly emotional

The VW ID. Buzz is a charming electric minivan featuring an emotional design. It has a mix of retro design cues and futuristic elements that give it a distinctive character. I like the extra-large, illuminated VW logo and the V-shaped hood, both of which remind me of the iconic VW T1. The upper section of the hood and the roof will be optionally available in a contrasting color for a two-tone scheme.

I think that the charismatic, sunglasses-shaped headlights and the unusual horizontal tail lights, a rarity in van-based European MPVs, give the VW ID. Buzz a confident and powerful look. Additionally, the attention to small details enhances its charm, such as the rear-engine cooling slot-styled air “vents” on the D-pillars, the petite rear windows, and the Easter egg on the back glass – a mini umbrella decal set against an ID. Buzz silhouette.

Top-notch build

Manufactured in Hannover, Germany, the U.S-spec ID. Buzz should have top-notch build quality. At the 2023 Los Angeles Auto Show, I noticed that the three-row version destined for our market had consistent panel gaps, and for most of the exterior, the panel alignment was excellent.

Paint options aplenty

• Cherry Red with Metro Silver roof
• Energetic Orange with Candy White roof
• Pomelo Yellow with Candy White roof
• Mahi Green with Candy White roof
• Cabana Blue with Candy White roof
• Blue Charcoal with Candy White roof
• Metro Silver* with Candy White roof
• Indium Grey* with Candy White roof
• Candy White
• Metro Silver
• Deep Black Pearl

*New for North America

Interior

The interior of the ID. Buzz is one of the most interesting cabins that I’ve seen in a Volkswagen in a long time. I find it to be an inviting space designed for supreme comfort, one that offers abundant convenience features and practical storage solutions, too. The unit I sat in had a ‘Dune’ color scheme, but Volkswagen plans to offer ‘Copper’ and ‘Moonlight’ options as well.

Dune

If you like bright interiors and want your ID. Buzz to remind you of the beach, the signature Dune color scheme is the best pick, which gets clay-colored piping and door inserts, wood-look dashboard garnish, and light gray leatherette seats.

Copper

Copper is more elegant, featuring rich brown leatherette seat upholstery, brown door inserts, and a washed wood-look dashboard garnish. It does feature yellow piping on the seat covers for a dash of funkiness though.

Moonlight

Moonlight is the darkest of all options, including dark brown leatherette seats with white piping, a dark wood-look dashboard garnish, a black headliner, and blue door inserts.

I think the high-set dashboard of the ID. Buzz has a beautiful design, which is something rarely said for a minivan. It’s a super-sleek panel adorned with full-width light-colored faux wood garnish. The decor element goes well with the light gray interior, but I don’t like the clay inserts much.

Pop-out cupholders & Buzz Box

I like the pop-out cup holders in the lower-central part of the dashboard, which I think is a great space-saving feature. Another clever storage solution is the center console storage box, known as the ‘Buzz Box,’ which can be removed when not needed. It has flexible storage on the top and its two distinctive dividers can be used as a bottle opener and ice scraper. Plus, there’s a sliding drawer in the bottom, big enough to keep a few books to read while resting at the beach.

Leatherette upholstery

The leatherette upholstery felt nice and premium, just like the wood trim on the dashboard. There’s an extensive use of hard plastics in the cabin, but I believe that’s got something to do with durability as well, not just cost-cutting. I think cleaning sand, mud, spilt drinks, etc. from the lower part of the cabin would be easy.

Touch sliders

The touch sliders to adjust volume and temperature have illumination, but they’re not as convenient as conventional, physical controls. The squarish AC vent adjusters, play and pause pedals, honeycomb pattern in the seat covers, diamond-like pattern in the door cards, metallic speaker grilles, etc. indicate great attention to detail. Volkswagen designers have left Easter eggs throughout the cabin, something I believe kids particularly find fun on the go.

Easter Eggs

During my search for Easter eggs at the 2023 LA Auto Show, I found that the ID. Buzz has winking smiley faces on each front door handle alcove, a printed bottle cap on the bottle opener, a snowflake on the ice scraper, the ID. Buzz silhouette at the bottom of the second-row seats, a world map and the ID. Buzz silhouette on the sides of the drawer of the removable center console, and the ID. Buzz silhouette beside the third-row armrests.

Gauge cluster & Infotainment screen

The ID. Buzz features a 5.3-inch instrument cluster, which has a simple UI and displays concise details like route guidance, charging level, and remaining range. Also part of its cockpit area is a 12.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which has climate functions integrated at the bottom of the display. It has nice graphics but while it performs with lag-free animations and quick responses, sometimes it can be laggy. The software is still under development, though, and I think the final version will be smooth and work flawlessly.

Ingress & Egress

As a six-foot-tall person, I had absolutely no issues with ingress or egress in the front of the ID. Buzz. When I sat in the 12-way power driver seat with dual armrests and massage, memory, ventilation, and heating functions, I felt that I could comfortably drive this electric minivan non-stop for hours at a stretch.

Seating & Visibility

The manually adjustable steering wheel both looks and feels premium. Thanks to the massive windshield, the wide-open greenhouse, and the huge, upright back glass, the all-around visibility was fantastic. I liked the commanding seating position and I had a ton of headroom even in the most upright position. Thanks to an extendable cushion, under-thigh support was also excellent.

Second Row

Thanks to the power sliding rear doors, ingress and egress in the second row were hassle-free. Volkswagen will offer the ID. Buzz in the U.S. in 6- and 7-seat versions, with a 60:40 split bench and captain’s chairs, respectively. I was in the 7-seat version, sitting right behind the driver’s seat, and I observed that there was still plenty of space for a six-foot-tall person like me.

I had heaps of leg room and knee room in the second row, and there was ample shoulder room for three adults to sit together comfortably. The headroom was also great, and I had sufficient under-thigh support, too. Reclining the backrest, further improved the seating experience.

Sliding window

I think one of the coolest features in the second row is the classic sliding windows, which slide back electrically to let in fresh air and give the passengers a better view outside. They’re much bigger than they look in the photos, and I must note here that the outboard seating positions give passengers extra comfort with a heating function as well. I like the gigantic panoramic glass roof, too, which is the largest one in any Volkswagen Group model and allows changing its transparency from clear to opaque.

Third row

I had plenty of space to comfortably enter and exit the third row after I pulled a lever on the shoulder of the rear seat and slid that seat forward. I had an insane amount of leg space, great headroom, and decent under-thigh support. Moreover, I was able to slightly recline the backrest to make the seating position a little more comfortable for me.

Cargo space

I expect the ID. Buzz to offer up to 2,469 liters (87.2 cu. ft.) of cargo space with the second- and third-row seats folded down flat. The third-row seats can be entirely removed if necessary. Volkswagen will offer a Flexboard, with two fabric storage bins, to create a flat floor with the seats folded. An electrically operated tailgate that can be opened or closed with a kick under the rear bumper is standard in our market.

Specifications

Dimensions & Seating

At 192.4 in. long, 77.9 in. wide, and 74.6 in. tall, the VW ID. Buzz is a big vehicle. It has a 127.5-in. wheelbase, and as stated in the previous section, six or seven seats. I expect the MEB platform underpinning the electric minivan to be tuned for comfort and offer a smooth ride.

Single-motor RWD

The base variant has only one motor, which drives the rear wheels. It gets its energy from an 85 kWh battery pack and produces 282 horsepower and 406 lb.-ft. of torque. I think these outputs would be enough for customers who intend to use it without a trailer. According to the EPA, the base variant can travel only 234 miles on a full charge, 26 miles less than Volkswagen initially expected (260 miles).

Dual-motor AWD

Customers who intend to use the ID. Buzz with a trailer, want more punch, or need all-wheel drive capability will have the option to upgrade to a dual-motor powertrain that produces 330 horsepower. The dual-motor AWD variant’s EPA-estimated range is just 3 miles lower – 231 miles, 21 miles less than Volkswagen’s earlier estimate (252 miles).

Price

The VW ID. Buzz will be available in the United States in Pro S, Pro S Plus, and (launch-only) 1st Edition trims, with prices at USD 59,995 (excl. USD 1,550 destination fee).

TopElectricSUV says

The ID. Buzz is a fantastic premium leisure vehicle for families, providing ample space, comfort, and technology for up to seven people. It meets most family needs for holidays and adventures. However, as a true successor to the classic VW Bus, I think that it falls short, at least in its current form.

Volkswagen has designed and engineered a brilliant product, but the ID. Buzz lacks sufficient range. Despite the expanding U.S. charging network, frequent stops and range anxiety may hinder seamless interstate or cross-country trips, especially during winter. Volkswagen might address this in future model years with new batteries and efficiency upgrades, but I don’t anticipate significant changes until next-gen batteries are developed.

Also See: 2025 VW ID. Buzz stirs up nostalgia in Cabana Blue

This first look review has contributions from our reader.

An automobile engineer by training, I’ve analyzed the global car market since 2005, with a keen focus on EVs since 2008. My journey in online automotive publishing spans 16 years, during which I have reviewed cutting-edge automotive technologies and interviewed leading CEOs and vehicle developers from around the world.