VW ID.Buzz Tested – Test: This year’s coolest electric car

It’s been several years since Volkswagen introduced the first concept car as designers were clearly inspired by the factory “hippie bus” from the 1950s and 1960s. Usually, a little bit of great design is left in the auto factory design studios when the model is ready for production. This time it happened. The production version of the VW ID.Buzz is virtually identical to the first design study.

The first cars are now on their way to dealers all over Norway. She is sure to attract a lot of attention due to her looks. But ID.Buzz is much more than a style icon.

very practical

First, it is very practical. Two large electric sliding doors make access to the three rear seats a breeze. Here, the children are sitting high up, with a good overview of everything that is happening in the traffic around them. The head and legroom is very good, and this is probably the easiest car ever to put child seats in. Not least having kids get in and out of the seats.

When we open the large electric tailgate, a luggage compartment with a capacity of more than 1,100 liters is revealed. For comparison, the VW ID.4 has a luggage compartment with a capacity of 543 liters. In other words, there is plenty of room here for what a family with children needs to take with them.

winter test

Technically, ID.Buzz was created on the same platform and with much of the same technology as VW ID. That means it has a 77 kW battery, a 204 hp electric motor and rear-wheel drive. The range, set at 42 miles, is good enough for most people.

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When we tested the ID.4 under harsh winter conditions in January, it got a 5 dice roll and praise for its ability to maintain a good range in the cold. In addition, she received an additional advantage of good driving characteristics on winter roads. Since ID.Buzz is built with the same technology, there is reason to believe that these positive aspects will apply to it as well.

The car can be charged at a speed of up to 135 kW. However, in winter testing, ID.4 revealed that charging in the cold was slower than most competitors. We don’t know if VW has corrected this now.

Good driving characteristics

So far, we’ve driven ID.Buzz in good summer conditions on the Danish roads. There it appears that the 204 hp engine is powerful enough to provide good acceleration and an easy driving feel. Stability in fast and critical maneuvers is surprisingly good, not least thanks to the good electronic stabilization system and battery pack located at the bottom of the car.

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Interior noise, which we often see a little louder in this type of car, is surprisingly low. Whether it is low on Norwegian asphalt remains to be seen.

modern interior

Suspension comfort is good in most situations, but it is a little sharp on small bumps. This is very common for heavy electric vehicles. After all, ID.Buzz weighs about 2.5 tons, including the driver.

If the exterior design reminds us of a bus from the 1960s, it’s quite different when we get behind the wheel. Here, everything is very modern. The interior features two screens that are easy to read and use with ease.

a little unusual

The most unusual thing is that the gear selector, which usually sits 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 happening in the traffic around the car is good. The driver’s seat fits us well too.

Cheapest copy 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 your money if you need the space that a car provides.

Comes with 4WD

Will ID.Buzz be a sales success? It should be, but this is a type of SUV that was popular with Norwegian car buyers 20 years ago. Today, most people who buy a new car are SUVs. It might help a bit when ID.Buzz, after all sun brands, comes with 4WD not so long. Also on the way will be a longer seven-seater version, with a 100 kW battery ready.

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