What’s the Buzz on the VW I.D. BUZZ?

From the moment the Volkswagen new Beetle arrived in our Bud Brown Volkswagen showroom in 1997, people were asking “What about the minibus?” The vehicle officially went by a few names: Type 2, T1, Kombi, and Samba, yet most everyone simply knew it as the “minibus” or just “bus”.  Volkswagen responded with a minibus concept in 2001.  In fact, there were three different concepts of the minibus shown to the public in the next 15 years. Another year later, we were shown the all-electric I.D. BUZZ is slated to become a production model. That was still over 5 years ago.

A 5-passenger version of the I.D. BUZZ is now in production in Europe, but they will be busy filling European orders for now, with the U.S. version anticipated mid-2024.  When it comes, it will be a foot longer and carry 7 passengers.  But now that actual  I.D. BUZZ models are built and available for sale, We can get our best look yet at what will come here.

Some Things Look Familiar

There are some aspects of it that are surprisingly familiar.  Just as the original minibus was built off of a VW Beetle chassis, the  I.D. BUZZ is built from the same MEB platform found in the ID.4 including the 82-*kilowatt-hour battery pack and the 201-hp electric motor driving the rear wheels.  Much of the dash is also shared with the ID.4. So from the driver’s seat, the European  I.D. BUZZ looks and feels very much like an ID.4. The 5-seat model is rated as having 263 miles on a full charge.  With 170-kW DC fast charging, the battery is expected to charge from 10 to 80% in 30 minutes.  The U.S. version will be longer, creating room under the floor for a larger battery so these figures will likely change.

Some Don’t

The exterior surprisingly displays little of the original model. Probably most reminiscent of the original are the boxy proportions and the white-topped two-tone paint treatment that is supposed to be standard for the U.S. model. Like the original, the change from color to white is right below the window line and dips down to form a big smile in the front. In contrast, the old model’s two-toned division in the front invoked angry downturned eyebrows. While the base of the windshield is right front, it slopes rearward significantly, placing the driver and front passenger a fair distance from the front of the vehicle. This is a good change as the original minibus offered no protection of any kind from a front-end collision.  

The rest of the window treatment also changes drastically. The best-remembered version of the original model was distinctive for its four identical, nearly square windows lined up behind the front door, plus eight additional sky-facing windows above, all separated by the white pillars of the roof color. It really did resemble a bus. The new model has a more modern treatment with no roof windows and an unbroken panel of black pillars and mostly tinted windows until you get to the rear pillar. Behind the front doors, all the side windows are fixed in place. This is not as big a deal now that all vehicles are air-conditioned, but some will be surprised by it.

Clever Details Inside

While the dash is similar to the ID.4, there are plenty of new things in the rest of the interior. The I.D. BUZZ is 6 inches wider than ID.4 but the seating is in the same place. This places the door rather far for resting an arm, so there are fold-down armrests mounted to the outside of the seats. They are probably more comfortable than the door but you do have to remember to lift them up when getting out. Mounted behind the front seat backs are foldable plastic trays similar to those on passenger airliners.

The center console has storage compartments with removable dividers that double as an ice scraper and a bottle opener.  Plus, the console is fully removable to make room for cargo storage. VW has an option package that creates a mattress platform with storage compartments underneath, and another combination kitchen, bed, and storage unit that fits in the vehicle. It is not yet known if this will be available in the U.S. but it certainly is in the spirit of the original.

More Waiting

At this point, all we can do is wait to see what will change and what will remain on the U.S. version, and when we know, Bud Brown Volkswagen will share the news. We do know that the starting price for U.S. models is expected to be somewhere in the vicinity of $55,000 and that there will be an upgrade for a dual-motor AWD version. And we know that we probably won’t see any in our showrooms until late spring of 2024. If your new car desires are more immediate, we have the mechanically and creatively similar ID.4 and a whole lineup of other fine European-designed models, one of which will surely fit your lifestyle.