It is easy to see the resemblance to the old VW bus in the ID.Buzz design.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
The excitement surrounding the ID.Buzz is similar to when Volkswagen launched the New Beetle in the late 1990s. At a time when entry-level cars were drab and routinely described as penalty boxes, the New Beetle’s bubbly shape, bright colours and standard flower vase were a sharp contrast to the status quo.
The Buzz is the reincarnation of another one of Volkswagen’s icons, the Type 2 Transporter or simply the “bus,” and it pulls off the same trick of looking like nothing else on the road while also being instantly familiar. The biggest difference is that the New Beetle was based on the Golf, which made it affordable. The ID.Buzz sits at the top of Volkswagen’s lineup as a showcase of its battery-electric technology.
It’s unfortunate because the Buzz is a great vehicle and should be experienced by more. But a starting price of more than $80,000 will limit its audience, and forking over that amount for a brand whose name translates to the “People’s Car” is a tough pill to swallow.
The company has a long history of producing cars for the masses. The Volkswagen Bus and Beetle were archetypal of the brand’s innovative thinking. Cheap but cheerful, economical transportation that would help mobilize a weary postwar nation. Even the Golf that came in the 1970s with its boxy Giugiaro-designed body and front-wheel drive was ahead of its time, and the sporty GTI variant was credited for sparking the hot hatch movement. These Volkswagens were the definition of cars for the people.
In the driver's seat, you sit high and forward, almost directly over the front axle, and you have a commanding view of the road.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
The Buzz isn’t that any more, but most people get excited when they see it. They point, smile, take photos and get others to look. And there’s no mistaking what it is with its flat face, giant VW badge in the middle and candy-white roof on a contrasting body. There are more nods to the old bus, such as the retro-modern wheels and the strakes on the rearmost pillar, meant to represent the cooling vents of the old air-cooled engines. Even the square side windows are a throwback.
The Buzz is built on a stretched version of the electric platform from the ID.4 SUV. It’s deceptively large, has dual-sliding doors and is officially classified as a minivan. Inside, there are three rows of seats, and all of them are suitable for adults. It has more room than any other minivan on the market and if you folded all the seats down, you could probably rent it out on Airbnb.
There’s more cool stuff, too, such as a movable centre console that can be positioned in any of the rows, collapsible storage boxes and a dimmable panoramic sunroof. There are multiple USB-C ports in every row and cubbies to store stuff just about everywhere.
Base models come with a single electric motor driving the rear wheels while our tester was the dual-motor all-wheel-drive version, which makes a combined 335 horsepower, more than enough for the Buzz.
With 86 kilowatt hours of usable energy from the battery, the Buzz is rated to travel up to 372 kilometres on a single charge and has a maximum fast charging rate of 200 kilowatts. The range is disappointing, considering the price and how perfect it would be on an extended road trip because that’s where the Buzz excels.
It feels big on narrow city streets or when you’re parking it, but out on the open road it’s in its element with a ride that’s smooth and quiet. You sit far forward, almost directly on top of the front axle, and you have a commanding view of the road. The electric motors provide lots of torque, and it’s efficient, averaging 28 kilowatt-hours per 100 kilometres in sub-zero temperatures, thanks in no small part to the standard heat pump. Base models come with a middle-row bench and seat seven, but the one I was driving had captain’s chairs and seating for six.
James Engelsman and Thomas Holland from Throttle House test Volkswagen’s new halo vehicle – a stylish minivan that is a throwback to the old VW bus.
The Globe and Mail
Like other new Volkswagens, the Buzz has almost no physical controls on the dash or the steering wheel, instead using touch-sensitive buttons and sliders that constitute the exact opposite of good ergonomics. Still, it’s not enough to take away from the fact you’re driving one of the coolest new vehicles on the market.
When the New Beetle came out, it inspired a wave of retro-modern cars like the BMW Mini and the Fiat 500. In this age of hulking SUVs and bulletproof Cybertrucks, it’s nice to think the Buzz might have the same influence on the automotive industry. If anything, its friendly and cheerful design is a refreshing take on what a large family vehicle can look like today.
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