VW ID. Buzz review: first impression after a weekend
A TEST REPORT from Dominic Lux 
on March 22, 2023, 10:00 pm | 5 comments
With the VW ID. buzz VW brings the classic Bulli into the new electric age. We could him for a weekend prodrive. Here are our impressions of the first all-electric bus.
The ID Buzz is relatively similar to the old original in terms of external dimensions. In the highest expansion stage, you also get fully electric sliding doors and a very large electric tailgate. The IQ.Light from Volkswagen and other well-known assistance systems that are known from the ID models are also installed.
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Driving impression: Surprisingly normal
The VW ID. Buzz drives surprisingly normally. Apart from the controls, it is very similar to an ID. 5 or ID. 4 from the waiter. Only the gear selector lever has migrated from the driver's display down to the right-hand steering column stalk. This also changed the controls for the automatic windshield washer, among other things. This slipped namely with the turn signal lever to the left.
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- Picture: TechnikNews.net
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- Picture: TechnikNews.net
We had the white interior in our test car. VW has made very interesting design decisions here. The body color is reflected in the interior. We really liked that. The seats are extremely comfortable, as we are used to from VW. The sound system in the ID. Buzz is really more than adequate. Well, the bass could perhaps be a little stronger. But otherwise it is a successful system for a VW bus. We suspect that the loudspeakers were again bought by FOCAL, as is the case with the ID. 3 for example is the case.
ID. Software 3.2: finally usable?
The 12-inch (about 30 centimeters) infotainment screen is located in the center of the cockpit. This already had the ID. Software 3.2 installed, ie the same one that I already have in my private ID. 3 have. So I can also say here that it really is a very good improvement over the old versions. But when it comes to “over-the-air” updates, VW really still has to learn something. On the other hand, the software runs really well with version 3.2 and the hardware can be operated smoothly. By the way, the wireless charger is a slot to the right of the steering wheel.
Storage options: Decent space in the electric bus
In ID. Buzz has cleared some space thanks to the MEB platform designed for pure electric cars. In our equipment we had two electric sliding doors and an electric tailgate.
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- Picture: TechnikNews
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- Picture: TechnikNews.net
In the rear of the ID. Buzz has ample room for three taller passengers. Incidentally, the rear bench seat can still be moved a little if you should reach the limits of legroom. Arriving in the trunk, we are greeted by a load floor at hip height and two storage boxes. You can store the type 2 charging cable or other things there, for example. There is also a parcel shelf that can be pulled out. There are a few smaller Easter Eggs throughout the ID.Buzz.
They are sort of the parting gift from ID. designer Klaus Zyciora. This was after the ID. Buzz (and the ID. 7) quit the crayon at Volkswagen and left the ID. design team. Among other things, a small buzz runs around in the back of the trunk on the (yellow in our case) imitation leather applications. Or there is a small smiley in the door handles.
Conclusion: The VW bus has arrived in the electric age.
Since this is only a small first impression of the ID. Buzz, for example, we were not able to extensively use fast charging over long distancesprobeer We may expose this and a few other things in a full review in the future. But first of all I can already say after two days that the ID. Buzz has become the electric version of the popular VW bus.
In our test, we were able to drive a battery charge of 90 percent to eight percent empty. According to the display, the car had a range of 340 kilometers. Quite good. It should be noted that we are atypical for a bus with a range of 130 to 150 kilometers. pro hour on the highway. It was then charged at a home wall box with 11 kilowatts of charging power. Nevertheless, the current version of the ID. Buzz should easily manage the 380 kilometers in summer. Fast charging should then take place relatively quickly from 170 to 0 percent with up to 80 kilowatts of charging power.
The ID Buzz is perfect for all-electric road trips with the whole family. That would be our first impression of the ID. buzz By the way, a version with a longer wheelbase will soon be available. Will this then also have seven seats? We will see.
We would like to thank the Thiel Group in Rheda Wiedenbrück for providing an ID. Buzz in the people version for a weekend!
A bus with a load of 400kg is a mockery and a bus with a range of 350km is a heckl (cheating).
I always find the information for fast charging interesting, because you shouldn’t really do that at all, because it insults the battery.
Since I praise my T5. almost 1000kg payload and with normal driving more than 1000km range. This is a car.
Because you drive 1000km in one go... It's clear...
Playmobil....🤮
Such a little house. How can you do that voluntarily?
Unfortunately the box is crap. 400kg loads for a bus far too little. 4 adults with suitcases and overweight. Followers on, even more overloaded.