If popular opinion is anything to go by, the 2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz should be doomed to fail from the start.
Not only is it an electric vehicle (EV), but it has stumpy proportions and sliding doors — characteristics that are supposed to be the most unwanted of them all. And yet this people-mover has piqued plenty of interest since it was first announced what seems like forever ago, and rightly so. After all, it’s exactly the kind of quirky machine that might just make electrification cool while doing the same for minivans.
Its drawbacks are few and far between, but some of them happen to be hard to ignore. For starters, there’s the pesky problem of how far it can travel on a full charge, which is a little underwhelming in spite of its massive battery pack. And then there’s the matter of its asking price that’s anything but groovy.
Loveable Lineage
The retro-inspired roots of the ID. Buzz are about as obvious as they come, with serious shades of the Volkswagen Type 2 — more commonly called the Bus — that first hit the market more than seven decades ago. The cult status of the original VW van paved the way for a successor like this to make a triumphant return all these years later, albeit with a thoroughly modernized look and feel.
With the aerodynamic principles of a well-built bread box, the ID. Buzz stands out for its steadfast commitment to old-school cool. Not even the “New Beetle” that launched back in the 1990s honoured its predecessor with the same kind of dedication, although the electrified twist applied here is just as apparent as its heritage.
The cabin isn’t as closely connected to the past — and occupants are better off because of it — although a few throwback touches here and there are in keeping with the overall theme. Perhaps more importantly, this is a vehicle that manages to emphasize utility and usefulness as much as it does style, with all kinds of clever solutions inside that make the most of the space.
Entirely Electric
This Volkswagen wouldn’t look the way it does — let alone exist in the first place — if not for its electric powertrain. Modern crash standards being what they are, there simply isn’t a way to safely (or practically) package any kind of combustion engine inside proportions like these. Besides, the ID. Buzz is probably cooler precisely because of the way it’s powered.
Just like the ID.4 that came before it, the single-motor version of this van powers the rear wheels rather than the front ones. That unit makes the same 282 hp as the updated ID.4, while torque stands at a stout 413 lb-ft. Likewise, the all-wheel-drive version uses the same secondary electric motor as its crossover sibling, with net output ringing in at an identical 335 hp.
While the ID. Buzz is significantly heavier, tipping the scales at a curb weight of 2,771 kg (6,109 lb) — the second motor that makes all-wheel drive possible adds 69 kg (152 lb) to this EV’s overall mass — it doesn’t necessarily feel like it from behind the wheel. No, it won’t slither through streets like a small car, but there’s an appreciable nimbleness here that betrays the mass being moved.
That’s particularly true around town, where the speed-sensitive power steering makes this VW feel easy to manage. It’s a different story out on the open road, especially when a series of twists and turns are involved, with the big battery weighing the ID. Buzz down when darting through switchbacks. It also makes itself known on precast concrete highways, with the van bucking back and forward like a body-on-frame pickup at cruising speed.
Maximum DC fast-charging speeds are capped at 200 kW, which means the benchmark jump from 10 to 80 per cent can happen in an estimated 26 minutes in ideal conditions. Charging at home hooked up to a 240-volt Level 2 connection should result in a full battery in nine hours.
City Slicker
While its drag coefficient of 0.29 isn’t entirely terrible — the original VW Type 2 registered at 0.44 in the wind tunnel when it went into production, while Hyundai’s exceptionally slippery Ioniq 6 sedan comes in at 0.22 — the ID. Buzz is a bit like an upturned wash basin on wheels. Add in its considerable heft, and this isn’t the most efficient EV out there.
Opting for rear-wheel drive results in a combined consumption rating of 25.3 kWh/100 km and an overall range of 377 km. Meanwhile, the same figure increases slightly to 26.1 kWh/100 km for the all-wheel-drive version. Estimated range dips nominally to 373 km.
But then a winding route that made its way north from San Francisco along the Shoreline Highway and back behind the wheel of an all-wheel-drive model finished with an indicated average of 21.8 kWh/100 km across exactly 195 km of driving. That’s nearly as good as the all-wheel-drive ID.4’s official rating (20.5).
Even so, the ID. Buzz is better suited to in-town commutes instead of long trips on the highway, with frequent use of regenerative braking making up for at least some of the shortcomings. However, Volkswagen still hasn’t figured out how helpful — and fun — full one-pedal driving can be, and so as with its sibling a driver must take over with the mechanical brakes in order to bring this behemoth to a halt.
So Spacious
If trips around town are part of the plan, there’s plenty of room inside to make them an extended-family affair. Minivans are truly miraculous when it’s time to move people and stuff and the ID. Buzz is no exception, with all kinds of space spread across three full rows of seating.
The massive sliding doors are safer to operate than conventional ones, eliminating the risk of cringe-worthy parking lot dents and dings while also providing more room to manoeuvre in and out of both sets of rear seats. The ones in the second row can be tilted forward with the pull of a lever, providing easy access to the rearmost bench that’s roomy enough to accommodate two adults with ease.
Open the tailgate and there’s 527 L behind the third row — marginally less than Volkswagen’s own Atlas has to offer, but then there’s way more passenger space here. Folding the third row yields 2,138 L of volume, while doing the same with the second row means a total of 4,120 L. Not even the full-size Chevrolet Suburban has that much space for stuff, although it isn’t far behind.
Meanwhile, there are cubbies and shelves for small items, including a clever vertical slot next to the infotainment display made for storing and charging smartphones. On that note, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connections are standard and run through a 12.9-inch touchscreen, plus there’s a 14-speaker stereo, subscription-based satellite radio, surround-view cameras, and a full advanced safety and driver-assist suite.
For at least its first year on the market the ID. Buzz will be offered in a single trim in Canada, with the choice of rear- or all-wheel drive, plus an optional monochromic glass roof and upgraded paint offerings. Otherwise, it comes decked out with everything from heated, ventilated, and massaging front seats to heated second-row seats, a head-up display, and a power sliding tailgate and side doors, all of which can be opened with the kick of a foot.
Pricey Proposition
Yes, the ID. Buzz is eye-wateringly expensive — but it’s also not entirely unreasonable in the context of what it is. The reality remains that EVs cost a lot to build, and ones with big battery packs are going to come with considerable price tags for the foreseeable future.
Even against that backdrop, however, the $77,495 list price for the rear-wheel-drive version is significant. So, too, is the $82,995 Volkswagen Canada suggests the all-wheel-drive model should sell for. On top of that, there’s freight to factor in ($2,500), while the fancy glass roof adds $2,000 to either of them, and there’s a selection of slick two-tone paint choices for a further $1,500. Add it all up and a decked out example could touch nearly six figures with tax.
Of course, the other consideration is that the sole trim available at launch, dubbed the 1st Edition that comes with all kinds of creature comforts, includes something of an early adoption upcharge. That means Volkswagen Canada will eventually introduce more versions at a later date that skip some of the fancy flourishes found here — the massaging front seats, for example, as well as the heated ones in the second row — in a move to make the ID. Buzz more affordable.
There’s precedent for such a move, too. In the automaker’s home market of Germany there are eight versions of the ID. Buzz to choose from — plus three more cargo configurations — with a sliding scale of pricing to match. There’s also short- and long-wheelbase layouts to pick between on the other side of the Atlantic, while only the latter is available here.
In the United States, the ID. Buzz is launching with a total of five versions to pick from. That provides a glimpse at what the Canadian lineup might look like in a year’s time, while a five-passenger version that does without a third row of seats is still in the future plans, according to a Volkswagen Canada rep.
Final Thoughts
Shoppers who rely more heavily on their hearts than their heads will no doubt fall for the 2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz and all its delights. After all, it’s cute and cool all at once while managing to balance pragmatism and fun to near perfection. But then there’s the price of admission, which is high by any measure — and looks even more so considering the range limitations that come with this EV.
Despite those frustrations, the ID. Buzz is lovable to the point of being sickening. There’s a joy that comes with it — not only for the passersby who can’t seem to get enough, but for the people inside, too. While it might be best enjoyed around town, and it’s in desperate need of some lower priced trims in Canada, there’s no denying how well executed this EV is overall. It checks enough boxes that the major ones it doesn’t just might be forgivable in the context of the inherent desirability this retro EV delivers.
Peace and love.
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