The Van Americans Will Finally Get!

Obviously, the big news is the electric van’s bigger size: The three-row ID Buzz is nearly 10 inches longer than the two-row version, with the extra length coming courtesy of a 9.8-inch wheelbase stretch. At 192.4 inches long and 77.9 inches wide, the bigger Buzz is roughly the same size as a Volkswagen Atlas SUV (whereas the two-row model casts about the same shadow as the now-discontinued Beetle). The three-row van’s sliding doors are 7.6 inches longer, providing improved access to the new third row, and feature plug-style side windows that slide rearward electrically.

We expected the long Buzz to have the pedestrian look of an ordinary minivan, but it doesn’t; in fact the stretched wheelbase emphasizes the adorably awkward proportions. We might even venture that the LWB (long-wheelbase) Buzz has more of the Microbus character than the two-row version. U.S. buyers can choose from nine different paint colors, including bright hues like red, orange, yellow, green, and two blues, with available two-tone white-over schemes as seen here. Interior colors will be equally bright, with three choices of upholstery color and wood trim, although the door panel trim you see on the blue van isn’t a combination slated for the States.

What awaits us inside? In the second row, the U.S.-spec ID Buzz will offer a choice between captain’s chairs or a three-place 70/30-split folding bench. As with the two-row Buzz, there’s a flat floor and plenty of stretch-out space. Differences? Along with the wider doors, the bigger van gets air vents in the ceiling, but note that the trays mounted to the front seatbacks in the van in our images won’t actually be coming to the U.S.

The biggest news is the third-row seat, a two-place 50/50-split folding bench that sits atop a flat floor. The seats are comfortable provided you recline the backrests slightly (tricky to do, as the straps to adjust the backrest are only accessible from the cargo area), and passenger space is infinitely more generous than you’ll find in a typical seven-seat SUV, which is exactly as we expect from a minivan. Occupants back in the ID Buzz’s third row will find cupholders and USB-C ports but no opening windows.

Although we don’t yet have U.S.-spec measurements, cargo space behind the third row looks slightly smaller than what you’ll find in a typical minivan. There’s no underfloor storage well, since the rear electric motor lives down there (just as the engine did in the original Microbus). The third-row seat backs fold down flat, but to make additional space they must be removed. VW will offer a cargo shelf that can be made level with the folded seatbacks; with all three rows folded down, there’s plenty of space to sleep.

If you’ve seen pictures of Volkswagen’s MEB electric skateboard platform, you can surmise that the longer wheelbase provides space for a larger battery. And yes, VW has taken advantage: The long-wheelbase ID Buzz gets a 91-kWh battery, as opposed to the 82-kWh unit in the Short Buzz. But it will be feeding more horses: The rear-drive long-wheelbase Buzz gets a single motor that produces 282 hp, as opposed to the 201 hp of the short-wheelbase Euro Buzz. The three-row will also offer an optional two-motor, all-wheel-drive powertrain, with output in the region of 330 hp.

As for range, Volkswagen doesn’t have official EPA numbers just yet, but they predict it’ll be around 260 miles, which is about what we’d expect given the larger battery, higher horsepower and extra mass compared to the two-row Buzz. We were surprised to learn that they expect 252 miles for the all-wheel-drive version, a drop of only 8 miles; we expected a decrease triple that size. Overall, we’d like to see more range, since the ID Buzz looks ready-made for road trips, but those aren’t terrible numbers.

Volkswagen told us to expect a high level of equipment in the U.S.-market ID Buzz, well in excess of what’s included in European-spec base Buzzes. The standard equipment list for North America will include faux-leather upholstery, power sliding doors and tailgate, heated, cooled and power-adjustable front seats, heated second-row seats (outboard positions for the bench), three-zone climate control, a heated steering wheel and washer nozzles, proximity key, and 30-color ambient lighting.

Expect a full complement of standard safety equipment, as well, including adaptive cruise control and collision avoidance with automatic braking and pedestrian detection. The van will also get an updated version of VW’s infotainment and climate control systems, with backlit temperature sliders and climate controls accessible from the bottom of the screen.

Options will include a panoramic roof with electrochromic tinting, a 14-speaker Harman Kardon stereo, a heated windshield, a parking assist system with remote parking, and a head-up display. Given how Volkswagen has been packaging its current cars, it’s likely all these extras will be included in a higher trim level rather than packaged as bundles or standalone options.

How much will the ID Buzz set you back? Volkswagen hasn’t confirmed U.S. pricing, but considering the sticker of short-wheelbase models in Europe, the bigger battery and motor, and the generous list of standard equipment, we estimate pricing will start in the mid to high $50,000 range, though bear in mind that, unless the rules change, the ID Buzz won’t qualify for the IRS’ EV tax credit.

We imagine that dealers are salivating at the prospect of the markups they can pile on when the ID Buzz makes its debut, but Volkswagen of America CEO Pablo Di Si tells us that he has concerns about such consumer-unfriendly tactics and wants to find ways to avoid them. He says that Volkswagen is still figuring out how the ID Buzz will be sold, and that a reservation system is likely, but has not been finalized yet.

The short-wheelbase ID Buzz is already on sale in other countries and has been for some time, but North American buyers will have to wait a while longer—until the third quarter of 2024, at which time the Volkswagen ID Buzz will arrive as a 2025 model year.

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