Next Stop, USA: 2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz to Arrive With 3 Rows, More HP
The 2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz — an all-electric reincarnation of the iconic microbus — will come stateside in 2024 with a handful of upgrades and modifications compared to its European counterpart. Our first look at the overseas model revealed a two-row passenger van with seating for five and a standard single-motor rear-wheel-drive setup. The U.S.-bound minivan comes with a longer wheelbase, three rows to seat up to seven occupants, more power, available all-wheel drive and a larger battery pack.
Related: Volkswagen ID. Buzz Debuts: The Microbus Revived for the Electric Revolution
Supersized for North America
The three-row ID. Buzz shares many of the nostalgic elements with the two-row variant, including a boxy exterior with short front and rear overhangs, an oversized illuminated VW logo and bright, two-tone exterior paint options. However, the U.S. version is stretched significantly to accommodate the extra seating and add cargo space. At 192.4 inches, the vehicle is 10 inches longer than the two-row ID. Buzz — mainly due to its longer wheelbase. The short-wheelbase ID. Buzz gets 39.6 cubic feet of cargo space, according to VW, but the automaker has not yet shared cargo estimates for the three-row model.
Compared to its three-row Atlas stablemate, the ID. Buzz is about as wide as the SUV but measures 5 inches taller. And while the larger ID. Buzz does not appear to be an aerodynamic vehicle, VW says it offers a low drag coefficient for its shape and rides on aerodynamically optimized 20-inch wheels.
Bigger Battery, More Power Aboard
The U.S. version of the ID. Buzz gets a standard rear-mounted motor with 282 horsepower — a significant power boost over the European model’s 201 horses. A dual-motor AWD variant will also be available stateside for an estimated 330 hp. The ID. Buzz’s maximum torque is estimated at 406 pounds-feet, and its electronically limited top speed is 99 mph (up from 90 mph in the two-row model). According to the automaker, the higher power, torque and efficiency come as a result of thermal improvements that were made to the vehicle’s motor. The minivan also gets a larger 91-kilowatt-hour battery compared to the overseas model’s 82-kWh battery pack, but VW has not provided any range or charging time estimates for the U.S version.
Retro-Inspired Interior, Modern Tech
Inside, the ID. Buzz seats up to seven occupants, with an optional captain’s chair configuration that fits six. The second and third rows fold flat, though the latter can be removed for added cargo room. An available cargo storage system with storage bins creates a flat floor with the rear seats folded, and storage for smaller items is optimized with a removable center console that comes with flexible compartments and dividers.
Unique, nostalgic accents inside the minivan include a wood-optic dash and Play and Pause pedals first seen in the 2016 ID. Buzz Concept, as well as other Buzz Easter eggs found throughout the minivan. The ID. Buzz also offers many traditional creature comforts, including perforated leatherette seats, heated and ventilated massaging front seats, heated second-row seats and a heated steering wheel. Available features include VW’s largest panoramic glass roof with electrochromic auto-dimming and a premium 14-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system. Three color combinations for the minivan’s interior will be available: dark brown and black, light gray and clay, and light brown with yellow and gray accents.
Standard tech for the three-row ID. Buzz includes VW’s IQ.Drive advanced driver-assistance system, a 5.3-inch digital gauge cluster and a 12.9-inch center touchscreen. The vehicle’s infotainment system sees similar upgrades as the upcoming 2025 ID.7 sedan: According to VW, these include more intuitive and user-friendly menus and touch-sensitive controls. The ID.4’s controls frustrated Cars.com editors, and it remains to be seen how the controls in VW’s new EVs stack up.
Standard charging and connectivity features for the ID. Buzz include wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charging, eight USB-C ports throughout the cabin, a 110-volt outlet in the front row and 12-volt charging in the cargo area.
Still a Counter-Culture Minivan
The 2025 ID. Buzz is expected to arrive in the U.S. in summer 2024, and it will have few rivals (i.e. all-electric family haulers) to contend with. Among the current set of traditional minivans, the Chrysler Pacifica offers a plug-in hybrid variant, and the Toyota Sienna comes with a standard hybrid powertrain; the ID. Buzz will be the first all-electric minivan upon its arrival. There are a handful of alternatives that shoppers can consider, including three-row all-electric SUVs like the Rivian R1S, the upcoming Kia EV9 and the Volvo EX90.
More details on the three-row ID. Buzz — including range, charging time, trims and pricing — are expected to be announced at a later date.
Editor’s note: This story was updated Jan. 26, 2024, to reflect VW’s change to the ID. Buzz’s model year.
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