A bigger battery and three rows of seats for US-market VW ID Buzz
Enlarge / The Buzz is an electric interpretation of the classic T2 from 1950. (credit: Volkswagen)
Good news, everyone—it's almost Volkswagen ID Buzz time. The electric minivan loved even by people who hate cars went into production in Europe last year, but only the short-wheelbase, five-seat version. Ars spent some time driving one in Denmark, where we discovered it to be quite charming but needed a few tweaks for its voyage to America. Today, VW has finally unveiled the ID Buzz that will go on sale here next year. The wheelbase is longer, and there's that important third row of seats. But it also has a bigger battery and a bit more power than the Euro-spec Buzz.
The Buzz's layout remains unchanged. There's a battery pack between the axles, but those axles are about 10 inches farther apart, and the pack now has a gross capacity of 91 kWh, an increase of 8 kWh compared to the two-row Buzz.
You don't have to get your Buzz in two-tone paint, but it helps. (credit: Volkswagen)
The Buzz can be specified either with a single-motor, rear-wheel drive powertrain or with a dual-motor, all-wheel drive setup. There's a new, larger rear motor than the unit we've seen in other VW BEVs that use the same modular platform (called MEB). It's still a permanent magnet synchronous motor, but it generates 282 hp (210 kW) and 406 lb-ft (550 Nm). The total power output for the AWD Buzz is 330 hp (246 kW).