Volkswagen's hotly anticipated revival of its trademark bus brand is back in EV form. The ID.Buzz takes the original "peace and love mobile" and turns it into something a flower child would drive in the world of "Tron".
A dealership worker for the popular German manufacturer posted a quick overview on the car in a viral TikTok. Jarrod Brindza's (@jarrodbrindza93) clip accrued over 1.5 million views, suggesting there is interest in the vehicle.
However, numerous commenters thought that its price may just ultimately keep the bus a relic of the past.
"Never thought I'd see the day that a good old Volkswagen Bus. Which is now ID.Buzz, comes back to life," Brindza says.
In the clip, Brindza shows off the electric van that's clearly inspired by the German manufacturer's iconic VW gas-powered offering. The interior is comprised of white design cues, and a spacious cabin.
After exiting the vehicle, he shows off its modern take on the vehicle that was once a symbol for hippies everywhere. Not to mention a talking dog and his four friends who investigated paranormal occurrences.
"Say what you wanna say about it. But I think this is pretty cool. This is...this is different," he notes as he walks around the car's exterior, showing off its angles. "But it's pretty cool."
According to Car and Driver, the Volkswagen ID.Buzz first debuted in Europe in 2022. The reason why it took longer to get stateside has to do with road regulations in the United States. In the EU, the outlet says that vans can just be a "cargo box with seats." This isn't the case for the Fifty-Nifty, however.
Major changes needed to be implemented—the car's body had to be extended an additional 9.8 inches to add a third row. If it didn't contain these additional seats, the car couldn't be classified as a minivan. A vehicle's classification holds major implications for taxes and import fees. Which is a topic that's been a source of controversy for the popular German auto brand in India. The country's government alleges VW managed to avoid $1.4 billion in tariffs with component imports.
Furthermore, VW needed to add air conditioning to the car's rear seats, not to mention a massive performance upgrade. The EU's ID.Buzz hits the pavement with a 201-horsepower electric motor. In The Land of the Free, the base model VW van gets 282 hps on a rear wheel drivetrain. Moreover, if you wanted to get more oomph out of your ID.Buzz, that option's available to you too.
We're talking a 335 horsepower dual motor with all-wheel-drive which Europe has as well under the GTX moniker. Another upgrade America's ID.Buzz enjoys: A bigger battery. Presumably because it's a larger and heavier car, it packs 9 more kilowatt-hours: 86 as opposed to 77.
The original VW Bus wasn't known for packing a stock engine that got folks off the line like a bat out of hell. Much like many of the stoners who traipsed across the country in them, the OG model took its time.
Motor Trend had a lot of positive things to say about Volkswagen's latest electric vehicle offering in the US. For one, the publication called the ride "super charming" and that it was a blast to drive around. Additionally, they dubbed it "a true jack-of-all-trades."
But there are downsides—chief among them, Motor Trend stated, is its price. The base model starts at $60,000, and doesn't qualify for a Federal EV tax credit. That's because it's manufactured outside of the USA — so there's no relief there.
Moreover, the article writes that some folks might find it hard getting into the vehicle due to its interior dimensions. Once they do manage to get in, however, the interior is uniquely and meticulously detailed. You sure feel like you're riding in a "car of the future" once you hop in. That is, if you can do so comfortably. The last mark against it doesn't really speak to the design or quality of the vehicle. Motor Trend says that it might take some folks a while to actually get their hands on them. This is due to an "availability [that's] likely limited for some time."
Others who responded to Brindza's video also had issues with the ID.Buzz's AWD variant. "For 70k it can sit right there too," wrote one user.
Someone else seemed to dislike all of the bells and whistles of the car's newest model. "We just wanted the classic bus back," they wrote.
And then there was one user who equated its design with a popular Toyota "youth-focused" brand. "That ain't no VW bus that's a scion XB."
One TikToker replied that adopting a first model year of an EV will ultimately just result in problems. "70k for recalls and defective batteries," the user stated.
While someone else wrote they'd rather spend their $70k elsewhere. "$70k… I’m getting a navigator or a Model X."
But there were some who showed the ID.Buzz some love. Even if they did find it prohibitively expensive. "It's awesome, but $60k+ is not affordable for most of us," wrote one user.
@jarrodbrindza93 Our dealerships forst ID.buzz has arrived. #vwbus #volkswagen #vw #dasauto #cartok #fypシ #carsoftiktok ♬ original sound - Jarrod Brindza
The Daily Dot has reached out to Volkswagen via email and Brindza via TikTok comment for further information.
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The post ‘That’s a Scion XB’: Dealership salesman hails return of Volkswagen bus. But should you really consider the ID.Buzz at that price point? appeared first on The Daily Dot.
