Electric van Volkswagen ID. Buzz was introduced back in March last year, but all this time the model was offered only with two rows of seats, and was not delivered to the US and Canada at all. Moreover, the Germans immediately announced a seven-seat version, but it appeared only now – and this is the first Volkswagen minivan since 2003, which will be sold in North America.
Three-row ID. Buzz is the longest machine on the MEB platform. The distance between the axles has been increased by 250 mm (up to 3239 mm), as a result of which the body length has reached 4962 mm: this is exactly one millimeter more than the ID.7 liftback. For the sake of maintaining proportions, not only the rear, but also the front doors became longer – by 190 and 60 mm, respectively.
On the third row there are two chairs, and the armrests for the passengers of the “gallery” (despite the lack of seats) were also in the short-wheelbase version: unification. In the seven-seat configuration, the luggage compartment holds 304 liters, and if you fold the second and third row, you will already have 2469 liters of useful volume at your disposal – 264 liters more than the five-seat ID. buzz. The luggage compartment is provided with a shelf that is installed flush with the folded backs of the rear seats, forming a flat floor.
At the same time seven-seater ID. Buzz received the largest panoramic roof ever installed on a Volkswagen model. Its area is 1.5 sq. m. (the Germans say that the new minivan is light, like in the T1 Samba Bus), and electrochromic glass allows you to change the degree of transparency using a special slider or by voice command. As an option, a head-up display and a smartphone-controlled car park will also be available.
Two new technologies went to the minivan from the ID.7 mentioned above. This is not only a multimedia touchscreen with a diagonal of 15 inches, but also a modular electric drive APP550 with a return of 210 kW (286 hp) and 550 Nm, which is mounted on the rear axle and is powered by an 86-kilowatt traction battery. The power reserve in this configuration has not yet been disclosed, but dynamic characteristics have been announced: acceleration to “hundreds” takes 7.9 s, and the maximum speed is limited to 160 km / h.
Basic seven-seater ID. Buzz will share the power plant with the short-wheelbase version: a 150 kW (204 hp) and 310 Nm traction electric motor and a battery with a usable capacity of 77 kWh. Top speed is limited to 145 km/h.
A powerful version of the GTX has also been announced. Judging by the preliminary specifications (250 kW or 339 hp are declared), the output of the front electric motor will be the same as that of the ID.4 / ID.5 GTX or Skoda Enyaq RS crossovers, and the APP550 will be installed at the rear. Over time, a similar GTX version will also go to the ID.7 liftback.
American IDs. Buzz will feature ventilated front seats and an illuminated front badge. The premiere of the seven-seater electric minivan took place today, June 2, near Los Angeles. The model will hit the North American market in early 2024 and will mark the return of VW monocabs to the US and Canada, where the last Multivan T4 was shipped back in 2003.
In the first quarter of next year, seven-seater ID. Buzz will also appear in Europe. The model will continue to be produced at the Hannover plant: localization in other countries is not yet planned. Over time, the range of versions will also be supplemented by the California campervan with an extended wheelbase and a large battery.
Leave a Reply