• VW ID.Buzz borrows just the right amount of retro-Bus cues
• It marks the first all-electric minivan with ID.Buzz
• ID.Buzz’s flagship price is $61,545 and has a range of 234 miles

Does it maintain its originality? Does he need it at all?

Retro revivals of pop culture touchpoints, let alone counterculture icons like the Volkswagen Bus, are fraught territory. But the long-awaited driving time 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz He recently highlighted to me that VW is steering this business wisely and with significant dollar and meaning asterisks. A wonderful, fascinating, all-electric family vehicle.

Of course, ID.Buzz can play the retro cards very strongly, but the important thing is to make the first impression and not overdo it later. On the sides, it borrows some retro-Bus cues only on the windows (note the window-within-a-window) and the beltline. The back end is mostly business; It’s more of an evolution of the Eurovan design, with a boxy, angular look that doesn’t borrow much from the flower-power Type 2 Bus.

2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz

It’s been a long time coming for the electric VW Bus

Americans had an extra two years after ID.Buzz became available in Europe; It’s been almost eight years since it was first shown as a concept vehicle to go into production. These few years brought an extension of 10.0 inches and A third line to the US versionwe have no plans to offer the original two-row version here. For us it is a bigger improvement among other improvements. 91 kWh battery packa more powerful rear engine, a new infotainment interface and various software improvements.

The latter pieces fit neatly into a cabin design that follows the modern route, with hints of retro mostly kept at bay. The 12.9-inch touchscreen in the center of the dash creates a sleek look that’s in keeping with what VW used in the ID.4, and faux wood dash trims interrupt what would otherwise be a sea of ​​plastic. The available electrochromic panoramic roof turns cloudy gray on a sunny day (your “Box of Rain”?), while the long center console is a cargo box that can be removed like a cooler from Buzz. Multi-layer bins in the doors and dash give you plenty of storage options for smaller favors.

VW ID.Buzz customers can choose between seating for six or seven. You get the second layout with a standard second-row bench for most of the lineup, but all-wheel-drive versions have six-passenger seating (optional on some other rear-wheel-drive models for $695).

2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz

2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz

2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz

ID.Buzz is the size of a family SUV but does more

The 2025 VW ID.Buzz is at the heart of family-sized vehicles by today’s American vehicle standards. Measuring 195.3 inches long with a 127.5-inch wheelbase, the three-row has ample leg and headroom for adults of all sizes, and because the roof doesn’t taper too much, reaching the third row is easier than in most SUVs. . Sit in the ID.Buzz’s third row and, unlike many three-row SUVs, you can put aside claustrophobic feelings and have a view outward. It’s also refreshing that adults don’t sit so low.

If you’re thinking minivan thoughts, we are too. During the few days our editorial team spent around ID.Buzz recently, we all came back to the idea that this is the first all-electric vehicle designed primarily as a passenger van. Its priority is not off-roading or towing, but transporting people on the road.

This doesn’t mean ID.Buzz can’t do these things to a limited degree. 6.1 inches of ground clearance should be enough to get you to campsites, and VW officially certifies the Buzz to tow up to 2,600 pounds (braked) or 1,650 pounds (unbraked). Won’t pull or swerve like a car Rivian R1Sor get the most out of your battery pack Kia EV9but its massive sliding doors make a living.

2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz

Is ID.Buzz leading the electric minivan wave?

The ID.Buzz feels less like the tail end of the retro revival and more like the leading edge of an electric minivan wave. Just as today’s minivans surprise with their handling and driving characteristics, the ID.Buzz is also quite impressive in corners; as long as you accept the height of 76.2 inches.

Recent riding opportunities in Georgia and Michigan showed me that the ID.Buzz prioritizes ride quality, but pushes it harder on a twisty road, and its low center of mass gives it unexpected stability thanks to the heavy battery pack and skateboard setup. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it nimble, and since you sit high up pitch and roll movements are exaggerated, but the nicely weighted steering provides a precision in lane placement that’s welcome in such a large vehicle.

The Buzz is much easier to maneuver, thanks to excellent outside visibility (camera views are excellent, but you can’t beat actual windows) and a compact-car-like 37.4-foot turning radius for rear-wheel-drive models. city ​​and parking lots than the measuring tape would otherwise suggest. AWD versions increase that to 42.7 feet.

2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz

VW ID.Buzz rides big, aims for 200+ miles on a charge

The ID.Buzz is offered in single-motor rear-wheel drive and dual-motor all-wheel drive layouts; both use the same upgraded electric drive unit producing 282 hp and 413 lb-ft of torque at the rear wheels. Dual-motor versions add an inductive motor that produces 99 lb-ft of torque to the front wheels, increasing overall output. 335 hp.

It’s quite powerful compared to some of today’s electric crossovers, but offers a familiar driving experience compared to other vans and minivans. Battery aside, the ID.Buzz features the same drive system that powers the refreshed 2024 VW ID.4 series, but here it’s in a vehicle with more than a thousand pounds of extra weight. It’s nimble enough in most situations, although it’s quite lively, especially at low speeds, but it’s not exactly quick for overtaking. An all-wheel-drive model felt more energetic in backroad excursion than the rear-wheel-drive version, at the expense of steering feel and perhaps a little more road harshness due to the weight difference.

The Buzz is built on the same MEB platform as the ID.4 for affordable EVs, with struts at the front and a multi-link layout at the rear. It also has front disc and old-style rear drum brakes. Regenerative braking is your friend with this much weight, but even in “B” mode, which allows more regeneration, there isn’t enough braking. Sport mode also increases this slightly and gives an advantage to accelerator pedal inputs.

The ID.Buzz has a larger battery pack than the ID.4 but is smaller than the long-range versions of the Kia EV9 (99.8 kWh). With 91 kWh (86 kWh available) for ID.Buzz, it covers: EPA ratings of 234 miles for rear-wheel drive versions and 231 mph for all-wheel drive versions – these figures came close to my real-world results. The drag coefficient of 0.29 certainly helps this, but on the first drive we did notice some wind noise around the front pillars and side mirrors approaching 70 mph.

2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz

2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz

2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz

ID.Buzz is family size and not cheap

The 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz ticks all the boxes of a modern family vehicle, including a flexible second-row layout, heated second-row seats, heated and cooled front seats, and a second and third row that both fold flat. same plane. For now, bus commuters may be dismayed to find that there is no official sleeping accessory; but a piece of plywood and a mattress pad can work wonders. The seats are removable (they’re very heavy), and most versions of the Buzz come with cargo baskets under the solidly hinged door at the rear of the vehicle; Thus, it flattens the ground underneath. Completely flat.

now VW ID.Buzz prices Position this minivan as a premium vehicle and the flagship of the VW range, Starting from $61,545It includes a $1,550 destination fee and ranges up to $71,545. The version we tested hit $67,535 with the mid-range Pro S Plus ($995 extra) in Cabana Blue and Candy White, with the option of an electrochromic sunroof ($1,495). The Buzz is built in Germany with no plans for U.S. assembly or EV tax credit eligibility.

2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz

Even with the base Pro S, the Buzz includes tri-zone climate control, a power liftgate, power sliding doors, and a full suite of active safety technology. Pro S Plus versions add a head-up display, Harman Kardon audio system, retractable tow hitch and more, while the top Edition 1 has a panoramic roof, roof crossbars and two-tone appearance standard.

All of this comes back to the question of whether the ID.Buzz needs to be anything close to the original VW Bus on the market, and whether Volkswagen will be up to the challenge. electric VW Bus lifestyle equipment. The original took a low-key, no-frills path to popularity, with a top price of $2,550 in 1965 equivalent to about $25,400 today. The price of all vehicles has increased as the bar for required safety and technology has become much higher. However, ID.Buzz carries a luxury price tag, as the average price of new vehicles is around $48,000.

2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz

Did VW play its retro cards right or did it completely misread the room? Time will tell whether VW will bring the mass market to ID.Buzz or bring ID.Buzz to the mass market.