2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz

While the new ID. Buzz represents a clear nod to the past; this van shines as a family hauler with modern sensitivities. As such, Volkswagen uses sustainable materials in the Buzz cabin, including recycled plastics retrieved from the sea. Also notable is that the batteries don’t use cobalt, and VW has even built a facility that recycles high-voltage batteries that are no longer suitable for automotive applications.

While the 5-seat Euro version of the Buzz has two rows of seats, the 7-seat U.S. model gets three. In other words, this is a minivan, even if Volkswagen won’t call it one. The extra seating is made possible by a 10-inch-longer wheelbase and an overall increase in length by about the same amount. Front and rear overhangs are the same on both versions, so the extra length has been added where it’s needed most, between the axles, to expand the oh-so-important living quarters.

The 3-row ID. Buzz seats seven in a 2-3-2 configuration or six in a 2-2-2 arrangement. Rear-wheel-drive (RWD) models have a single rear-mounted motor, while all-wheel-drive (AWD) models get electric motors front and rear.

The 3-row ID. Buzz has a range of 234 miles with RWD and 231 miles with AWD.

Because the Buzz is built in Hannover, Germany, and not the U.S., it will not be eligible (under current laws) for a federal tax credit.

While there aren’t any apples-to-apples rivals, EV shoppers might also be interested in the VW ID.4 compact SUV or the Kia EV9 3-row midsize SUV. Shoppers open to a plug-in hybrid rather than an EV should consider the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid.

The U.S-spec ID. Buzz has 282 horsepower and a 91-kWh battery, which compares favorably to the smaller, two-row European model with its 221 horsepower and smaller 82-kWh battery. Although heavier, we expect the 3-row Buzz to feel amply powered, though not as overwhelmingly quick as, say, a Tesla Model Y. The top speed of the 3-row ID. Buzz is electronically limited to 99 mph.

With regard to size, take note: The 3-row VW ID Buzz isn’t a massive vehicle, as you might expect. Its footprint is about that of the VW Atlas Sport Cross two-row midsize SUV with a roof about five inches higher. We think the extra 10 inches of wheelbase improve the proportions of the ID. Buzz when compared to the European model, which has the same width and height.

KBB went for a brief ride in a 2-row Euro-spec ID. Buzz last year. Our impressions:

–The ID. Buzz has a generous amount of headroom and legroom, front and rear. You sit high in the vehicle, and the view out the large windscreen is expansive. That stated, it’s tough to tell exactly how far out the nose of this new electric VW bus extends. Presumably for crash-safety reasons, the driver and front passenger in the I.D. Buzz sit well aft of the front wheels, whereas, in the original VW bus, they sat almost directly above the front wheels.

–The dash’s architecture looks much like that of the ID.4 — simple and uncluttered, with a compact digital instrument panel complemented by a large infotainment screen on the center stack.

–There’s handy storage throughout the ID. Buzz’s lively 2-tone cabin, in places such as the removable center console and generously sized door pockets.

–The ID. Buzz chassis feels drum-tight, even with the large openings for the power sliding doors.

–The rear seat slides fore and aft. The seatback, of note, folds forward and flat, which enables the rear of this new electric VW van to be used as a bed. An available cargo-area platform that aligns perfectly with the folded back seat’s height creates a handy sleeping platform.

–It’s remarkably quiet inside this electric VW. While there is a piped-in audio soundtrack for the electric powertrain, you have to pay attention or you won’t notice it.

–The ride quality delivered by VW’s MEB chassis, which features struts in front and a multilink rear, is comfortable and well-damped, with minimal body lean in turns. Having that heavy battery so low in the chassis has its benefits.

–While far from Tesla quick, the new ID. Buzz merges with ease onto the highway, where it maintains a quiet and relaxed gait with minimal wind noise.

In other parts of the world, the ID. Buzz will be available with a standard wheelbase and two rows of seats, or with a longer wheelbase and seating for up to seven in three rows. The U.S. gets only the latter, which is about 10 inches longer than the standard ID. Buzz.

That’s totally fine, because the extra space is appreciated, allowing for a 2-seat third row that we can confirm accommodates full-size adults comfortably.

Just as important, the Buzz interior exudes quality, style, and versatility. Robust synthetic leather covers the seats, and both rear rows fold flat and adust fore/aft. The two individual seats that make up the third row can be removed whenever you need extra cargo room. But be warned: While pulling the strap and freeing those seats from their mounting anchors is easy, they aren’t exactly light. Smaller folks might find it a two-person job to carry the seats out of the vehicle.

The ID. Buzz’s dash is highlighted by a small 5.3-inch digital driver information display (right behind the steering wheel) and a 12.9-inch central information panel on the center stack. As on the new VW ID.7 electric sedan, this large screen has back-lit sliders for the 3-zone climate control and stereo volume. The Buzz also comes standard with 30 colors of ambient LED lighting and the ID. Light system, which features a light strip below the windshield that pulses to let the driver know the vehicle is ready to drive or is listening to vocal commands.

Neat details include wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, heated outboard rear seats, multiple storage cubbies, and a removable center console that mounts on the floor between the front seats. In addition to extra cupholders, the console has a drawer that’s perfect for a laptop computer. Notable options include a head-up display and overhead 360-degree monitor.

U.S. models will come with three preset interior color combinations. One features dark brown seats with white piping, pseudo dark wood trim and dark blue door inserts. We like the light gray seats with clay (light orange) piping, lighter wood trim, and clay-colored door inserts. Also quite handsome are the light brown seats with yellow piping, complemented by grayish wood trim and light brown door inserts.

The styling of the new ID. Buzz minivan evokes the original VW microbus, right down to the 2-tone color schemes with white upper section. This retro approach makes the ID. Buzz a different animal in the world of electric vehicles.

Short overhangs maximize interior space within a relatively compact footprint, and having the wheels so far out into each corner enhances stability. The wheels, by the way, are 20 inches in diameter on every trim.

Moreover, the rear glass is tinted for privacy, and each of the rear doors features an electrically sliding window (about a foot square in size) set within the larger side glass. These sliders can be opened (or closed) by the driver or the back seat passengers.

Do you see those three trim elements in the rearmost roof pillars of the new ID. Buzz? They’re purely aesthetic, designed to evoke the high-mounted engine-cooling vents first used by the VW bus in 1968. Fun little detail: VW designers call them Bäckerscheiben, a German word for the slits that bakers put in the top of a baking loaf of bread.

One last detail: The hood of the ID. Buzz opens, but not like you might expect. It’s hinged on the bottom, so it drops open like a jaw to give you access to, among other things, the windshield washer reservoir.

Fun styling
By taking inspiration from the classic Volkswagen microbus, the new ID. Buzz may become one of those rare and special vehicles that transcend class and appeal to all kinds of people. We think it looks especially sharp in the bold 2-tone color palette VW chose. Among our favorites: Mahi Green and Cabana Blue.

Three rows of seats
There isn’t much else with an all-electric drivetrain that can seat up to seven occupants, save the Kia EV9.

Illuminated VW logo
The Volkswagen emblem on the front of all U.S.-spec ID. Buzzes, a throwback design cue from the original bus, is illuminated. So is a thin white line connecting the two LED headlights.

Huge electrochromic roof
A panoramic glass sunroof is available on the ID. Buzz. Measuring 67.4 inches from front to rear and 40.8 inches across, this massive glass panel can be switched from clear to opaque (tinted) with the swipe of a finger.

Easter eggs
Have some fun trying to find all the little pictograms of the Buzz placed by VW in secret spots throughout the vehicle. One of our favorites? An ID. Buzz and a little umbrella on the back glass that gets exposed only when the rear wiper is functioning.

Standard features include 20-inch wheels, 12-way power front seats with memory, heating and massage, a heated steering wheel, heated second-row seats (outer positions only), power-folding heated mirrors with memory, a power tailgate, power sliding side doors, tri-zone automatic climate control, eight 45-watt USB-C ports (scattered throughout the interior), wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and a wireless smartphone charger.

On the standard safety and technology front, the new ID. Buzz delivers with a forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking (with pedestrian and cyclist detection), and active lane-keeping assistance. Adaptive cruise control with Stop and Go also comes standard, along with a rear cross-traffic alert and a blind-spot monitor.

VW’s new electric bus also comes standard with Travel Assist, a hands-on system that blends the functions of the adaptive cruise control and lane assist to keep the Buzz centered in its lane while maintaining a safe distance from the vehicle ahead on the highway.

For the 2025 model year, the ID. Buzz will be available in three trims; Pro S, Pro S Plus, and 1st Edition.

Among the most notable upgrades in the Pro S Plus trim are a large head-up display, a 14-speaker Harman Kardon audio system, Area View, power sliding doors, and a power liftgate. Options include AWD, a panoramic glass roof with electrochromic tinting, and two-tone paint. Second-row captain’s chairs are optional in the RWD model and standard in the AWD model.

The 1st Edition builds on the Pro S with standard two-tone paint, unique 20-inch wheels, “1st Edition” badging, and some of the features of the Pro S Plus trim like the panoramic glass roof and Harman Kardon audio system.

You can also order what VW calls a “Flexboard.” It’s a small platform in the rear cargo area that helps to create a flat load floor when both rows of rear seats are folded. It comes with two box-shaped fabric storage bins that slide in below the platform and are a perfect place to store the ID. Buzz’s onboard charging cable.

Also available is a parking program that allows you to park the Buzz remotely while standing outside the vehicle with the key fob in hand.

A single rear-mounted electric motor powers the Volkswagen ID. Buzz. It’s a remarkably compact motor that sends 282 horsepower and a healthy 406 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels.

If you order an all-wheel-drive ID. Buzz, it’s equipped with front and rear motors. It’s too early for final details on this dual-motor powertrain, but VW did state that the combined output will be “about 330 hp.” We can only assume it will have more torque as well.

The temperature-controlled lithium-ion battery, rated at 91 kWh, is covered by an 8-year/100,000-mile warranty, whichever happens first.

Both models (RWD and AWD) use the same 91-kWh battery. The rear-drive ID. Buzz has a range of 234 miles. The AWD Buzz, with its added power and weight, goes 231 miles on a charge.

AC permanent magnet synchronous electric motor (single motor)
91-kWh lithium-ion battery
282 horsepower
406 lb-ft of torque
EPA city/highway fuel economy: N/A
Estimated range: 275 miles