Volkswagen ID. Buzz: performance, motor & drive

While the majority of people carriers and minibuses are just vans with windows, the Volkswagen ID. Buzz uses the same MEB platform as several other members of VW’s electric car line-up, not to mention the Audi Q4 e-tron, Cupra Born and Skoda Enyaq. That means this electric MPV offers a more car-like driving experience than you might expect.

Volkswagen ID. Buzz 0-62mph, top speed and acceleration

As its looks suggest, the ID. Buzz isn’t exactly a quick car. However, it’s not about to leave you struggling to keep up with traffic. As part of a refresh in 2024, the standard model’s single rear-mounted motor was boosted from 201bhp to 282bhp, and this shaved the 0-62mph sprint time down to a respectable 7.6 seconds. Top speed stands at 99mph.

If you’re in a particular rush, the ID. Buzz GTX will be the variant for you. This is fitted with dual motors which deliver a combined 335bhp and 560Nm of torque to all four wheels. This makes VW’s electric MPV noticeably zestier when you plant your right foot, as it’ll sprint from 0-62mph in a hot hatch-like 6.1 seconds. Top speed is also increased to 130mph.

Handling

Thanks to the battery being mounted along the floor, the ID. Buzz’s centre of gravity is low, while the rear-mounted motor not only helps free up space over the front axle, but also improves handling. Body control is fantastic for a vehicle like this, and the steering feels direct and well weighted. 

We also liked how refined the ID. Buzz is, especially for an EV with such a bluff front end. There’s very little wind and road noise in the cabin, which is free from any of those characteristic shakes and rattles you might find on van-to-car conversions.

The ride is perhaps a little firm around town, but it doesn’t crash through potholes or even broken up roads, and it's nice and comfortable at motorway speeds. Even with our test car’s optional 21-inch alloy wheels.

Unfortunately, the ID. Buzz only has two settings for the regenerative braking - on or off. It’s the same setup you’ll find in the ID.3 and ID.4, and even when in ‘B’ mode we wished it was a bit stronger or could offer the same one-pedal driving capabilities as the latest Hyundai and Kia EVs. You also need to be quite firm with the brake pedal in order to bring this 2.5-tonne minibus to a halt. 

The driving experience is virtually the same in the longer LWB model, too, although this does come with a slight sacrifice in terms of driver visibility.