• Auto123 gets in a first drive of the 2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz.
San Francisco, CA - We've been talking about and waiting for it for years. The Volkswagen ID. Buzz is finally coming to North America. And not just for show this time, but to hit the road. At the wheel, those who can afford it.
Those who can afford it, yes, because price is certainly a much talked-about aspect of this model, along with the styling and eye-catching colours.
But the ID. Buzz is more than just an electric van. This model bridges Volkswagen's past and future, resurrecting the spirit of a product that marked a generation and symbolized the counter-culture movement of the 1960s in the U.S. And in the doing, it opens the door to the brand's electrified, high-tech future.
Can we expect history to repeat itself? Will the ID. Buzz make as much of an impression on the next generation as it did on the baby boomers?
2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz: What's new?
It's not just the product that's new here. By offering an all-electric van, Volkswagen is creating a new segment. Indeed, nothing on the market can compare with this vehicle. The closest thing is the Chrysler Pacifica plug-in hybrid. A Kia EV9? With no sliding doors and no comparable load volume, it’s not really a valid comparison.
The ID. Buzz is undeniably innovative. But for the rest, without taking anything away from VW, the model doesn't actually invent anything. It does, however, make use of a host of interesting elements, starting with its electric platform, the Volkswagen Group's MEB structure.
Design of the 2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz: 9.5/10
When Volkswagen launched the Microbus in 1950, it offered consumers a type of vehicle they'd never seen before. Of course, models designed for delivery or passenger transport had already been offered, but never in such a modern, relatively compact and versatile form.
What's more, an air-cooled rear-engine configuration was proposed. It was revolutionary. The rest, as they say, is history. Volkswagen's Type 2 (it went by all sorts of names depending on its body configuration, from Transporter to Combi to Microbus) quietly made its mark, and in North America in the 1960s became an unavoidable cultural symbol. And it was California, more specifically San Francisco, that was at the heart of this cultural revolution in the late 60s, with a host of powerful symbols - including the VW bus.
It's no coincidence the company chose to launch the electrified version in this megalopolis. Volkswagen comes full circle.
Oh, the design. The styling is certainly unique, with many nods to the past, from the generous windows to the faux air intakes on the D-pillars and the V-shaped grille up front. And those bright colours, too.
The Canadian ID. Buzz will be available in five two-tone white-top combinations, with orange, yellow, green, blue and grey as the main hues. Otherwise, there are three single-colour options: silver, black and dark blue.
Inside
If the Buzz electrifies with its exterior styling, it busts the power grid with its interior.
For starters, the electric platform maximizes interior space. With such a squared-off model, things are very airy on board. And colourful, too, with three choices (Copper, Dune and Moonlight), which can be combined with several exterior hues, for greater personalization.
The materials used are chic and modern, as is the dashboard, where simplicity and functionality go hand in hand. There's plenty of storage space on the doors, in front of the passenger and in the removable centre console, which can also be placed in the second row. Cargo space is massive, with a total volume of up to 4,120 litres with the third row seating removed and the second folded down.
In fact, there are many possible layouts. By removing the third bench seat and folding down the second, you can create a flat floor with a plateau installed at the rear. This can also be removed to maximize volume. The second row, however, cannot be removed – but it does slide out 20 mm and tilts for easy access to the third row.
Comfort is excellent in both second and third rows. For our money, the ID. Buzz is right up there with the Chevrolet Suburban.
Up front, the driving position is 15 cm higher than that of most SUVs or minivans. Some will like it, others not so much. The expression “climbing aboard” takes on its full meaning here.
Technology in the 2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz: 7.5/10
In terms of technology, the ID. Buzz is less unique, compared to other modern vehicles. There are two screens on the dashboard – a 5.3-inch driver data display and a 12.-inch multimedia screen atop the central console.
In terms of safety systems, it’s all here, right down to some intrusive driving aids, as found elsewhere too. The glass roof, however, adds an interesting touch. Volkswagen calls it an electro-chromatic surface (60.6-in x 36.6-in), which can be switched from clear to opaque at the touch of a touch-sensitive control located in the ceiling light at the front.
Otherwise, note that the sliding doors, like the tailgate, can be activated by moving your foot under the vehicle.
Powertrain of the 2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz: 7.0/10
It's simpler here. The ID. Buzz is equipped with a 91-kWh battery (86 kWh usable). It will be delivered in two drive configurations, rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.
There's a bug with what's on offer, however. Two-wheel-drive models benefit from a 7-seat interior configuration, with a bench seat in the second row. With all-wheel drive versions, the layout is 6-seater, with captain's chairs in the middle row. So it's impossible to opt for a 7-seater AND all-wheel drive.
A serious blunder, which we hope to see corrected in the not-too-distant future.
Output is 282 hp for the rear-wheel drive version, 335 hp with all-wheel drive. Torque from the rear motor is 413 lb-ft.
What about range?
VW reports 377 km for the two-wheel-drive model, 372 for the four-wheel-drive model. I confess to being disappointed by these figures. With a vehicle that's likely to be full of equipment and carrying several occupants, range will suffer, not to mention cratering in winter. At the price being asked, we can reasonably expect 500 km.
Driving the 2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz: 8.0/10
Behind the wheel, the experience is fun. Power is ample in the four-wheel-drive version, but we weren’t given the opportunity to drive the other for comparison. The Buzz delivers a smooth ride... provided the road surface is as smooth as a carpet. When it isn’t, the model's 6,000-lb weight makes it bouncy, to the point of being a little annoying.
You get used to the elevated driving position. If you like to be perched so you can see everything, you'll love it. And visibility is exceptional by today's automotive standards. Braking is also adequate, despite the presence of drums at the rear, a characteristic of this platform. The choice is easy to understand, because with an all-electric model, the rear brakes are even less solicited. Discs would be superfluous, not to mention more expensive to maintain.
Fair warning to early buyers: The first ID. Buzz owners will have to deal with other vehicles slowing down to check them out. In parking lots, they'll have to set aside a few minutes to converse with complete strangers who will come to ogle the vehicle and learn more about. Ah, the price of fame.
Energy efficiency
Volkswagen has announced average energy consumption figures of 25.5 kWh per 100 km for the rear-wheel drive version, and 26.1 kWh for the 4Motion variant.
We look forward to putting the ID. Buzz to the test over a longer period to get a better handle of range. The claimed range is disappointing; it will be interesting to see if it can be pushed beyond 400 km.
2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz pricing in Canada
Here’s the fly in the ointment.
The rear-wheel drive version is priced at $77,495 CAD, the all-wheel drive version for $82,995. And that's without taking into account any possible government rebates. To this must be added $2,500 for transport and preparation costs. Then there are two options in the catalog: two-tone paint, at $1,500, and a panoramic roof, at $2,000.
Many buyers will thus be adding $6,000 to their total, so your Buzz could cost you $83,495 and $88,995 depending on powertrain. With the 4WD model, taxes bring us to $102,332. A killjoy for many.
At least, it is expected that other variants will follow next year, at lower prices. We'll have to wait and see. American buyers know they’ll be getting the entry-level Pros S (rear-wheel drive) and Pro S Plus (rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive) models.
The final word
The ID. Buzz is the kind of vehicle you don't often see anymore: completely distinct, different and very eye-catching.
It will sell very well at first, those who fall for it and can afford it will ignore the price tag. But sales could slow down if Volkswagen doesn't come up with more affordable variants.
The product itself is interesting and refreshing. We'll leave it at that for now.
The questions you're asking about the ID. Buzz
Will Volkswagen be offering camping variants?
As such, Volkswagen isn't proposing anything at the moment, but companies are already hard at work. It's obvious that the aftermarket will take over.
Is the equipment level generous for the asking price?
Yes, there isn't enough space to describe it all here, but the equipment is rich, with, for example, heated front seats, steering wheel and mirrors, head-up display, ventilated seats with massage function in the front and heated in the second row, a three-zone climate control system, 30-colour ambient lighting and 14-speaker Harman/Kardon audio system, as well as wireless charging for phones and eight USB-C ports, among other goodies. The model even offers a retractable towing hitch and a heat pump (for preheating in winter), a Canadian exclusive.
