Volkswagen ID Buzz LWB: 25 centimeters longer and three rows of seats

Highlights Volkswagen ID Buzz

• 25 centimeters longer
• Not as Cargo
• New infotainment system
• Full of cleverness

The ID Buzz is the colorful fashion doll in the Volkswagen model range. While that other compact van, the Transporter, is still alive and will remain. Next year, a completely new generation of these will appear that, just like the ID Buzz, will also be for sale with an electric drive.

To prevent the ID Buzz and the Transporter from getting in each other’s way, Volkswagen has taken a number of drastic measures. For example, the extended version does not appear as a van, but only as a passenger car. If you want maximum loading space, you cannot ignore the Transporter. However, Volkswagen will make a camper van based on the extended ID Buzz from 2025.

Volkswagen ID Buzz LWB.

The new model is almost five meters long, more precisely 25 centimeters longer than the basic version. The (optionally electric) sliding doors are more than 19 centimeters wider, which makes access to the interior easier. Special is the glass panoramic roof that you can electronically make more or less transparent. The secret of this lies in the electrical control of liquid crystals. Thanks to its enormous dimensions (1.71 x 1.04 m), the roof spans the first and second row of seats. In addition, the headroom is increased by 3 centimeters thanks to the lack of headliner.

So much glass in the roof is a nod to a famous variant of the VW bus from the 1950s: the Samba bus. It had a row of small side windows in the roof on either side, so that tourists had a better view of the mountain peaks in the Alps. The sliding windows in the sliding doors, which you can open electrically, are also exclusive to the extended ID Buzz. That is another nod to the classic VW bus. You will soon be able to order the extended ID Buzz as a five-, six- or seven-seater. In the six-seater you have more space in the second row in width and you get extra armrests there, for an extra comfortable seat. You can fold and slide the two rear rows of seats; that is also a difference with the short ID Buzz. You can also remove the back row.

The backrests of the two rear rows of seats are adjustable for a more comfortable seat. The climate control is divided into three zones. For example, you can cool or heat your seat separately in the back with your own control panel. All things considered, this VW should be an ideal car for large families: the co-driver’s seat, the outer second-row seats and the third-row seats have Isofix child seat attachment points. A width of 1.20 meters between the rear wheel arches makes loading wide items easy.

Volkswagen ID Buzz LWB.

The luggage compartment is a maximum of 2,469 liters. As a five-seater it offers 1,340 liters of capacity and with seven seats in use it is still 306 liters. But unfortunately it is still not possible in the extended ID Buzz to make seats disappear into the bottom of the car. The result is a considerable height difference in the loading floor, as soon as you fold the rows of seats. As a not so attractive and actually clumsy solution, there is a raised loading floor. It costs more than €600 and contains suspension arms that can be mounted in the car, so that the thing soon gets horribly in the way.

The long ID Buzz is characterized by many smart solutions that are reminiscent of the multifunctional space cars of the late last century. Then we are talking about the MPVs (Multi Purpose Vehicles), such as the Renaults Espace and Scenic or the Chrysler Voyager. For example, soon after the market introduction in the long ID Buzz, swivel seats in the second row will be an option. So that passengers can sit opposite each other. Foldable ‘aircraft tables’ are also an option. Another eye-catching accessory is the ID Buzz Box, in which larger items such as bottles and laptops can be stored. This Box can be mounted in various places in the interior.

But not only with its interior, the new variant of the ID Buzz is a big step forward. It offers a choice of rear or four-wheel drive and gets a more powerful electric motor with 286 hp (210 kW) and an 86 kWh battery pack. This leads to a driving range of 460 kilometers. While the short model is currently only available with a 150 kW/204 hp electric motor and 77 kWh battery pack that takes it up to 415 km. The new powertrain will welcome caravan and boat enthusiasts: it can tow a 1,800 kg braked trailer, while the towing capacity of the existing powertrain is limited to 1,000 kg. Another novelty is the arrival of a head-up display, which projects useful information for the driver onto the windscreen. Furthermore, parking with remote control is possible for the first time. With this option, the driver no longer has to sit behind the wheel: the car parks itself.

Volkswagen ID Buzz LWB.

But the most important innovation concerns the infotainment. That system received a lot of criticism in all ID models that have appeared so far. It worked illogically and slowly, but sometimes even caused malfunctions of all kinds. The trouble with the software and operation recently prompted Volkswagen to send the entire management of its own software company home. But now there is a new generation that has to put an end to all misery. The system (which is also included in the soon to be introduced ID7) looks much better, works faster and is more logical. It contains a 12.9-inch central screen (32.8 cm). Important functions, such as the climate control, can now be reached directly via two permanently visible bars on the screen.

You can order the extended Volkswagen ID Buzz later this year, but the first cars will not arrive at Dutch customers until the spring of 2024. Nothing is known about the prices yet.