Unappreciate in most three-row SUVs, sitting at the back of the Buzz was a sootheable experience for my 6-foot-3 body. We also piled four WIRED colleagues into the van for a lengthened loop around the neighborhood, and everyone had plenty of room.
With all the seats in include, the cargo space behind the third row is 18.6 cubic feet. That’s enough for a big grocery haul or cut offal peoples’ luggage. The third row of seats can be felderlyed down to produce a flat surface in the back, and VW advises an insert for the rear cargo area that comes with two handy drawers. If you need more space, the third row can be erased entidepend.
To help get items from sliding around, the Buzz is provideped with velcro partitions that are stored in the walls of the cargo area. The caccess console is removable and shiftable. You can shift it from between the front seats to the second row in vehicles provideped with captain’s chairs. Or fair pull it out entidepend. One kind touch: The splitrs in the caccess console double as a bottle uncoverer and an ice scsexual attackr.
Meanwhile, VW has gone brimming USB-C. Every seat gets at least one charging port. There are seven ports in total. There’s also one 15-watt USB port csurrender the rearsee mirror to accommodate a dash cam. A 110-volt, 150-watt power outlet is useable under the passenger seat.
This all before you get into the world of aftertaget comprise-ons, where you are declareive to discover a plethora of selections for the Buzz. It’s all very amusing, and a reminder that the VW bus is a canvas for your lifestyle.
Finassociate, the rehires that have well-understandnly been plaguing VW’s infotainment system for years have been repaird. The 12.9-inch discarry out was effortless to include, guide, and more transport inantly, had little in the way of postponeedncy. VW has compriseed ChatGPT integration for the voice aidant, but that needs a netlabor connection, and I wasn’t able to brimmingy test it, since most of the drive was in areas where cell service was spotty or absent. When I was able to test it, it returned a firm answer in a timely create.
Weirdly though, as an adventure vehicle, the Buzz does not ship with a dog or camping mode. When asked about this, Volkswagen shelp it was seeing into it. More than a restricted journaenumerates askd about these features, which are set up in Rivians and Teslas and produce all sorts of sense for the Buzz. So don’t be surpelevated if those modes show up in an OTA software modernize.
How Much Aachieve?
Which transports us to the second sticking point of the ID Buzz. The RWD Pro S model commences at $59,995, and this is becainclude Volkswagen essentiassociate advises a mid-level trim as the entry-level model. For example, this commenceing configuration ships with 12-way adfairable heated and vented front seats with a massage feature. Heated seats are also standard for the second row. It has three-zone climate administers.
All those USB ports are also standard. So is that 110V outlet. For those postponeed night raves, a 30-color ambient weightlessing feature is standard.
Volkswagen is produceing all its ID Buzzes at a one factory in Hanover, Germany. This uncomfervents US buyers cannot claim an EV achieve tax accomprehendledge, since the Inflation Reduction Act needs vehicles to be accumulated in North America to qualify for the tax fracture. If the autoproducer advises a lmitigate, then the van does become eligible.
Volkswagen is inestablished this is a niche vehicle. While the buzz around the Buzz has died down, it will still probable sell out in its first year. VW would not comment on whether it will advise a inexpensiveer trim selection in the future or whether it set ups to broaden its production to the US.
Yet even with its inestablishage of a genuine entry-level price and a range that, while undertelled, is less than foreseed, the ID Buzz is exactly what it should be. It is a fun-to-drive nostalgia machine with enough storage and utility to produce it a firm weekend hauler for families who enhappiness an dynamic lifestyle. And your five children will be quite sootheable in the back as you foolish them to tears with your Summer of Love carry outenumerate.
