NEW VOLKSWAGEN ID.BUZZ

Volkswagen has just launched the ID.Buzz in New Zealand. Based on a sophisticated passenger car platform, this spacious people carrier makes a strong statement with its retro-future design. Think of it as a fully-electric reinterpretation of the Type 2 Kombi van that played a big part in pop culture and came to represent a pathway to motoring freedom. Passenger versions (there are also commercial variants) are billed as modern lifestyle machines. Their target market is families with active lifestyles but also those with nostalgic memories. Most buyers will be switching from internal-combustion to electric.

The big Buzz has been in the pipeline for quite some time. A European launch took place in Copenhagen nearly three years ago. It was so well received that Volkswagen reported over 20,000 pre-orders. Since late 2022, ongoing development and constructive customer feedback have seen a raft of significant updates implemented for the current model year. These contributed to it earning the accolade of 2025 World Design Car of the Year. So a delayed introduction to a small market like ours means we kick off not just with an improved formula but several variants that seat between five and seven people.

Customisation will be key to the purchasing experience, insists Volkswagen, and buyers will tailor vehicles to reflect their personalities and pastimes. Don’t expect to find two that are specified the same given there are more than 2000 potential variations. Do expect a five-month wait if you place an order today.

The ID.Buzz could only be electric and proudly shouts retro-future with its progressive design. It looks best in one of five two-tone paint schemes that hark back to the past, like those oversized VW logos. Meanwhile LED matrix headlights with animation and a range of large alloy wheel designs bring things bang up to date visually. There’s an emphasis on sustainable materials in the construction, with recycled plastics and special upholstery, and organically-based paints.

Lots of innovation is evident in the interior architecture with gallery windows serving to connect occupants with the outside environment. The standard wheelbase seats five but the longer variants seat up to seven across three rows with the third row being fully removable. All have the option of a six-seat configuration. You access the middle and rear seats via an electric sliding door and the huge tailgate has electric closing.

Some high-end appointments are noteworthy: the front seats have a standard massage function and you can specify a terrific Harman/Kardon sound system or a huge panoramic sunroof with automatic dimming via a fingertip.

It’s too early to offer a definitive verdict on how the ID.Buzz drives but on-road refinement and stability both make an immediate impression. Like all the cars described, it makes big concessions to modern motoring and is necessarily bigger and much, much heavier than its forebears thanks to the integration of safety structures and technology – and all the electric hardware. Whereas a driver and front passenger sit close to the windscreen in a classic Kombi, in the ID.Buzz the upright screen is beyond a basketballer’s reach and is framed by thick pillars. Very reassuring. For the record, kerb weights for the Buzz sit between 2500kg and 2900kg and quoted driving range on a full charge is between 380 and 400km.

What will you pay for the privilege? The ID.Buzz range starts at $129,990 for the standard wheelbase, single-motor model. Add $10,000 for the long wheelbase (4.96m in length) with either six or seven seats. And it’s another $10k step to the sporting GTX variant with dual electric motors and 4MOTION four-wheel drive. Those desirable two-tone paint combinations command a $5200 premium over standard colours and the trick sunroof costs $4000.

You’re right, these prices won’t instantly inspire a cult following among the next generation of carefree explorers. But if it’s any consolation, classic Kombis have skyrocketed in value over the years; one needs to be pretty well-heeled to buy one of those, too.