Profile: Volkswagen ID. Buzz

The legacy of VW innovation continues with the hotly anticipated Volkswagen ID. Buzz having finally arrived in New Zealand. The Buzz is Volkswagen’s spiritual successor to the classic Kombi of old. And it’s electric. Literally!

Depending on where you are in the world, Volkswagen’s Type 2 is known by many names: Bus, Bulli, Van (boringly). Here though, it’ll forever be known as the Kombi – a name that is infused with a healthy dose of nostalgia. With decades of history and evolution, 2025 marks the celebration of 75 years for the German manufacturer since the first Type 2 rolled off the production line.
It’s no secret that since its official launch (March 8, 1950), the Kombi became more than a simple delivery van or truck. It morphed into a symbol of freedom, adventure, and practical simplicity. It won a legion of fans worldwide with its unpretentious design and undeniable charm.

In van form, with its boxy silhouette housing an air-cooled rear-mounted engine tucked below the floor in order to maximise interior space, the Kombi’s straightforward, functional design made it a favorite for families, tradespeople, surfers, and campers alike. While its interior was sparse, it delivered versatility in spades. Even today, the Kombi’s influence is undeniable, with well-preserved examples routinely fetching eye-watering six-figure prices.

I’ve been trying to avoid inserting the overused word ‘iconic’ into this so far, but clearly the Kombi enjoys that status inside the factory gates as much as it does in the public domain. Because Volkswagen’s designers pulled plenty of heritage aspects from the Type 2 in creating what, I suppose, is the Kombi’s great great grandchild.

New-ish for 2025

This is the new Volkswagen ID. Buzz. Well, new-ish. You may have seen it already internationally, but not on Kiwi roads. That’s because the all-electric van has actually been around in Euro markets since 2022. Volkswagen New Zealand has been desperate to get hold of this new model. But, it says, between the end of the electric vehicle incentive scheme putting a lot of people off EVs a couple of years back, and an updated ID. Buzz model for 2025 on the horizon, it decided to hold off launching the model line locally until now.

So, the latest ID. Buzz that has just landed here is a tech update rather than a facelift. It looks the same as it did at launch three years ago, but now boasts bigger battery packs, improved seating configurations, a longer-wheelbase option with a seven-seat layout and the addition of a new top shelf dual-motor (all-wheel drive in other words) GTX version that goes some way to put performance in the same bracket as the obvious practicality this body style delivers.

The ID. Buzz retains a familiar shape with its capacious frame, an oversized VW logo on the nose, and nostalgic two-tone paint options. But beneath its vintage-inspired exterior lies a suite of modern technology along with that all-electric powertrain.

Oh, and the name? The ‘ID.’ bit – complete with mandatory full stop – is the prefix Volkswagen has given to its dedicated electric vehicle models. The ‘Buzz’ part? It’s called ‘Buzz’ because it sounds like ‘bus’ and it’s electric. Clever and catchy.

A range with range

The lineup includes four variants: the Pro NWB (normal wheelbase… don’t call it a short wheelbase whatever you do, or Volkswagen New Zealand will put you on a list (wink)), Pro LWB (long wheelbase), and the GTX halo version. There are also ID. Buzz Cargo options with three-across seating and an empty loadspace for delivery purposes, and while these certainly also deserve a deep dive into their attributes, our focus here is on the earlier trio.

Power is pretty generous across the range, with 210kW as standard, while the GTX steps it up to 250kW. The Pro NWB gets a 79kWh battery, providing a range – at least on paper – of 382km, while the Pro LWB and GTX get a larger 86kWh unit with claimed ranges of 403km and 396km, respectively. As always there’ll be a zillion caveats on those range figures, such as driving style, environment, and whether your ID. Buzz is loaded up with people and all their stuff or not.

But anyway, if you have to top up mid-journey, the ID. Buzz can handle up to 200kW on a DC fast charger, so you’ll only have time to nurse one flat white before the road beckons once more.
While the ID. Buzz is very much the spiritual successor to the Kombi, it doesn’t replace Volkswagen’s larger, fully equipped campervans like the Grand California, which remain on sale and distinct from the EV. With its built-in kitchen, bathroom, and dedicated sleeping areas, the Grand Cali remains a fully-fledged motorhome designed for extended trips.

Modular, flexible, and other buzz words

In saying that, the ID. Buzz’s versatility, spaciousness, and design potentially makes it a great blank canvas. With the ID. Buzz Cargo model specifically designed for commercial applications, we’ll no doubt see a burgeoning market of aftermarket converters and customisers, offering modular kits and bespoke camper modifications to turn the ID. Buzz into a usable overnighter for any weekend warrior.

Inside, the new van does a lot to underline its flexibility. The seating options alone are many and varied. The Pro NWB comes standard as a five-seater, with a six-seat option available. The LWB versions are seven-seaters by default, but you can opt for a six-seat layout if desired (creating a 2-2-2 configuration in three rows).

As you’d expect from a modern Volkswagen van there are plenty of storage cubbies, charging ports for devices, a swish digital cockpit and an infotainment screen that sits atop the dash. There’s also a nifty ‘Buzz Box’ storage unit between the front seats which can be removed completely. Spur of the moment ice bucket for sundowners on the beach perhaps?

Volkswagen New Zealand is effectively treating the ID. Buzz as a ‘customer order’ car, in that it anticipates no two vehicles will be configured identically. By the time you add up all the possible colour combinations and optional extras like Harman Kardon audio, different wheel designs, or a panoramic glass roof insert, there are over 2000 potential configurations. Customers can order directly from their Volkswagen dealer, with deliveries currently taking about five months to arrive. As if to illustrate the point, the distributor stated at the ID. Buzz media launch that, of the first 35 vans to arrive here, no two were exactly the same.

What price freedom?

As expected, standing out from the crowd will cost you, and that’s before you even tick the $1800 box for those 20” Stockton alloy wheels that replicate the Kombi hubcaps of old. There’s no way around it: the ID. Buzz is ‘up there’ in terms of pricing – as are most high-calibre options on the market.

The entry level Pro NWB kicks things off at $129,990 plus on-road costs, with the Pro LWB costing another $10k. You can guess where this is going: the ID. Buzz GTX stickers for $149,990 plus on-roads. So yes, this is a lifestyle EV to be enjoyed by those with a lifestyle that can afford it. Mind you, that’s still cheaper than plenty of other van-like options out there. And there’s remarkably little else on the Kiwi market sporting this spacious silhouette paired with pure electric power.

Just like the original Kombi, the ID. Buzz can be a statement for the road in whichever manner you dress it. The new van certainly channels the spirit of the classic Kombi, which, in the world of modern car design regs, rules, must-haves and compromises, is an admirable thing indeed.