With good reason, the passenger version of the 2023 Volkswagen ID. Buzz has been receiving most of the attention. However, Europeans are also getting the Cargo with two or three seats and a massive load area behind them, divided by a partition wall. As standard, it comes with only one sliding door – on the right side – but the electric workhorse can be configured with a second sliding door if you pay extra.
While prototypes have been spotted with barn doors, the ID. Buzz Cargo shown here has a massive tailgate in the same vein as the regular model. However, the load sill is a tad wider on the commercial variant, which is also a little bit taller (1,938 mm / 76.3 in) and has a slightly higher drag coefficient of 0.29. Both have the same wheelbase of 2,988 mm (117.6 in) and stretch at 4,712 mm (185.5 in) long. Width is also identical, at 1,985 mm (78.1 in).
Gallery: 2023 Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo
The partition wall we mentioned earlier can be optionally equipped with a window and/or an opening through which you can put items. As for the load area itself, it's big enough to accommodate two euro pallets and can support a maximum load of 650 kilograms (1,433 pounds). The cargo space measures a generous 3,900 liters (137.7 cubic feet) while the gross vehicle weight is 3,000 kg (6,614 lbs).
To properly secure loads in the rear compartment, VW has fitted lashing rings on the floor as well as lashing rails on the side walls. Your smartphone will never run out of juice since there are no fewer than five USB-C ports, including one in the rearview mirror mount. Both the passenger and cargo models get two cup holders below the infotainment, but the commercial derivative goes a step further and boasts another two in front of the A-pillars.
Stick with the two-seat model and the ID. Buzz Cargo will have a 1.4-liter storage area between the seats, which is actually a removable box you can quickly take out and put back in. Wood flooring in the cargo area comes as standard, as does what VW refers to as a “robust” floor covering in the front. The version shown here is an upper-spec model with a two-tone look, but the base van has a monochromatic body finish and glorious 18-inch steelies.
Even the cargo model gets a wide array of optional equipment, varying from exterior ambient lighting and an electrical tailgate to matrix LED headlights and a folding trailer tow bar. One feature that should frankly be standard but isn’t is the rearview camera, while electrically folding and heated mirrors are also extra. Up to 20-inch wheels are available, along with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity.
It gets the same rear electric motor as the passenger model, making 201 hp (150 kW) and 310 Nm (229 lb-ft) of torque. The ID. Buzz Cargo uses the same 82-kWh battery pack (77 kWh net) and can be charged at up to 170 kW, but there's no word yet about the range. Both have an 11.1-meter turning circle and are capped at 90 mph (145 km/h).
Available to preorder in Europe from May, the 2023 Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo will be launched this fall after entering production in Hannover, Germany in the first half of the year. The same goes for the passenger model, while the California camper will follow around 2025.
