VW has finally unveiled the ID. Buzz electric minivan in European specification and the first deliveries in the region will start in the third quarter of 2022.
Unfortunately, US buyers will have to wait until sometime in 2024 to get the VW ID. Buzz, which will come exclusively in a long-wheelbase passenger version. Europe will have a lot more to choose from, with the ID. Buzz to offer both short- and long-wheelbase variants, each available as a passenger or cargo van.
That said, Americans have been waiting for a modern incarnation of the VW Bus since 2001 when the automaker unveiled the Microbus Concept, so what's (at least) two more years?
Well, die-hard VW Bus fans may be okay with this delayed US launch, but people who are simply looking for a zero-emissions people hauler may look elsewhere in the meantime. Canoo's Lifestyle Vehicle, for example, will arrive in late 2022, and other carmakers may be tempted to enter the segment as well if the public's response to the ID. Buzz is enthusiastic enough.
YouTube influencer Doug DeMuro clearly looked forward to seeing the ID. Buzz and in his extensive video presentation he finds the design incredibly cool and reminiscent of the original.
As you would expect from the popular vlogger, he pays a lot of attention to the vehicle's quirks and features, which the ID. Buzz has in droves. Before going into those, DeMuro makes an interesting point about VW refraining to call the ID. Buzz a minivan, which for all intents and purposes, it is.
VW representatives told him they prefer to refer to it as a people mover, hoping that will help bring new buyers who aren't really considering a minivan; people who currently drive sedans and trucks but don't necessarily want to be seen in something dull like a traditional minivan.
Time will tell if that strategy is a winning one, but what's more important is the product itself. Judging by this in-depth look at it, the ID. Buzz appears to tick almost all the right boxes. It's very spacious, even though this particular example is the short-wheelbase model, it looks great inside an out, and it's loaded with clever practicality features.
It's not all glitz and glamor, though; the fact that the rear seats don't fold flat and can't be removed is quite disappointing.
While you can discover all the quirks and features of the ID. Buzz in the video above, you should know Doug DeMuro wasn't allowed to drive it yet; VW certainly knows how to milk very important product launches like this one.
