Another new Volkswagen ID.Buzz that looks more like the Samba bus

Another new Volkswagen ID.Buzz? Yes, and it certainly won’t be the latest news about Volkswagen’s trendy electric bus.

Because just like the Urbus, it is not only a passenger car, but also a company car. And that requires efficiency and customization. In other words, you can expect many more variations on the ID.Buzz theme, but the first is this LWB. It was unveiled in California and Autovisie was there, taking second and third row seats to test that it is indeed a full seven-seater.

The new Volkswagen ID.Buzz has a longer wheelbase and more

And that’s more news than the 25 cm longer wheelbase. There is a lot more to see in this almost five meter long bus. Firstly, with its wheelbase of 3.24 m it is even more of a family bus, as it is now available with up to seven seats, but can also be ordered with five or six seats. A special option is a huge transparent roof, 1.70 meters long and more than a meter wide.

It consists of what Volkswagen calls “smart glass”, which can be made dark or light by electrically controlling crystals. It responds instantly to the controls when using the slider in the roof controls. It’s supposed to be a modern nod to the classic samba bus with its 23 diamonds.

More force

So many more buses can also use more electricity and that’s possible because the LWB is now available with a 286 hp electric motor. Previously, the Volkswagen ID.Buzz was available with 204 hp and a 77 kWh battery.

The longer LWB offers space for a larger battery and is now also available with a decent capacity of 86 kWh. The range according to the WLTP standard is provisionally estimated at 460 km. Fast charging is still possible with a maximum speed of 170 kW.

More gear

Also new are a head-up display, remote parking and 5.0 infotainment. This is the control with a larger and improved screen, where the climate controls are permanently visible via sliding buttons at the bottom.

A heat pump is an option. In America, the bus will also have an illuminated Volkswagen logo on the radiator grille, which is not allowed in Europe. Ventilated seats are also reserved for US customers. The electric windows in the 19 cm longer sliding doors are also new.

Volkswagen ID.buzz is more functional than ever

The ID.Buzz version with a long wheelbase is more multifunctional than ever. There is a choice of five seats, but also six individual captain’s chairs or a variant in which the second row of seats is a bench that can be folded down in unequal parts. The container can therefore slide over a considerable distance. In the second row, just like in sixth and seventh place, you always have a lot of legroom anyway. This is the most spacious seven-seater we know, with real adult seats in the back row too. Incidentally, the normal ID.Buzz will also be available in Europe with seven seats.

Tow truck and GTX

There’s more news, as AWD versions with all-wheel drive will follow soon. They are also excellent as towing vehicles as they can tow 1800kg with the most powerful engine, two wheel drive is limited to 1000kg. Later there will also be a performance version, which, like the other electric models from Volkswagen, will be christened GTX. The maximum power is 340 hp. The LWB will be available from dealers from next spring.

The ID.Buzz has done particularly well as a commercial (there is no LWB of this), around 2000 copies have been sold in the Netherlands to date. From the normal ID.Buzz you should think of about 600 pieces. The ID.Buzz was not yet available in the USA, there is only this LWB version.