Table of Contents
2024 VW Bus Price: How Much Will the 2024 VW Bus Cost? – It takes around thirty seconds of hushed driving through the streets of Copenhagen, Denmark in a Volkswagen ID, during which time you will pass several bicycles. Buzz to understand that this automobile is unique in some way. When people walking by pull out their phones and children stare and grin, I momentarily forget that I’m driving an ordinary van. I’m behind the wheel of an icon.
That was meant to be a pun and was done on purpose. It is simple to draw a direct connection between the Volkswagen ID Buzz and that first brush with terrorism in 1997. This was done by Volkswagen 25 years ago with the New Beetle. Not only do these two automobiles bring back old styles, but they also prominently highlight the mechanicals of a product that is less fascinating. Time is a renowned obstacle for these kinds of throwback endeavors, and there are some obvious flaws with Volkswagen’s current halo product (just as there were with the Beetle), but having a sneak preview of the Buzz before it goes on sale in North America in 2024 has given me faith that VW’s latest resurrection will be more successful than the company’s previous attempt.
Review
On the off chance that the “ID” in the name doesn’t give it away, VW’s Buzz EV is a near cousin of the company’s other contemporary electric vehicles. It is built on top of the same MEB design, which is also known as Modular E-Antriebs-Baukasten in the original German; nevertheless, the “M” in “MEB” is the component that is most significant.
The developers at Buzz increased the wheelbase to 9.8 feet and lengthened the front and rear track to 65.9 and 65.7 inches, which is 8.8, 3.4, and 4.2 inches greater than VW’s electric CUV. Calling it a van on top of an ID.4 sells the Buzz short. The larger wheelbase makes the interior space more comfortable, while the lengthened rear track increases the amount of baggage area. Despite the greater length, the larger front track allows for a turning circle of just 36 feet, which is not too far off from ID.4’s turning circle of 31.5 feet. Speaking of that length, the only Buzz version that will make its way to North America will be an even longer-wheelbase model that will be released in the future.
While VW made alterations to the ID. Buzz’s architectural design and the components of its powerplant are much more recognizable. The single electric motor that is located in the back, the lithium-ion battery that has a capacity of 77.0 kilowatt-hours (82.0 kilowatt-hours gross), and the single-speed automatic gearbox are all exact matches to the components that brought the first Volkswagen ID.4s to our shores a few years ago. The output is comparable, coming in at 201 horsepower and 229 pound-feet of torque respectively. Charging rates are also comparable to those of the ID.4, with an inbuilt capability of 11.0 kilowatts and speeds of 170.0 kilowatts when using a DC fast charger. According to the WLTP scale, the range is between 249 and 262 miles; similarly to the ID.4, you may anticipate the final EPA statistics to be lower when compared to these European estimates.
Once you enter the cabin, it is immediately apparent that this is a member of the ID family. The same 5.3-inch digital instrument panel will be shown to you, and it will give the impression that it is floating above the steering column. The twisty-knob gear selection moves from the right side of that screen to just behind the steering wheel, and it employs the same terrible touch-capacitive controls that were introduced with the ID.4 for the first time. Both displays use an upgraded version of the ID.4’s annoyingly bad operating system that is far faster to react. The base infotainment system has a touchscreen display measuring 10.0 inches, while the optional display is 12.0 inches.
You are free to have your own opinion on the appearance of the Buzz; I am not going to sit here and write that it is ugly, beautiful, or anything in between. But the only other occasion that I’ve experienced is the happiness, excitement, and interest that the ID has. Buzz inspired the public when I got behind the wheel of a 1967 Type 2 in 1967. There is no room for debate on the fact that the ethos and personality of Type 2, the thing that makes young people and former hippies happy, can be found in this establishment. Despite its totally contemporary trappings, it is still there even when the driver is at the wheel.
Because of its high-sitting position, the ID. Buzz differs from a normal crossover in that it requires both the driver and the passenger to step up on the door sill before sliding into the comfy and supportive front seats. The trade-off includes enormous quantities of headroom and legroom, in addition to a commanding sitting posture that puts you in an upright position. Oh, and the inserts on the seats that match the color of the upholstery are great.
There are several cubbies, and the dashboard is split in half horizontally to accommodate storage that runs the length of the dashboard below the beltline. Additionally, the door panels each have a little shelf built into them. A cupholder that folds out from the bottom of the middle stack is included, and the center cubby has two extra places for beverages (or in the model I tested, a detachable ashtray because of Europe). If you saw our clip (which can be seen above), you already know all there is to know about the secret ice scraper and bottle opener.
When seen from the front thrones, the deep dash provides a wide and commanding perspective of what is in front of the vehicle. Although the active safety system’s forward-facing camera does poke up awkwardly from the bottom of the window and never really leaves the driver’s eye line, the designers reduced the touchscreen in comparison to the ID.4 to highlight the openness out the front. This was done to accentuate the openness out of the front.
To achieve the same wraparound effect as the first-generation Type 2, the A-pillars extend very far forward, and enormous front quarter windows are also included. However, the interior does not have the same sense of openness as Volkswagen’s most famous vehicles due to the small back window and the absence of over-head windows in the style of the 21-window Bus. Despite this, I’ll take the guaranteed significant gain in crush performance that the steel roof provides.
Volkswagen has not disclosed any interior dimensions, but the second-row bench is certain to be an improvement over the ID’s other seating options. The slider, which adjusts the 60/40 bench in the fore and aft, is the ace in the hole. The seats themselves are flat and decently cushioned, but the slider is the real deal. Reclining the seats on the same split allows passengers more legroom while having little effect on the amount of space available for baggage. The long-wheelbase version of the ID. Buzz that Volkswagen plans to sell in North America should be an improvement in each of these categories.
Specs and Performance
At the moment, it takes the ID. Buzz a sluggish 10.2 seconds, according to the estimations of the manufacturer, to get up to 62 miles per hour. The single electric motor has to propel a 5,500-pound van, which is a half-ton more than a rear-drive ID.4 can handle with its 201 horsepower and 229 pound-feet of torque. If this is the version of the Buzz that Volkswagen sells in North America, then the German carmaker will be selling the slowest all-electric vehicle that is currently available on the market, period.
And yet, it seems like a car that is just powerful enough for European roads; the first rush of all-electric torque disappears soon, but the Buzz scoots to and happily maintains a speed of 35 kilometers per hour. This van is sort of amusing to drive about Copenhagen because of its very tiny profile (the distance between the doors is just under six feet), as well as its zippy performance at low speeds. Even while the Buzz does not have a true one-pedal driving mode, the high-regen B option is a useful companion in congested metropolitan areas since it slows the vehicle down by modulating the accelerator.
On the other hand, the enormous Resund Bridge, which links Denmark and Sweden over both road and rail, presents the Buzz with some challenges while traveling at greater speeds. According to VW, the maximum speed allowed is 90 miles per hour; however, I was only in Denmark for approximately 48 hours. In all seriousness, the Buzz is capable of reaching highway speeds; but, it needs a far more amount of accelerator push from me than I am used to delivering. I tried shifting out of B and into the low-regen coasting mode in the hopes that the Buzz would stop battling itself, but it didn’t make much of a difference. Repeat this process while going through each of the three driving modes.
On the other hand, as I said in an article that I published in the summer of 2020, “Electric motors have tremendous performance potential, but the Microbus’ character really lends itself to relaxed cruising.” And in this regard, the Buzz delivers an outstanding performance. In spite of its compact size and slab-sided body, the Buzz maintains a sense of stability and contentment while it travels over the massive bridge between Denmark and Sweden.
When driving over the uneven surface of the cobblestones that are common in and around Copenhagen, the steering is isolating and predictable in its responses. Larger collisions, particularly those that are confined to one side of the vehicle, have a tendency to display the intrinsically less rigid body of a van, as shown by some trembling in response to the impact. In spite of this, the Buzz is undeniably more accommodating and comfy on a wider range of surfaces than the ID.4, which was already a very plush option.
We are still more than a year away from a release date for the ID. Buzz in the United States and Volkswagen haven’t even shown off the model of this van that will be sold in North America. Take into consideration the things I didn’t like about this vehicle during my short test drive in Copenhagen, but remember to do so with a pinch of salt. There is still a significant amount of time for Volkswagen to fix these issues. For instance, a model with two motors that is identical to the ID.4 will be available with 295 horsepower and will provide the type of performance that is expected by American drivers. When the EPA finally gets its hands on a North American model, it is likely that advancements in the software will have resulted in a more remarkable range number by that time.
But the things that the ID. Buzz performs best in Europe and will not change. These include acting as a reimagined symbol that generates a halo effect for Volkswagen’s other electric vehicles, being the roomiest electric vehicle on the market, and carrying a comfortable driving character. The ID. Buzz performs very well in the areas that really count. There is still time to remedy the areas in which it falls short of expectations. To put it another way, there is very little probability that this remarkable vehicle will be of lower quality once sales begin in North America. On the other hand, there is a very good possibility that it will be even better.
Price
2024 VW Bus Price: When it goes on sale in North America in 2024, the Buzz will have a starting price of around $45,000. The 2024 Volkswagen ID. The brand-new Buzz Microbus is an all-electric minivan that can seat up to seven people and has a driving range of around 275 miles.