VW ID. Buzz available from €64,581 in Germany from May 20

With the German BAFA (Federal Office of Economics and Export Control) leaking the price list of the VW ID. Buzz a couple of days ago, VW had to act itself and pushed the start button on pre-orders for the long awaited EV van. Prices are for the German market and include VAT but do not include any government subsidies.

First out of the gate is VW ID. Buzz Pro, this 5 seater model comes with a 150kW (201hp) single electric motor with 82kWh battery (77kWh usable). The motor powers the rear wheels and has 310Nm of torque and it has an WLTP range of 421km (261 miles).

Recharging the battery from 5 to 80 percent takes 30 minutes when using a DC charger with at least 170kW maximum charging power. The ID. Buzz takes advantage of the new Plug & Charge system which authenticates the car as soon as it is plugged in to the charger and bills the owner’s account automatically - no more looking for payment cards. The prices start from €64,581.30 - not sure why exactly 30 cents but VW has to have a good reason for that.

VW ID. Buzz

ID. Buzz Pro will come with a lot of assistance and convenience systems. Starting with Car2X which warns drivers of local hazards, swerve support which helps avoiding obstacles while braking, oncoming vehicle braking which helps to avoid collision with oncoming traffic. Then we have the Autonomous Emergency Braking, Front Assist with Pedestrian and Cyclist Monitoring, another system closes all windows if it senses an accident is unavoidable, of course we have the Lane Assist and Road Sign Dynamic Display.

Parking is easier with Park Distance Control watching the front and the rear of the car and to top it off all cars come with standard Air Care Climatronic with charcoal filters and 2-zone temperature control.

The extensive standard equipment list goes on with the Digital Cockpit with 5.3” screen for the driver and 10” centrally mounted display. It can connect with many apps, can integrate Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Wireless phone charger is installed in the dedicated phone storage and there are 3 additional USB-C ports in the front of the car. The car will have sliding doors on both sides as standard as well as 19” wheels and tinted windows.

Another version available for pre-order is ID. Buzz Cargo with the same motor and battery and slightly higher range of 424km (263 miles). It will be a two seater with cargo space separated from the driver and with the capacity of 3.9 cubic meters - that’s nearly 178 cubic foot. It’s enough for two standard Euro Pallets with a maximum load capacity of 650 kg. Cargo version will have only one sliding door as standard and it will start at €54,430.60 exactly.

VW ID. Buzz Cargo

Initially ID: Buzz will come in 11 colors, there will be optional wheels up to 21” in size. Matrix headlights with a horizontal light strip between the front lights and LED tail light clusters will be part of the optional Design package.

Keyless start with illuminated door handles, electrically operated boot lid and surround lighting are part of the optional Open & Close package. If this wasn’t enough there is Assistance package and Assistance package Plus with stop & go speed limiter and Travel Assist with “swarm data” - VW’s partly automated driving system that comes with lane changing, memory function for Park Assist and heated steering wheel.

If a standard 10” screen is not enough then you can upgrade to 12” with 9 speakers instead of standard five. Finally we come around to the center console called ID. Buzz Box which is a part of a Comfort package and is removable. This package adds additional USB-C ports at the rear of the car, heated steering wheel and the windscreen as well.

VW ID. Buzz interior

The list of standard equipment is impressive, the options are taking it to the next level of usability but with starting prices well into €65,000 territory this is not a cheap “volks wagen” anymore, well apart from VW Polo and some basic Golfs, one can argue that VW has moved away from its roots.

Nevertheless this is a car the whole world has been waiting for, the first deliveries begin this fall and soon we will see the first reviews to help us make up our minds if the ID: Buzz was worth waiting for.

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