In Volkswagen they affirm that the ID. Buzz is like a good rock song, it gives off good vibes. And that whenever he appears, people smile. What we are convinced of is the success of the German brand in having recovered this historic vehicle concept to turn it, through spectacular design, into a zero-emission family model. An electric icon despite its short time on the market, of which we have now just discovered the long version, with a long wheelbase.
The world presentation of the ID. Long Buzz, made in Germany, coincides with the model's return to Canada and the United States, after 20 years of absence. But that hasn't meant that the rear-engined generations T1, T2 and T3 continue to have crowds of enthusiasts on the beaches of California, Florida or Long Island.
The world premiere in the United States will be on June 24, in Huntington Beach, a meeting place for surfers on the Pacific Coast Highway. And proof of the importance of this iconic vehicle is that the United States will celebrate June 2 in the future as Volkswagen Bus Day.
In the words of Lars Krause, of the executive committee of VW Commercial Vehicles “it is the return of a certain automotive feeling for life”. And he adds, “the image of the legendary T1 Lightbus at Woodstock is unforgettable. The DNA of this symbol of freedom lives on in our ID. Buzz. It is of the utmost importance to us that we can now offer North Americans a new, modern, all-electric edition of the ID. Buzz in an iconic design.
The European debut of this important family car will be at the VW Festival Bus in Hannover, from June 23 to 25, during the largest meeting of vans in Europe.
With a length of 4.96 meters -25 centimeters more than the short wheelbase variant- and up to seven seats, the great ID. Buzz is fully prepared for release in North America and Europe. With this new version, the versatility of use is increased and, with the longer wheelbase, space is created for a third row of seats, providing up to 2,469 liters of storage space.
And, above all, to incorporate a new 85 kWh battery, which provides even more autonomy. Another novelty is the heat pump that increases efficiency in winter.
The big ID. Buzz will also be available in Europe with a new 286 hp electric motor. This electric motor increases the top speed up to 160 km/h (electronically limited). And with an acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in just 7.9 seconds.
And Volkswagen has announced for later a version of all-wheel drive (GTX) with a power of 339 hp. The ID. Buzz GTX will be able to complete 0-100 km/h in 6.4 seconds, unusual agility for this type of vehicle and the ability to quickly merge into highway traffic.
The long wheelbase version of the ID. Buzz will come with a head-up display, the driver information system that is projected on the windshield, a state-of-the-art infotainment system and the remote parking system via smartphone.
In addition, the new high-tech panoramic sunroof with smart glass is an aesthetic nod to the legendary Samba Bus of the 1950s. At 1.5 square metres, it is the largest glass roof ever built by Volkswagen. Smart glass can be switched from transparent to opaque and vice versa using the touch slider or voice assistant.
The brand new and spacious ID. Long Buzz will reach our market in 2024.
