2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz – Retro Electric

EVs, Minivans
February 22, 2025
Dan Gunay

The 2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz is more than just a nostalgic tribute to the iconic Microbus—it’s a modern electric vehicle with personality, practicality, and a distinct sense of fun. Blending retro styling with the latest tech, the ID. Buzz offers an electric alternative to traditional minivans and crossovers, appealing to eco-conscious large families and enthusiasts looking for something unique.

The ID. Buzz is a perfect blend of past and future, capturing the charm of the original Microbus while embracing modern electric vehicle design. Its boxy silhouette looks like nothing else, short overhangs, and large glass surfaces immediately evoke memories of the classic VW Bus, but with a contemporary twist. The clean lines and aerodynamic touches help it stand out from conventional minivans, giving it a unique presence on the road. Just like our tester, the new ID. Buzz is available in vibrant two-tone colour schemes.

Volkswagen didn’t just replicate the past when they resurrected the Bus concept, they thoughtfully represented it with a mix of subtle and bold retro cues. At the front, the ID. Buzz wears a friendly and approachable face, much like its predecessor. It makes everyone happy by just looking at it. The large VW emblem sits prominently at the center, flanked by sleek LED headlights and a subtle horizontal light that connects them. The lower bumper features a minimalist grille design, mainly for cooling the battery and drivetrain, maintaining the uncluttered aesthetic.

Unlike many modern vehicles, the ID. Buzz’s soft, rounded edges give it a warm and welcoming personality, making it instantly recognizable. Just like the front-end design, the ID. Buzz continues its retro-modern theme with a distinctive and upright stance. The large windows and short wheelbase not only maximize interior space and offer better visibility but also contribute to the overall retro look. The aerodynamic wheels help reduce drag while adding a futuristic touch.

At the rear, the ID. Buzz keeps things clean and functional. Like other Volkswagens, the full-width LED light bar connects the taillights. The large rear hatch provides very easy loading access, whether for groceries or camping gear. Unlike many modern EVs that prioritize sharp angles and dramatic styling, the ID. Buzz stays true to its roots with a smooth, minimalistic rear end.

Stepping inside the 2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz, you’re greeted by a bright, airy cabin that perfectly balances retro charm with modern minimalism. The large windows and curvy windshield fill the interior with natural light, creating a sense of openness reminiscent of the original Microbus. The dashboard follows Volkswagen’s latest design philosophy, featuring a clean layout with a 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen and a separate digital instrument cluster.

The updated software system is noticeably more responsive, addressing previous complaints about lag. However, the lack of physical controls remains a drawback, as nearly every function is buried within the touchscreen, which requires more effort for simple adjustments. On the bright side, Volkswagen has at least illuminated the touch sliders this time, addressing a common frustration.

Practicality is at the heart of the ID. Buzz’s design, offers quite a spacious interior with clever storage solutions. Thanks to its EV architecture, the flat floor maximizes the legroom and creates a lounge-like atmosphere. The front seats are comfortable and supportive with a decent amount of bolstering and adjustment options, including a manually adjustable thigh support with a massage feature. The second-row seats are captain chairs with a lot of space, including an adjustable center console that can be moved to the first or second row. If you need more seating capacity, you have to choose the rear wheel drive option, which comes with a bench seat in the second row.

Just like the Volkswagen Atlas, the ID. Buzz is quite family-friendly, with super-easy access to the third row, thanks to its second-row seats, so you don’t have to remove the front-facing child seat to access the third row. However, unlike the Atlas, the third row feels much more spacious with some adjustment options, so you can move the third-row seats slightly forward or back for more storage space. As expected from a family-friendly vehicle, you will find a lot of USB charging ports, air vents, and cup holders for the rear seat occupants.

Unlike traditional North American minivans, the ID. Buzz is slightly smaller outside, but just as spacious inside with one big difference. The third row does not have stow and go feature, you have to take the seats out physically for maximum storage capacity. Even without removing it, it offers a decent amount of cargo space (527 litres) behind the third row. Folding down the third-row seats expands this capacity to 2138 litres, which can go up to 4119 litres when all rear seats are removed.

The North American long-wheelbase (LWB) version of the Volkswagen ID. Buzz comes with only one battery pack option: a 91-kWh lithium-ion battery (gross), with 86 kWh of usable capacity. This setup provides an EPA-estimated range of 370 kilometres. In our tests, we couldn’t get close to those numbers, mainly due to cold weather, but thanks to its 200 kW DC fast-charging option, range anxiety wasn’t really an issue. The ID. Buzz’s battery can go from 10% to 80% in about 25 minutes when plugged into a DC charger, making long trips more manageable.

For home charging, the 11 kW onboard charger allows for overnight top-ups when using a Level 2 charger. This makes the ID. Buzz practical choice for daily use, ensuring drivers can start each day with a full battery. While charging speeds are competitive within its segment, the battery size could have been bigger for such a large vehicle, which would have offered more usable range for a family-oriented vehicle meant to be driven longer distances, especially in colder climates. However, the balance between range, efficiency, and fast-charging capability keeps it well-suited for most use cases.

Under the hood—or rather, beneath the floor—the ID. Buzz comes with a rear-mounted electric motor generating 282 horsepower, delivering smooth and responsive acceleration. For those needing the best grip in inclement weather, the 4MOTION all-wheel-drive variant adds a second motor to the front axle, boosting total output to 335 horsepower. The AWD variant also offers 3,500 lbs of towing capacity, a significant bump compared to the rear-wheel-drive version, which maxes out at 2,600 lbs.

Our tester was quite fast and responsive with its 4MOTION AWD system and 335 horsepower, but it is still a large vehicle. On the road, the ID. Buzz delivers a smooth and composed ride quality, making it well-suited for long drives and city commutes. The suspension is tuned for comfort, soaking up bumps and road imperfections without feeling overly soft. It does not offer a lot of ground clearance due to the low-mounted battery pack, which offers a lower center of gravity, minimizing body roll in corners.

Even though the ID. Buzz feels confident behind the wheel, it is a heavy vehicle at 6000 lbs, meaning that it is not the most agile vehicle when pushed through tight turns. The steering is light and effortless, making parking and low-speed maneuvers easy. Overall it is a very easy vehicle to drive every day, the ID. Buzz feels smaller than its actual size and feels much more competent than any traditional minivan available.

The elephant in the room is the braking performance, which feels inconsistent at times. The transition between regenerative braking and traditional brake pads isn’t as seamless as it should be, resulting in a somewhat unpredictable pedal feel. At lower speeds, the regen braking does most of the work, but when more stopping power is needed, it feels abrupt. This takes some time to get used to, especially in stop-and-go traffic. While the braking performance itself is adequate, Volkswagen could retune the brake regen better to create a more natural feel.

The ID. Buzz is, without a doubt, the most special Volkswagen in recent memory—and one of the few that can be an emotional purchase, with no need for justification other than the simple desire to own it. Sure, it took 20 years to bring the iconic Microbus back in electric form, but the wait was undeniably worth it. It’s quirky, practical, and packed with charm—proof that not all EVs need to take themselves too seriously.

Engine	Induction AC (front) Permanent-magnet synchronous AC (rear)
Battery Pack	86-kWh lithium-ion
Transmission	Direct-drive
Max power	335 hp
Max torque	413 lb-ft
0-100 km/h	5.7 sec
Curb Weight	6174 lbs – 2800 kg
Range (observed)	190 mi – 305 km
Price (starting at)	$80,631 CAD
Website	www.vw.ca