VW’s electric van specs firm for Oz

VOLKSWAGEN Group Australia (VGA) has given local media its first look at the ID.Buzz and ID.Buzz Cargo electric van range this month, the duo slated for arrival in Australian showrooms from mid-2024.

Promising segment-defying flexibility, the retro-inspired Volkswagen ID.Buzz people mover and ID.Buzz Cargo light commercial van deliver not only enviable specifications from their all-electric driveline, but class-leading versatility derived from VW’s adaptable MEB architecture.

As well as forming the basis for a range of passenger cars and SUVs, the Modularer E-Antriebs-Baukasten (or Modular Electric-drive Toolkit) provides the ID.Buzz range with a low, flat floor and versatile cabin layout that makes it suitable to a wide variety of uses.

“It’s a compact size that offers optimum space utilisation,” explained VGA commercial vehicles national marketing manager Nathan Johnson.

“One of the things we noticed when we first saw the car is that the photos just don’t do it justice. It’s very hard to judge the sense of size of the car. But it is actually quite a big vehicle – between the size of a Caddy and a Transporter – that has a really nice stance, and a wheelbase that is longer than expected because of the MEB platform.

“Inside, the vehicle is again larger than you expect. Despite its more compact exterior dimensions, there really is a lot of space inside, and that’s obviously a benefit of MEB again.”

Mr Johnson said that although specifications for locally delivered ID.Buzz and ID.Buzz Cargo models were still being confirmed, the right-hand drive examples shown at the Sydney debut of the range were representative of what is likely to appear in Australian showrooms from the middle of 2024.

For the commercial-focused ID.Buzz Cargo SWB, a permanent magnet synchronous electric motor outputting 150kW and 310Nm drives the rear wheels via a single-speed transmission.

The motor is supplied by a 77kWh lithium-ion battery that provides a driving range of between 394 and 425km and a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 10.2 seconds en route to a top speed of 145km/h.

Charging via an 11kW AC charger takes approximately 7.5 hours while a five to 80 per cent charge at a 170kW DC charger takes as little as 30 minutes.

As presented, the ID.Buzz Cargo SWB is finished in Candy White with Titanium Black upholstery, a three-seat cabin, 20-inch alloy wheels and Continental Airstop tyres, disc front/drum rear braking, and LED lighting front and rear – including IQ.Light LED Matrix headlights.

Dimensionally, the commercial variant can transport two European pallets in the rear with 1732mm between the cargo walls and 1230mm between the rear wheel arches. The load sill sits 623mm from the ground while ground clearance is listed at a generous 159mm. The rear aperture is listed at 1257mm while the opening width is either 2208mm or 2232mm depending on whether a tailgate or barn doors are optioned.

The internal load floor measures 4837mm in length and is accessed by dual side sliding doors. VW lists the carrying capacity of the van at 3.9 cubic metres.

On the safety front, the ID.Buzz Cargo is equipped with a tyre pressure monitoring system, ABS, AEB with pedestrian and cyclist monitoring; lane-keep assist and emergency assist; a multi-function camera; front, side and lane change assist; front, side and curtain airbags; driver alert system, reversing alert, three-point seatbelts, and adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality.

A speed limiter function, dynamic road sign display, automatic headlights with high beam assist, front and rear parking sensors and dynamic cornering lights are also offered as standard.

Meanwhile, cabin equipment includes four USB-C charging ports, a 230V/300W power outlet, keyless entry, single-zone climate control, rain-sensing wipers, and a two-speaker audio system which includes a 10.0-inch display, DAB+ digital radio reception, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, plus an inductive charging feature.

In addition to the ID.Buzz and ID.Buzz Cargo, to date the MEB architecture forms the underpinnings of several VW Group models, including the Audi Q4 e-Tron (and Sportback derivative), Audi Q5 e-Tron, Cupra Born, Skoda Enyaq (and coupe derivative), as well as the Volkswagen ID.3, ID.4, ID.5 and ID.6.

But it is arguably the Type 2-inspired ID.Buzz five-seat “bus” that is likely to turn the most heads in Australia, especially with Kombi-obsessed locals hoping to drive down their CO2 emissions.

Riding on an identical 2288mm wheelbase to its Cargo sibling, the model is similarly sized at 4712mm long, 1985mm wide and 1937mm high. It also offers the same driveline specifications, output, acceleration and changing times of the commercial model.

Finished in Candy White over Bay Leaf Green metallic paint, and with a matching Jade Green-Mistral interior, the ID.Buzz on show added fixed rear windows, 21-inch alloys shod with Hankook rubber, a parking assistant with memory feature, three front USB-C ports and two in the rear, a nine-speaker sound system, and larger 12.0-inch central touchscreen over those features listed for the ID.Buzz Cargo.

The passenger-oriented model also comes with a 60:40 split folding rear bench, multi-flex cargo board with two folding storage boxes, front seat armrests, power adjustable front seats with adjustable lumbar support, carpeted flooring, a luggage compartment cover, dual-zone climate control and 30-colour LED ambient lighting package.

Volkswagen is set to further expand the ID.Buzz line-up by 2024 with a long-wheelbase and seven-seat passenger variant, as well as a sporty variant to be dubbed the GTX.

“We see that the ID.Buzz and ID.Buzz Cargo have huge opportunity here, and one we’re prepared to leverage the minute we get confirmed as a market,” said Mr Johnson.

“We’re also ready to move on offering conversions … We don’t want to just offer a plain white van to every single customer that walks into our dealerships. We really promote building and offering solutions that we can offer from our local dealers and that meet the requirements of our local market.

“And soon, we’ll have a long wheelbase seven-seater, available internationally from the end of next year, as well as bigger battery offerings and all-wheel drive variants, which will be key for Australia, and obviously the performance focussed GTX ID.Buzz as well.

“We’re certain the future is bright and we’re going to take as much as we can out of these product offerings as soon as they become available.”