Zander Drives Cars

Fun fact! This article was originally going to be on the ID.7, but that’s only here at the Chicago Auto Show for public days. Woo. Anyway, VW has always been really, really good with the idea of “nostalgia bait,” they rely on their alt-hippie image from the 60s and 70s to sell cars to people who hold onto their teenage dream memories for as long as possible. And there is no better, and I mean no better vehicle to do this with than the iconic VW Bus. So, what’s the end result? An electric van.

The Exterior

Like all of VW’s cars nowadays, they’re all very “smart.” Not too showy, not too exuberant, but all with fine lines that give an air of quality. More sophisticated than a Toyota, without the prudence of an Audi. The ID. Buzz follows this to a tea. It’s modern and clean without being too, too pretentious while doing what it can to preserve the shape of the original Grateful Dead roadie machine. Well done, VW.

The Interior

This thing is so cool. Sorry, my train of thought broke through for a moment. Anyway, the interior of the ID. Buzz is so extra. Not in a Mercedes EQS 580 extra, but like a “how many gimmicks can you fit in here?” extra. For starters, there are picnic tables attached to the rear seats! That’s fun. There are also plenty of fun and funky patterns on the door sills and a strange, yet complimenting white and orange interior color pallet. Rear seat legroom is solid, while the 3rd-row struggles, so if you’re short, know your place.

For a pre-production model, everything feels pretty solid, and I’m willing to give a loose front cupholder panel a slide because god knows how many people have opened and closed it today. This is abuse, I tell ya!

The Technology

Did you know, if you start the ID. Buzz, the driver’s screen shows a picture of the Mk8 Golf? Well, in this ID. Buzz, that’s what happens! I know, it’s pre-pro and I shouldn’t really get miffed about it, but it is a weird omen as to how VW’s screen-related issues have plagued the company post-COVID. Thankfully, the system here in the Buzz is much better than the one we first saw with the Golf and ID.4 back in 2021. And frankly, I’m willing to cut VW some more slack because I’ve always thought the problems and claims of VW’s infotainment were mildly over-exaggerated.

But, to speak on the functionality, it all operates pretty smoothly. I particularly like the full 360 view of the Buzz that you can spin around endlessly, although it would be nice if the color of the Buzz on the screen matched your car. Maybe that’ll be a thing. Who knows? I’m being cautiously optimistic here, I know VW has done a lot to try and save their UI from backlash, and I do appreciate a company who listens to feedback, but I’m still weary.

The Features

Oh boy. Remember when I said this car was loaded with gimmicks? Well, they don’t stop aesthetically. My favorite of these “is this really useful?” gimmicks is VW’s “sit to start,” where, if you sit in the front seat, the car will start. We saw this introduced on the ID.4, and it exists here too, although because show car, it had a roughly 30-second delay in the Buzz actually “starting.”

As for other “features,” I could find during my time in the Buzz, I can tell you it has heated front seats, of which both are electrically operated. It also has a heated steering wheel, adaptive cruise control, a Harman/kardon Soundsystem, three-zone climate controls with a digital display in the rear for passengers, a power-operated rear sliding door, and a moonroof with a dimming feature, similar to that on the Porsche Taycan, or if you like planes, a Dreamliner.

The Drive… Not

No, I can’t drive it, so this section will be reserved for general specifications on the Buzz. The US-spec ID. Buzz is expected to have an all-wheel drive (with the potential of a rear-drive option as well) 91 kWh battery, producing 339 hp, and getting roughly 260 miles of range. None of these numbers have officially been confirmed by either VW or the EPA, and are all numbers taken from similar models from Europe. So, if this is all wrong, don’t blame me. I’m doing my best, okay?

In The End…

Like De Vet Du, this thing makes me want to road-trip like nobody’s business. But, with the potential of a sub-300 mile range, and prices reportedly climbing as high as $65,000, it might not be obtainable to a large section of this van’s audience. But, I guess time will tell if this either becomes VW’s biggest niche successes, or a massive flop. Probably the first, though. There are enough upper-class Deadheads out there to financially support VW.