Volkswagen ID Buzz GTX 2025 review

There have been a few moments in the history of car concepts when you would have bet hard cash that a design study has zero chance of making it unscathed through to production only to have the bookie take your money. Audi’s first-generation TT, the Plymouth Prowler and FN2 Honda Civic Type R are good examples and the same applied to the Volkswagen ID Buzz.

When we first drove the five-seat ID Buzz we were charmed and impressed but now, the big, bright and bouncy bus has a new version that’s not only more powerful and all-wheel drive, but even bigger and now has space for up to seven people! Excited?

We boarded the ID Buzz GTX in Germany for a quick first spin to see if more is more when it comes to redefining the people mover, ahead of the model’s arrival in Australia before the year’s out.

There’s a standard long wheelbase version of the ID Buzz that gets rear-wheel drive and a single motor on the rear axle with 210kW/560Nm and will do the dash from zero to 100km/h in a surprisingly quick 7.9s.

However, the GTX has the same stretched wheelbase but has an extra motor on the front axle for all-wheel drive, a combined output of 250kW and a whopping 679Nm. With added traction as well as the mighty power and torque, it does the same acceleration milestone in just 6.4 seconds. This variant really puts the buzz in ID Buzz.

The new versions are a significant 25 centimetres longer than the standard body ID Buzz and all that extra space doesn’t break the bank. Compared with the five-seat option, the standard seven-seat costs just $3300 more at $91,290, while the hot high-sider we’re focusing on here is $109,990.

With more space under the floor, long-wheelbase versions of the model get a larger 86kWh battery with up to 200kW charging power and about 400km or range depending, of course, on the ambient temperature and payload, which isn’t huge at just over 600kg.

Compared with the standard Pro level of specification, the GTX has 19-inch wheels (our test car fitted optional 21s), a black honeycomb pattern grille is standard along with side vents, matrix type LED headlights and a number of GTX-only paint colours such as the Cherry Red for our car.

On the inside there are a choice of no-cost seven seats, while a second-row captain’s chairs reduce the occupancy to six but boost levels of luxury.

A darker themed interior indicates this is the more sporty version compared with the lighter playful palettes offered in the other variants, while front seats are more supportive with electric adjustment.

The GTX also gets the largest central touchscreen measuring 12.9 inches whereas all versions have the relatively tiny digital instrument cluster. However, the GTX has a head-up display to supplement the small screen which makes a lot of sense in practice.

Perhaps we owe VW an apology for our previous guesstimate on pricing and that all versions would cost more than six figures. Props to the company therefore, for managing to bring in all but one under that milestone $100,000.

That said, in this high-output all-wheel-driven flagship GTX guise, there’s a lot included for the cash even when you do stump up nearly $110,000.

Driving a Volkswagen ID Buzz actually requires a certain amount of mental recalibration. On the outside it’s a large van-like box which you might think needs a bit of a commercial vehicle driving style. Then you jump in and the cabin immediately feels more like an SUV or a playful hatchback.

But you’d be only half right because the ID Buzz rolls on the MEB architecture which underpins an amazing variety of models in the VW Group family including everything from the ‘little’ ID3 to the ID7 and a number of Audi, Cupra and Skoda models in between.

So while there’s a bit of volume to get used to, the overarching feel is one of familiarity with way more bandwidth than you might expect from such a car – something about judging books by their covers…

Even negotiating some tight German country villages, the GTX’s dimensions are not hard to live with thanks mostly to the massive amount of glazing all round and a nicely elevated driving position. The only thing that impedes the view are the chunky A-pillars which can be quite an obstruction in tight turns thanks to the very forward positioning of the windscreen.

But the real surprise is how this thing hustles. It shouldn’t be possible to carry as much pace as the GTX can. There’s little body-roll, plenty of grip and the exceptional torque fires the big red bullet out of corners with incredible punch and vigour.

The seating and steering wheel position does feel a little the van-like, but its manners defy that. We love the paradox of rolling around on a nearly 3.2-meter wheel base but being able to chuck it though corners like you’re piloting a high-performance SUV.

There are a number of driving modes to enhance either end of the driving type envelope and Sport does indeed sharpen the dynamics, while the more comfort-focused settings are the most notable with a very relaxing ride when cruising. If only there was a hard button for switching between instead of delving in the virtual world.

With such a long wheelbase and a tiny break-over angle, we wouldn’t expect the GTX to be a competent off-roader, but the confidence with electric all-wheel drive would make the ID Buzz a reasonable proposition for heading to the snow or tackling a variety of slippery surfaces.

Its versatility is intriguing and makes the dual-motor GTX highly likeable.

Also, if you consider the new all-electric ID Buzz a continuation of the iconic Kombi van, this version is the most powerful in more than 70 years of history that started way back with the 1950 Type 2.

The only thing the new GTX doesn’t do as well as some more traditional SUVs or vans is towing.

With a maximum of 1600kg hooked up behind, it’s not as much as many diesel powered alternatives can offer, while connecting up a trailer will noticeable impact the battery range.

The interior is as striking and retro-infused as the exterior design. And what’s immediately apparent is that space is something you are getting a lot of with any ID Buzz, but the LWB versions take this to the max.

Even with all three rows of seating in place, there’s still more than 300 litres of space to use at the back, but fold the rear pair of seats away and that boot expands to 1340L. With the Buzz converted into van mode there’s a cavernous 2470 litres at your disposal.

There are places to stow things absolutely everywhere with shelves, cubbies, bottle holders and pockets throughout the cabin. We particularly liked the wireless device charger which is accessed by posting the smartphone into a securing slot.

There’s a pair of huge fold-out cup/bottle holders in the lower dash area, and a massive central console with more storage but it can be completely removed to either ‘walk’ through into the second row or simply create a more airy cabin.

The front row is a cool place to spend time with comfy but also sporty seats that both have a pair of folding armrests built into the sides of the seat.

This is a good touch as it allows maximum occupant support without having to rely on door trims or a centre console which can be a distance away thanks to the ID Buzz’s width of 1985mm.

Second row occupants don’t get a conventional roll-down window and have to make do with a little sliding panel which is better than nothing and more than most sliding-door type vehicles get. The small compromise is a fair exchange for the massive access doors that makes it remarkably easy to climb into or out of the cabin in tight parking spots.

As you might expect from a vehicle with such an extended length, the third row is about as good as it gets for people behind the middle seats this side of a Toyota Coaster.

We also loved the versatile system of collapsible boxes that tuck in under the boot panels creating more flexible spaces rather than letting items fly around in the large voids.

There are some scratchy plastics in places but you might not notice them as much in other vehicles with all the bright colours and unorthodox layouts creating an effective distraction.

After our first encounter with the ID Buzz we concluded that you should think not of the curious model as a repurposed van but more as an evolved SUV, and the new LWB GTX variant goes even further in that direction.

Not only does the ID Buzz now get the traction of an all-wheel-drive system, it has the power and torque that’s superior to many SUV rivals and the associated performance with it.

It can’t quite match the towing capacity of many lighter diesel options if that matters to you, but 1600kg is still a useful maximum if you can deal with the associated loss of battery range.

More importantly though, it has the space to manage a large family with lots of stuff, while appealing to multiple audiences.

Those who love the original Kombi and all the generations it evolved through will get a massive wave of nostalgia in the new version.

The environmentally conscious (and those with a good home charging set up) will love the zero-emissions powertrain, but the greatest achievement and allure of the ID Buzz GTX is that it dissolves the largely unwarranted stigma often attached to people movers.