Okay.
So don't even push that button.
You tap your foot on the gas and then, boom!
Done.
It's on. Oh, far out.
Okay. The Volkswagen ID buzz is an
electric revival of the classic microbus that helped turn VW
into a legend in the US and around the world.
Vw is releasing a slew of EVs under the ID subbrand,
but this might be the most anticipated.
You hit the pedal.
So if this one's throwing you back, just imagine the 282 horsepower.
So it's so sensitive.
I'm sorry. I'm kind of jerking us around a little.
I just. It's so much fun.
Vw has made some of the most popular vehicles of all time the Beetle,
the golf, and yes, the type two bus.
But today it has only 2.5% of the market in the US.
Vw wants to double that by 2030.
So can this tubular creation make that happen?
Cnbc went to Huntington Beach, California to test the ID buzz and
see if this throwback can live up to its legendary heritage and position VW for
a better future in America.
And so we have D and B and B engages the regenerative braking.
You got it system. You got it.
So drive is intended.
At a time when SUVs and crossovers have all but conquered the market.
And nearly 80% of the cars on the road are either black, gray, silver or
white. Vw is offering something unique for
us.
We wanted to take the vehicle just a slightly more into a,
let's say, design forward direction or in a slightly more premium feel
as well. So we developed three specific North American interiors
that work well with all the exteriors.
It's not what I call the matchy matchy approach.
Now the buzz I am driving is the European version.
The larger three row American version isn't even ready for test drives yet.
Let's see how it turns.
Ho ho!
Didn't even check out, like, into a parking spot.
It's just. It's crazy.
How tight it is.
Oh, my gosh.
You don't expect that. And you could even make a right here.
Don't even change gears.
You have this completely.
Oh, wow. It turns on a dime.
Oh, wow. Oh, my gosh.
This European model is 185in long, which is about the length of one
of these compact SUVs.
The American three row version adds ten extra inches.
You can't buy a two row in the US.
But VW says it will make the third row removable on this as a
concession. Still, that may not please buyers who want a more compact van.
The US Buzz's wheelbase is ten inches longer to match the stretched body.
Vw says this should keep driving dynamics similar to those of the European model.
I haven't tested out the three row's turning radius.
North American customers will get a few other perks.
A light up logo on the front of the bus and special colors like this cabana blue.
Us interiors are different from the European ones, too.
A bit more upscale.
And at the touch of a button or actually a swipe of a finger, the glass
will completely go opaque, which blocks out the sun, and then I can swipe to open it back up.
Oh, wow.
Well, VW may be trying to remind the world of its busses illustrious heritage.
This is a modern vehicle targeting a high end consumer in
1951. The bus costs just above $2,200, which would be about
$22,000 in today's dollars.
Vw hasn't released pricing info for the US yet, but there is
speculation it is aiming for a base price in the low $60,000
range. In keeping with this, there are a lot of creature comforts.
So is all this just like controls?
This is all for like assisted driving and things like that?
Yeah. So left side is going to be all of your driver assistance functions, adaptive cruise
control, travel assist.
And then right side is going to be all your audio controls for voice control, volume track and so
forth.
That's how I accidentally just kicked on the music there.
I was just running my fingers over it.
Okay. Vw says it will be debuting a new remote parking feature enabled by
the vehicle's ample radar camera and sensor setup.
The high tech led headlights swivel as the vehicle turns.
The sliding door is powered, as is the little square window on the side.
Open right up.
Dog can stick its head out the window or a human.
Now the big question, what is the range?
Vw has not released specs but says the buzz has a 91 kilowatt hour
battery, which is larger than the one on VW ID four electric SUV.
The ID four gets a maximum EPA range of 275 miles.
So on the buzz, a larger battery, but a larger vehicle and far less
aerodynamic. The ID buzz will not appeal to everyone.
To many, it might still just be a minivan and minivans have almost entirely
disappeared from the market.
In fact, they had only a 1.7% share in 2022.
A lot of baggage comes with a minivan and we just decided to step out of that, but
bring a much more modern icon, which makes people actually want to drive a vehicle with
sliding doors. And actually, I have to say, we'll never call this a van or a minivan from
Volkswagen of America. For us, this is a new segment.
It is the bus segment.
Its shape and bright colors might not be for everyone either, even fans of the
old type two.
But what it may lack in mass appeal it makes up for in utility, it can fit up to seven
people, a ton of stuff, or any combination of those two things.
Okay.
There we are.
Yeah. All right.
So I'm basically just over six feet tall.
And so.
You don't look too cramped.
No.
No, this is cool.
And the visibility, especially through the windshield, is striking.
Yeah, You do really feel like you're, like, in a spaceship.
A spaceship? Well, that is the starkest contrast.
You could probably see a four speed type two and then into this thing.
It's night and day. Yeah.
Yeah. I mean, you're just like you're on another planet.
Yeah. Yeah.
I mean, it's. Yeah.
I mean, I feel like I'm floating above the ground.
It's no Porsche or Tesla or Ramos.
The euro version does 0 to 62mph in 10.2
seconds. Minivans average the same in 7.9 seconds,
and mainstream EVs average it in 7.5.
But the Id.buzz does have that electric punch just enough to be
fun.