Volkswagen ID. Buzz makes unexpected Festival of Motoring debut

Volkswagen’s Commercial Vehicle division provided the biggest surprise of the Kyalami Festival of Motoring by showing the production variant of the all-electric ID. Buzz at the event’s opening on Thursday, 29 August.

Unveiled in long wheelbase guise that premiered globally last year, the two-tone Bay Leaf Green and Candy White left-hand-drive example, for now, rates as a case study despite Wolfsburg admitting it wants to make it available in South Africa before the end of the decade.

Space for seven

Brought in from Germany especially for the Festival of Motoring, the long wheelbase ID. Buzz measures 4 966 mm long, 1 938 mm tall and 1 985 mm wide with its wheelbase stretching 3 239 mm.

Compared to the standard five-seat ID. Buzz, the EV dedicated MEB platform that underpins all ID models has been stretched by 254 mm and 251 mm on the overall length and wheelbase fronts.  

In this regard, packing space ranges from 306-litres to 1 340-litres in five-seat form, though dropping the middle row frees-up an additional 1 129-litres for a total of 2 469-litres.

ALSO READ: Space-for-seven Volkswagen ID. Buzz LWB EV ‘Kombi’ revealed

Rear-engine EV

Mounted on 21-inch burnished black Bromberg alloy wheels, the displayed ID. Buzz is also the flagship Pro variant in Europe as evident by its utilising of the bigger 91-kWh battery pack versus the base model’s 82-kWh module.

In this regard, the battery powers a single rear-axle mounted electric motor developing 210kW/560Nm. The result is a limited top speed of 160 km/h, 0-100 km/h in 7.9 seconds and a claimed range of 418 km.

Spec

Of the fitted specification items is tri-zone climate control, a 13-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, the Matrix I.Q. LED headlights, a panoramic glass sunroof, the 12.9-inch infotainment system, dual electric sliding doors and the 5.3-inch digital instrument binnacle.

Present on the safety side is Automatic Emergency Braking, front and rear parking sensors, a tyre pressure monitor, a surround-view camera system and the semi-autonomous Travel Assist system.

Yes, but no

Indirectly present in South Africa by way of a trial partnership with DHL using three standard wheelbase ID. Buzz Cargo vans, the passenger ID. Buzz, as mentioned, remains a no-no for South Africa.

NOW READ: Finally out: Volkswagen ID. Buzz switch flicked