Can The New VW ID. Buzz Match The Iconic VW Bus?

Over the last hundred years, automotive engineering and vehicles have become an essential aspect of modern life, with many families needing multiple vehicles just to get through day-to-day living. Throughout these years, there has been a small number of vehicles that have stuck in people’s minds as being so truly individual and iconic for the era that they are hard to recreate or replace. One of these vehicles is the Volkswagen VW Type 2 bus. 

The design of this bus completely changed the look of automotive vans, and it became a predecessor to how modern vans are produced. They were incredibly popular and were a best seller for Volkswagen. 

In an attempt to rekindle some of that magic, Volkswagen has released the new and improved electric minivan, the ID. Buzz. This latest release has taken clear inspiration from its historical counterpart but with a modern twist.  

Is the VW ID. Buzz as legendary as its predecessor?

The original Volkswagen Type 2 was designed to be practical rather than attractive, but it turned out to be the opposite. Once it was released, fans of the bus took it upon themselves to personalize and decorate its exterior to reflect their personality. Over the next few decades, they were spotted in some of the most influential events in modern history. 

It has a rear engine and could be used to hold cargo or as a family or recreational vehicle. It could seat up to nine people with luggage, which made it perfect for music festivals and demonstrations in the 1960s. 

The exterior design contains a flat front and back with a large VW logo placed on top of a V-shaped design in a range of playful colors. There is a wide hatch at the back for storage. The interior was minimalist at best, with a passenger seat, a steering wheel, a radio and speedometer, and little else. Many companies offered consumers the chance to spruce up their interiors by adding a homely touch, such as curtains, beds, and tables. Customers could also choose a range of window arrangements from a basic 11-window to the DeLuxe 23-window so that they could see and enjoy their surrounding environment.  

So, how does the VW ID. Buzz match bus to the original VW Bus? 

VW Bus vs. ID. Buzz: How do they compare?

The VW ID. Buzz uses its design to try and replicate the vintage and nostalgic feeling that the original VW bus gave us decades previous. It is wider and shorter than the original, but it kept its flat rear and hatch. In the front, the large VW badge still sits prominently, even if it is a bit smaller, sitting on top of the V-shaped two-tone paint job. Volkswagen reduced the number of windows but maintained the views by replacing smaller windows with vast wrap-around ones.

Volkswagen continued the tow-tone colored design on the interior also, with several pops of color placed strategically. The vibe of the interior feels more modern and minimalistic than vintage. Many aspects, such as the steering wheel, are bulkier, but that is probably due to better safety standards than the ones in the 1960s. Who is going to complain about safer vehicles? The seats are also removable and foldable, so you can customize them to fit your needs.  

There are several things that have changed including the lights, its modern design and the fact that it’s bigger. Plus, it is an electric minivan, which means the engine composition has also changed. But to focus on these changes would do this bus a disservice.  

A van that packs a punch

Its entry-level motor can produce 286 horsepower and 545Nm of torque, which gives the Buzz a surprising amount of speed. It can complete 0-62mph in 7.6 seconds and has a top speed of 99mph, which is excellent for its weight and shape. There is also the LWB and the sportier GTX model, which has an extra motor on its front axle to increase the power and torque to 340 horsepower and 560Nm, respectively. The battery contains 79kWh, while the LWB model has a slightly bigger 86kWh unit.  

Changing older iconic cars to modern versions has gone wrong with many automotive companies, but that’s not what happened here. Volkswagen has updated the VW bus but has kept true to the essence of what the bus is and what it means to people. Of course, it has updated many things, but the ID. Buzz is still pleasing to the eye, quirky and functional, just like it should be.