2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz Pro Review: Head-turning love for the born-again Kombi

January 19, 2025January 19, 2025 Toby Hagon 184 Views 0 Comments

Few manufacturers have as storied a history as Volkswagen – and the Kombi is front and centre for those who love their cool-looking cars.

Now Volkswagen has revived the legend of the Kombi with the ID.Buzz, the hero of the brand’s soon-to-expand ID EV sub-brand.

The all-electric interpretation of the iconic Kombi has attracted plenty of interest and it’s finally in Australia.

Volkswagen believes the ID.Buzz’s high-riding stature and spacious body could lure people out of SUVs – and revive some of the Kombi fun factor in the EV era.

2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz price and equipment

The Kombi’s reputation is built on hippies and carefree surf culture, but the price tag for the Volkswagen ID.Buzz suggests it’s only available to professional surfers and those who own a pub (or two).

The Volkswagen ID.Buzz Pro starts at $87,990 plus on-road costs.

While the two-seat ID.Buzz Cargo van starts at $79,990 plus on-road costs, the five-door people mover tested here – known as ID.Buzz Pro – kicks off at $87,990 plus on-roads.

There’s also a longer wheelbase model with seven seats for $91,290.

None of which is cheap…

For that money you get dual-zone ventilation, ambient lighting, electric sliding rear doors, powered tailgate and 19-inch wheels.

Plus there are excellent matrix LED lights that blank out other road users while shining high beams.

But there’s also lots missing: sunroof ($3290 extra), head-up display (part of a $2200 pack incorporating a Harman Kardon sound system), leather and power adjustable front seats and heated front seats (which can be optioned along with massaging front seats for $6470). And over-the-air software updates that are now common on EVs is missing on the ID.Buzz.

An 84kWh battery provides 422km of WLTP range while the seven-seater steps that up to a 91kWh battery with 451km of range.

2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz: What we think

The Volkswagen ID.Buzz is undeniably cool.

The retro-infused looks aren’t overdone, beautifully encapsulating those older Kombis but not getting stuck in the past.

And the adoption of EV has made it a more practical car, too.

You sit up quite high in the cabin providing an excellent view, albeit one interrupted by dual pillars either side of the vast windscreen (which is positioned very far forward).

Even in the rear there’s acres of headroom and decent leg space, especially with the 60/40 split-folding seats slid back.

And the boot will swallow all that an adventurous family could muster.

Don’t go looking under the stumpy bonnet for storage space, though, because there’s nothing there except hardware.

Elsewhere the cabin is a mixed bag.

It presents well with some shiny black plastics and silver highlights, but to the touch it’s hard, scratchy and unwelcoming.

The cloth trim, too, may be hardy and inoffensive, but doesn’t scream premium.

And while there’s loads of space between the front seats there’s not a whole lot of storage due to the modest uncovered console.

There’s the occasional gripe, such as the seatbelt buckle that falls to the bottom of the belt, forcing you to rummage around for it.

And activating the tiny sliding rear side windows from the front first requires you to press the “rear” button, at which point you use the same switches that operate the front windows.

It’s a clunky way to save a few bucks on a couple of switches.

Tech-wise, the ID.Buzz gets a 12.9-inch touchscreen that ticks the boxes but doesn’t break any new ground. It’s the same with the reversing camera, whcih isn’t particularly sharp.

Elsewhere the Buzz steps up.

There’s are seven USB ports peppered around the cabin, including all doors except the driver’s.

Plus there’s a wireless charger the driver’s left knee.

To get underway you don’t have to press the start button, just land your bum on the seat and twist the right hand stalk to Drive or Reverse.

Press the throttle and the van leaps with the sort of enthusiasm no Kombi has done previously.

There’s 210kW and a V8-like 560Nm driving the rear wheels through a single electric motor.

It’s beautifully flexible and clean in its delivery, making for terrific performance.

Acceleration to 100km/h is claimed at 7.6 seconds and it feels every bit as quick as that.

In real world driving the range settles around 380km, which is decent, but not great for road trips (and expect more like 340km for freeway driving).

The fun-to-drive theme continues with the ways it devours corners.

While the ID.Buzz is tall, the low centre of gravity keeps it nicely planted.

So even with some cornering enthusiasm it doesn’t lean too much.

Responsive steering and an athletic demeanour add to its driving talent.

2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz: Verdict

If turning heads is your thing then the Volkswagen ID.Buzz is a winner.

It’s a car that not only makes the driver smile but those who see it whir past.

That it’s impressively fun to drive brings something fresh to the people mover category. And as a five-seater it’s seriously spacious.

But the hefty price tag detracts from the appeal of the ID.Buzz.

If it was dripping in luxury you could possibly excuse the near-six-figure ask, but as it is it’s difficult to ignore.

Score: 3.5/5

2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz specifications

Price: $87,990 plus on-road costs
Basics: EV, 5 seats, 5 doors, people mover, RWD
Range: 422km
Battery capacity: 84kWh
Battery warranty: 5 years/160,000km
Energy consumption: About 21kWh/100km (as tested)
Motors: 1 rear 210kW/560Nm
AC charging: 11kW, Type 2 plug
DC charging: 185kW, CCS combo plug
0-100km/h: 7.6 seconds