VOLKSWAGEN Group Australia (VGA) has given native media its first take a look at the ID.Buzz and ID.Buzz Cargo electrical van vary this month, the duo slated for arrival in Australian showrooms from mid-2024.
Promising segment-defying flexibility, the retro-inspired Volkswagen ID.Buzz individuals mover and ID.Buzz Cargo mild business van ship not solely enviable specs from their all-electric driveline, however class-leading versatility derived from VW’s adaptable MEB structure.
In addition to forming the premise for a variety of passenger automobiles and SUVs, the Modularer E-Antriebs-Baukasten (or Modular Electrical-drive Toolkit) supplies the ID.Buzz vary with a low, flat flooring and versatile cabin structure that makes it appropriate to all kinds of makes use of.
“It’s a compact measurement that provides optimum house utilisation,” defined VGA business autos nationwide advertising supervisor Nathan Johnson.
“One of many issues we observed once we first noticed the automotive is that the photographs simply don’t do it justice. It’s very onerous to guage the sense of measurement of the automotive. However it’s really fairly a giant automobile – between the dimensions of a Caddy and a Transporter – that has a very nice stance, and a wheelbase that’s longer than anticipated due to the MEB platform.
“Inside, the automobile is once more bigger than you count on. Regardless of its extra compact exterior dimensions, there actually is quite a lot of house inside, and that’s clearly a advantage of MEB once more.”
Mr Johnson mentioned that though specs for domestically delivered ID.Buzz and ID.Buzz Cargo fashions had been nonetheless being confirmed, the right-hand drive examples proven on the Sydney debut of the vary had been consultant of what’s prone to seem in Australian showrooms from the center of 2024.
For the commercial-focused ID.Buzz Cargo SWB, a everlasting magnet synchronous electrical motor outputting 150kW and 310Nm drives the rear wheels through a single-speed transmission.
The motor is equipped by a 77kWh lithium-ion battery that gives a driving vary of between 394 and 425km and a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 10.2 seconds en path to a high velocity of 145km/h.
Charging through an 11kW AC charger takes roughly 7.5 hours whereas a 5 to 80 per cent cost at a 170kW DC charger takes as little as half-hour.
As offered, the ID.Buzz Cargo SWB is completed in Sweet White with Titanium Black upholstery, a three-seat cabin, 20-inch alloy wheels and Continental Airstop tyres, disc entrance/drum rear braking, and LED lighting entrance and rear – together with IQ.Mild LED Matrix headlights.
Dimensionally, the business variant can transport two European pallets within the rear with 1732mm between the cargo partitions and 1230mm between the rear wheel arches. The load sill sits 623mm from the bottom whereas floor clearance is listed at a beneficiant 159mm. The rear aperture is listed at 1257mm whereas the opening width is both 2208mm or 2232mm relying on whether or not a tailgate or barn doorways are optioned.
The interior load flooring measures 4837mm in size and is accessed by twin aspect sliding doorways. VW lists the carrying capability of the van at 3.9 cubic metres.
On the security entrance, the ID.Buzz Cargo is supplied with a tyre strain monitoring system, ABS, AEB with pedestrian and bicycle owner monitoring; lane-keep help and emergency help; a multi-function digicam; entrance, aspect and lane change help; entrance, aspect and curtain airbags; driver alert system, reversing alert, three-point seatbelts, and adaptive cruise management with stop-and-go performance.
A velocity limiter perform, dynamic street signal show, automated headlights with excessive beam help, entrance and rear parking sensors and dynamic cornering lights are additionally provided as commonplace.
In the meantime, cabin gear consists of 4 USB-C charging ports, a 230V/300W energy outlet, keyless entry, single-zone local weather management, rain-sensing wipers, and a two-speaker audio system which features a 10.0-inch show, DAB+ digital radio reception, wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, plus an inductive charging function.
Along with the ID.Buzz and ID.Buzz Cargo, thus far the MEB structure varieties the underpinnings of a number of VW Group fashions, together with the Audi This fall e-Tron (and Sportback by-product), Audi Q5 e-Tron, Cupra Born, Skoda Enyaq (and coupe by-product), in addition to the Volkswagen ID.3, ID.4, ID.5 and ID.6.
However it’s arguably the Kind 2-inspired ID.Buzz five-seat “bus” that’s prone to flip essentially the most heads in Australia, particularly with Kombi-obsessed locals hoping to drive down their CO2 emissions.
Using on an an identical 2288mm wheelbase to its Cargo sibling, the mannequin is equally sized at 4712mm lengthy, 1985mm extensive and 1937mm excessive. It additionally provides the identical driveline specs, output, acceleration and altering instances of the business mannequin.
Completed in Sweet White over Bay Leaf Inexperienced metallic paint, and with an identical Jade Inexperienced-Mistral inside, the ID.Buzz on present added mounted rear home windows, 21-inch alloys shod with Hankook rubber, a parking assistant with reminiscence function, three entrance USB-C ports and two within the rear, a nine-speaker sound system, and bigger 12.0-inch central touchscreen over these options listed for the ID.Buzz Cargo.
The passenger-oriented mannequin additionally comes with a 60:40 cut up folding rear bench, multi-flex cargo board with two folding storage containers, entrance seat armrests, energy adjustable entrance seats with adjustable lumbar help, carpeted flooring, a baggage compartment cowl, dual-zone local weather management and 30-colour LED ambient lighting package deal.
Volkswagen is ready to additional broaden the ID.Buzz line-up by 2024 with a long-wheelbase and seven-seat passenger variant, in addition to a sporty variant to be dubbed the GTX.
“We see that the ID.Buzz and ID.Buzz Cargo have enormous alternative right here, and one we’re ready to leverage the minute we get confirmed as a market,” mentioned Mr Johnson.
“We’re additionally prepared to maneuver on providing conversions … We don’t need to simply provide a plain white van to each single buyer that walks into our dealerships. We actually promote constructing and providing options that we are able to provide from our native sellers and that meet the necessities of our native market.
“And shortly, we’ll have an extended wheelbase seven-seater, obtainable internationally from the tip of subsequent 12 months, in addition to larger battery choices and all-wheel drive variants, which will probably be key for Australia, and clearly the efficiency focussed GTX ID.Buzz as effectively.
“We’re sure the longer term is vivid and we’re going to take as a lot as we are able to out of those product choices as quickly as they develop into obtainable.”
