The new Volkswagen ID. Buzz GTX has been detailed before it arrives in Ireland at the end of 2024. Although the GTX badge denotes the most sporting version in the line-up - and it certainly is the fastest and most powerful ID. Buzz - it also marks the arrival of a longer-wheelbase variant of the electric people carrier with up to seven seats.
Five, six or seven seats, actually
In fact, the ID. Buzz GTX can be had with a choice of five, six or seven seats, depending on the buyer's preference. That also depends on which body, of course, as only the extended-wheelbase car can be fitted with seven seats - though that can be paired with five- or six-seat layouts, too. Meanwhile, choose a GTX on the standard wheelbase and there's the option to add a third row for the first time, though that curiously means losing one of the second-row seats, so its maximum seating capacity is six. The seats in the second row on all cars slide forward and back and there are up to five ISOFIX child seat mounting locations (one in the front passenger seat, two in the rearmost seats and two in the middle row).
A new glass roof is offered with 'smart' glass. This uses Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal tech to allow occupants to switch it from transparent to opaque at the touch of a slider.
Boot space in all versions can be summed up as 'commodious'. The minimum volume quoted is that for the seven-seat (i.e. long-wheelbase) car with all seats in use, at 306 litres. Fold the rearmost row and that space expands to a massive 1,340 litres. The standard-length model isn't far behind at 1,121 litres. Buyers can add one of two 'Multiflex' boards to create a second loading level in the boot.
Two batteries, four-wheel drive
The ID. Buzz GTX uses two electric motors for '4Motion' all-wheel drive. Peak power is quoted as 340hp and though the maximum torque figure has yet to be released, it's expected to be north of 600Nm, as the rear motor alone produces up to 560Nm. Volkswagen is predicting a 0-100km/h time of about 6.5 seconds.
That torque will come in handy for towing, and Volkswagen is clearly keen to promote that side of the ID. Buzz GTX. Thanks to its new powertrain, it can officially tow up to 1,800kg of braked trailer, though the longer car's limit is 200kg lower.
Although Volkswagen has released information on the battery packs used, an official range figure has yet to be confirmed. The standard-wheelbase model features a 79kWh pack (that's the usable energy capacity), chargeable at up to 185kW at suitable DC chargers. The longer car has an 86kWh battery but can potentially charge as quickly from a DC source thanks to its higher maximum charging speed of up to 200kW. A battery pre-conditioning system is included to speed up charging.
Advent of new technology
The ID. Buzz GTX debuts Volkswagen's latest technology enhancements for the model, including much-improved infotainment software, plus a larger touchscreen (now 12.9 inches across the diagonal), backlighting for the slider controls and a head-up display. Not so obvious at first are other new features including Park Assist Plus, which adds remote parking functionality, and the enhanced Travel Assist suite of driver-assistance tech - incorporating Lane Assist, adaptive cruise control and Emergency Assist. Volkswagen has also ported over its IDA voice control system to the ID. Buzz GTX, including the ChatGPT integration.
Availability of all variants of the ID. Buzz GTX has yet to be confirmed for the Irish market, and pricing has yet to be announced, but it is anticipated to land in time for the "251" registration period at the start of 2025.