The electric Kombi has arrived! 2023 Volkswagen ID Buzz people mover and van revealed with retro exterior design but new zero-emissions power

Volkswagen has brought the Kombi back to life with the reveal of the ID Buzz, a new all-electric model that’s available as a people mover or a van, with the latter dubbed Cargo.

The ID Buzz has been a long time coming, having been teased in concept form all the way back in January 2017, and thankfully for fans, not a lot has been in the transition to series production.

That means the ID Buzz channels the iconic Kombi of yesteryear with its distinctive exterior design, which is also heavily linked to other members of Volkswagen’s emerging ID family, including the ID.3 small hatchback and ID.4 mid-size SUV.

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It’s inside, though, where the influence of the ID Buzz’s is most apparent, as evidenced by the shared touch-sensitive steering wheel, small digital instrument cluster and ‘floating’ touchscreen multimedia system. It’s also free of any genuine leather.

Riding on Volkswagen’s proliferating MEB platform, the ID Buzz uses a 150kW rear-mounted electric motor and an 82kWh lithium-ion battery (77kWh usable).

Charging-wise, 11kW AC charging with a Type 2 plug is supported alongside 170kW DC fast charging with a Type 2 CCS port The latter can increase battery capacity for five to 80 per cent in about 30 minutes. Bi-directional charging (V2L) is also on hand.

Of note, the people mover is available with five seats across two rows, with its boot offering 1121L of cargo capacity, although it can expand to 2205L with the rear bench stowed.

The Cargo offers two or three seats in the first row, with a fixed partition behind it separating the cabin from the load area, which has a volume of 3.9 cubic-metres – enough space for two transversally loaded euro pallets.

For reference, both the people mover and Cargo measure 4712mm long (with a 2988mm wheelbase), 1985mm wide and 1937-1938mm tall. Their turning circle is 11.1m.

Deliveries of the ID Buzz will begin in some European markets in late 2022, but would-be Australian buyers shouldn’t hold their breath as it’s yet to be locked in for a local launch.

As reported, Volkswagen Australia is hoping to introduce its first ID model/s in 2023, with the aforementioned ID.3 and ID.4 all but confirmed to be the first cabs off the rank. Stay tuned.