Land Rover Defender vs Volkswagen ID. Buzz

What's the difference?

The Land Rover Defender 130 P500 V8 is big, roomy and great to drive. It’s supremely plush without sacrificing practicality and if you’re in the market for a spacious, comfortable and refined package and aren’t afraid to open your wallet, then this long Landie is well worth your consideration.

Do you need the V8? Of course you don’t – and the diesel variants make a lot more sense anyway in terms of day-to-day fuel efficiency – but, geez, it's a lot of fun to drive.

The only way to make this car cooler would be to add a split fold-out windscreen and a tube steel luggage rack on the roof.

It’s fast, super practical, comfortable and guaranteed to put a smile on the face of premium family buyers ready to go for something different. And that smile will extend to just about everyone who lays eyes on it. I love it.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

The Defender 130 measures 1970mm high, 5358mm long (including rear-mounted spare wheel; 5099mm without), and 2105mm wide (with the wing mirrors out). It has a 3022mm wheelbase and a listed kerb weight of 2745kg (unladen).

It is big, but really it’s no more intimidating to drive than a Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series or Nissan Patrol.

Upper large SUVs have a Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries-defined footprint bigger than 9801mm – think 300 Series LandCruiser (close to 5.0m long), Hyundai Palisade (almost 5.0m long) and Nissan Patrol (almost 5.2m long).

In terms of styling, the 130 strikes an effective balance between the distinctive shape and spirit of the old-school Defender with the new-generation’s pomp and presence – and the striking Carpathian Grey paint on this variant complements that blend.

The current-generation Defender is no city-soft shadow of its former adventure-tackling self that Landie lovers everywhere feared it might be. But it’s modern and sleek enough to put the minds of urban dwellers/weekend warriors at ease.

The ID.Buzz GTX is characterised by a unique front bumper with new integrated daytime running lights near its outer edges and a narrower black honeycomb grille. 

GTX badging and the exterior mirror housings are finished in high-gloss black, and 21-inch alloy wheels are standard.

The rich ‘Cherry Red’ solid paint finish of the launch test car is exclusive to the GTX and it’s a fair bet many buyers will stump up the extra $4K required for a two-tone treatment, in this case with ‘Mono Silver’ as the highlight colour.

The interior is familiar ID.Buzz territory, with the long, broad dashtop pushing the windscreen and small front windows beside it into a quintessentially Kombi ‘bay window’-style design.

A 12-inch central multimedia screen sits proud of the multi-layered dash, and a slick 5.3-inch LCD instrument and car data display is fixed in front of the driver.

A black headliner dials up the sporty feel, the electric front seats are a GTX-specific design and the synthetic diamond pattern microfleece trim is highlighted by red contrast stitching and piping. 

The red cross-stitching extends to the steering wheel and smile-inducing stainless steel ‘play’ and ‘pause’ symbols on the accelerator and brake pedals are retained.

The sub-zero cool exterior design manages to merge with a more restrained and practical interior perfectly. VW has solid retro form with the ‘New Beetle’ from the 1990s and this primo ID.Buzz looks amazing. It drew an instant crowd of curious onlookers every time we stopped. 

The Defender 130 is well-suited to people-carrying duties thanks to its three-row seating.

And don’t forget this test vehicle has (optional) Captain Chairs in the second row. 

The cabin has a distinctive premium look and feel about it, without sacrificing anything in terms of just how practical it all is. It’s a pleasant mix of durable materials – carpet mats and soft-touch surfaces – and stylish touches, such as a metal Defender-stamped section in front of the front passenger. 

Layout is user-friendly and this is an easy cabin in which to swiftly become comfortable as all controls easy to locate and operate even when busy negotiating with your teenagers who gets what song next.

Storage spaces include a deep centre console, glove box, twin cupholders between driver and passenger, sunglass storage, door pockets and shallow spaces positioned about the cabin for your everyday carry gear.

Charge points include USB-Cs up front and a wireless device charging tray.

The driver and front passenger get ample room and plenty of amenities and those behind them also fare well with adequate room for everyone – even those in the third row. 

All seats are comfortable and the front seats are 14-way power-adjustable with heating, cooling and memory.

The second row – two outboard Captain Chairs in this test vehicle – have a headrest and armrests for both passengers.

The third-row seats are heated and configured in a 40/20/40 pattern.

The rear cargo area is small in this seven-seater, although it offers a listed 389 litres with all three rows up and in use. That area has a sliding cover (which conceals your valuables from the prying eyes of nefarious types), cargo-restraint points, power sockets and a shallow underfloor storage space.

With the third row folded down, there is a listed 1232 litres of space. The maximum loadspace volume behind the front row is a listed 2231 litres.

There is a lot more to admire inside this Defender’s cabin for those who love the interiors of plush SUVs, but rather than spending my time stroking leather accents, going ‘ohhhh-ahhhh’ over a sunroof or reflecting on the butt-warming benefits of a heated seat, I like to actually drive. 

So I did. A lot.

The ID.Buzz GTX is offered in shorter wheelbase variants with five- and six-seat configurations for other markets, but here it’s seven seats and long-wheelbase only.

At close to five metres long and just under two metres wide, it’s road-trip ready with heaps of breathing room for all seven occupants.

Placement of the gearshift on the right-hand side of the steering column frees up extra space in the front and there’s heaps of storage including a moveable (and removable) centre console unit between the front seats with pull-out drawers at either end, two trays in each door (the lower one offering room for multiple large bottles), a decent glove box and a fold-out dual cupholder unit.

There’s also an oddments shelf in front of the passenger, a wireless device charging slot in the dash and adjustable fold-down armrests on both sides of the front seats.

Pull the handle on the power-opening sliding side doors and the second row opens up with three seating positions offering hectares of room in all directions. 

This row can be moved 200mm longitudinally if a turf war erupts with those in the third row. And storage is great with two pockets and a fold out table on each front seatback as well as huge door bins with waste baskets included. There are also adjustable vents with temperature control in the roof.

There’s enough head and legroom for adults in the third row although the backrest is relatively upright. Even access is straightforward and there are numerous storage trays, cupholders, air vents and storage slots back there.

Power across the cabin runs to two USB-C ports in the dash, another in the front passenger area and four USB-C charging sockets in the rear.

Boot space increases from a handy 306 litres with all seats up to 1340 litres with the 50/50 split-folding third row down, and 2469L with it and the 60/40 split second row lowered. That’s plenty.

And that 1.6-tonne braked trailer towing capacity means a jet ski, even a mid-size camper trailer, is within hauling range.

The power tailgate is welcome and the rear of the boot’s load platform sits above two storage boxes. But you won’t find a spare of any description back there; a repair-inflator kit is your only option. So beware, a flat could really suck the air out of this mobile family room.

The new ID.Buzz GTX 4Motion is priced at $109,990, before on-road costs, which puts it in the same price zone as a diverse range of large, primo people haulers.

On price, it competes with three-row EVs like the Kia EV9, LDV Mifa 9, and if you stretch the price equation a little further, the Zeekr 009. But in terms of style and personality, this machine lives in a world of its own.

Maybe its VW California Beach sibling comes closest, however that van’s traditional turbo-diesel powertrain stands in stark contrast to the ID.Buzz’s pure-electric vibe.

Once you’ve crested the $100K mark, it’s fair to expect a healthy list of included features and the ID.Buzz GTX doesn’t disappoint.

Aside from the performance and safety tech we’ll get to shortly, the highlights include adaptive cruise control, auto LED matrix headlights, 13-speaker (plus sub-woofer) Harman Kardon audio with digital radio, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, three-zone climate control, a panoramic (dimmable) glass roof, 30-colour ambient lighting, power-adjustable heated front seats, heated (outer) rear seats and 21-inch alloy rims. 

There’s also a head-up display, a heated steering wheel, rain-sensing wipers, microfleece seat trim, keyless entry and start, electric side doors and tailgate (the latter with hands-free functionality), ‘Ask IDA’ voice control and dark tinted windows.

That’s a strong, class-competitive value equation. Metallic or pearl effect paint will set you back $1890, the two-tone treatment is $4090 and black 21-inch alloys add $380.

The Land Rover Defender 130 P500 V8 has a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 petrol engine (producing 368kW at 6000-6500rpm and 610Nm at 2500-5000rpm), an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive system.

This is a very effective and fun combination of gutsy V8 and clever auto.

The Defender has permanent all-wheel drive and a dual-range transfer case with high- and low-range 4WD.

It also has Terrain Response 2, an off-road-focussed driver-assist system, which will make any off-roading newbie look and, more importantly, feel like a dirt-track driving champion.

The system includes switchable modes - 'Grass/Gravel/Snow', 'Sand', 'Mud and Ruts' and 'Rock Crawl'. 

This tech optimises throttle response, engine outputs, transmission shifts and diff control to best suit the terrain. It also has centre and rear diff locks.

The GTX is a twin-motor AWD, the front unit generating 80kW/134Nm and the rear 210kW/560Nm. Total output is 250kW/590Nm which boosts towing capacity from 1.0-tonne in the single-motor ID.Buzz to 1600kg.

A single-speed transmission sends drive primarily to the rear wheels to maximise efficiency, the dual-motor set-up able to direct power to the front axle as required during acceleration or to manage available traction.

Fuel consumption is listed as 12.7L/100km and that's on a combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle. On this test I recorded 14.9L/100km.

The Land Rover Defender 130 P500 V8 has an 90-litre fuel tank so, going by my on-test fuel figure, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 604km from a full tank. 

Fuel requirement is 95 RON premium unleaded. 

The ID.Buzz GTX’s 86kWh lithium-ion battery delivers a claimed (WLTP) range of 473km and the car uses a CCS Type 3 socket. VW includes a Mode 2 and Mode 3 cable as standard.

The claimed 10-80 per cent 200kW DC fast charge time is 26 minutes, while the same top-up takes nine hours at a maximum 11.0kW AC capacity.

Claimed energy consumption on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle is 20.2kWh/100km (WLTP) and over several hundred kilometres of mainly B-road and freeway running on the launch we saw an average of 24.5kWh/100km, which isn’t out of order given the type of driving involved.

What's it like to drive? It’s bloody great.

This is a big vehicle – have I mentioned that already? – but powered by this V8 the Defender 130 punches along with nary a care in the world. 

Throttle response is crisp, and the 5.0-litre supercharged petrol’s 368kW and 610Nm are always readily available for a snap-punch standing-start, or to smoothly and safely overtake other vehicles on the open road.

This Defender has an official 0-100km/h sprint time of 5.7 seconds and a listed maximum speed of 240km/h!

By the way, it doesn’t hurt that the V8’s growl is piped through quad outboard mounted exhausts.

The eight-speed automatic transmission is supremely clever but the shifter’s stubby size and awkward location (under the multimedia system’s touchscreen) is annoying.

Otherwise, this V8 130 is smooth and refined, with tremendous road-holding abilities despite a Landie legacy of past-generation Defenders being about as composed as dodgy tractors.

What’s more, comfort levels are exceptional in a vehicle model once considered a form of punishment in which to travel.

Steering has a well-weighted driver-friendly feel to it and this upper large SUV never feels too cumbersome to navigate through even busy city streets, even though it has a turning circle of 12.8m.

Some body roll creeps in every now and again – especially when you become energetic throwing this giant around corners, etc – but otherwise this big bulky vehicle is well controlled and comfortable.

The air suspension negates the majority of thumps and bumps you might be expecting to get from a vehicle riding on 22-inch wheels and low-profile tyres over irregular road surfaces.

Our test vehicle was on 22-inch rims and 275/45 R22 Continental CrossContact RX “SUV performance” tyres, which are fine for driving on sealed surfaces, but if you’re looking to do any off-roading in this Defender get a set of more appropriate all-terrains.

I wasn’t driving the 130 to test its 4WDing prowess this time, but it’s still worth noting the Defender’s off-road measurements include 293mm of ground clearance (with air suspension), a wading depth of 900mm, and approach, departure and ramp-over angles of 37.5, 25.8 and 27.9 degrees, respectively.

This Defender 130 has a gross vehicle mass (GVM) of 3380kg and a gross combined mass (GCM) of 6380kg.

It has an unbraked towing capacity of 750kg, and braked towing capacity of 3000kg (with maximum 300kg on the towball), which is somewhat of a disappointment and sub-par for the upper large SUV segment.

Despite the fact that it weighs in at around 2.8 tonnes (2780kg), Volkswagen Australia says this dual-motor ID.Buzz accelerates from 0-100km/h in 6.4 seconds and on to a 160km/h maximum velocity, if you dare. 

And there is always some serious oomph lurking under your right foot. Trundle along at 65km/h, pin the accelerator, and in roughly two blinks of an eye you’re doing 95km/h. 

Proportionally, this car is like a loaf of bread on wheels - about as high as it is wide. And on the windy launch drive we were buffeted a bit, the car moving sideways slightly when hit with a gust. But overall, it remains stable despite its proportions. That said, some wind noise comes over the bluff nose on the freeway, but never to an alarming degree. 

The ID. Buzz rides on VW’s Modular Electric Drive (MEB) platform and there’s been past criticism of the short-wheelbase versions' ride quality, but there are no such issues here.

Suspension is by struts at the front and semi-trailing arms at the rear and this GTX has had a suspension retune with particular attention paid to key components, including the dampers.

On rural roads that have seen better days, dotted with potholes, bumps and thumps, a combination of that suspension retune and the longer wheelbase helped the GTX handle it well. 

There are five drive modes with Comfort the default. Eco smooths out acceleration, tapers the climate control and reduces overall power, while Sport dials up the powertrain, suspension and steering. Traction optimises the AWD system for loose or slippery surfaces and Individual allows you to cherry pick various attributes for a custom set-up.

Steering is progressive rate and you can feel it loading up nicely as you head into a corner. Not the last word in terms of road feel, but the car points accurately and turn-in is nice and progressive.

At the same time you’ve got the electric motors constantly shuffling drive between the front and rear axles, helping you out if you decide to explore the car’s sporty nature and have a crack in the corners.

Tyres are Hankook Ventus S1 Evo3 EV specials (235/45 fr - 265/40 rr) and in long, sweeping bends, taken at pretty decent speed, they grip hard. Even on coarse-chip B-road surfaces there’s a bit of rumble but it’s far from a roar.

Braking is by large (358mm) ventilated discs in the front and, believe it or not, drums at the back. A well-designed, modern drum brake can work effectively and the regenerative braking in an EV like this is a big factor in terms of washing off speed.

In terms of lower speed manoeuvres, you’ve got a 360-degree camera view as well as a reversing camera and front and rear parking sensors. If you really need some help, Park Assist Plus will get the job done for you.

In terms of ergonomics, we spent hours behind the wheel and the front seats remained comfortable and supportive in terms of lateral grip.

Speaking of grip, the steering wheel is nice to hold. And the cool little 5.3-inch instrument and car data display is clear as a bell, and the large 12-inch media screen is easy to use and working through the different screens is largely intuitive.

The current ID. Buzz range hasn’t been assessed by ANCAP although its sister organisation, Euro NCAP, awarded it a maximum five-star rating in 2022.

As you’d expect, a full suite of driver-assistance tech is onboard including highway-speed AEB with pedestrian and cyclist monitoring, adaptive cruise, lane-keeping assist, lane-change assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, driver fatigue monitoring and tyre pressure monitoring.  

There’s also a 360-degree view and reversing camera, plus Park Distance Control incorporating front and rear proximity sensors.

The airbag count runs to seven - front, front side, curtains covering the second and third rows, as well as a front centre bag. And multi-collision brake minimises the chances of subsequent impacts after an initial crash

There are five top tethers for child restraints; three across the second row and two in the back row, with four ISOFIX anchors across both rows.

The Defender has a five year/unlimited km warranty with five years of roadside assistance included.

The vehicle will let you know when it needs to be serviced – isn’t it bloody clever? – and prepaid service plans are set for five years/130,000km (maximum km) at a total cost of $3750.

The ID.Buzz GTX is covered by Volkswagen Australia’s five-year/unlimited-km warranty with two years’ roadside assistance included. On top of that, there’s an eight-year/160,000km warranty on the drive battery.

That general warranty is in line with the mainstream market, although it’s worth noting an increasing number are stepping up to longer terms, including 10 years.  

There’s a 12-year corrosion perforation warranty and keep servicing with an authorised VW dealer and that roadside assistance support will be rolled over for another two years each time.

The recommended maintenance interval is two years/30,000km. Standard scheduled service pricing is $687 for each of the first five workshop visits, while pre-paid plans covering six, eight or 10 years represent savings of between 30 and 35 per cent on that figure, which is pretty handy.