Volkswagen ID Buzz Reviews

Volkswagen has upgraded its pure-electric ID. Buzz people mover and light commercial van line-up for the 2027 model year.Arriving in the fourth quarter of this year, the range will feature a new Pro+ model, extra standard equipment, more options and an additional colour choice, all with no change to pricing for the entry grades.The entry-level, single-motor ID. Buzz Pro has picked up a heap of new equipment including an under-chassis stone guard, bi-directional charging, updated driver attention monitoring, a predictive speed limiter, ‘driving experience selection’ (allows switching between drive modes) and Dynamic Road Sign Display.There’s even a dual-tone horn and the new colour option is a white/red two-tone finish.Price for the five-seat short-wheelbase version stays at $75,990, before on-road costs, with the long-wheelbase seven seater at $80,990. There’s also a new Infotainment package option which includes built-in navigation.The new Pro+ variant pulls together the most popular options applied to the base Pro and packages them into a stand-alone model positioned at what VW positions as “a more attractive price.”It brings all the equipment added to the Pro, plus 20-inch alloy wheels (up from 19s), Park Assist (with memory) and built-in navigation. This grade’s Infotainment package option features high-end Harman Kardon audio and a head-up display with the price stepping up to $84,990, BOC, for the SWB five-seater and $89,990 for the seven-seat LWB version.At the top of the ID. Buzz pyramid, the dual-motor, all-wheel drive, seven-seat LWB-only GTX adds Park Assist (with memory) and built-in navigation to its included features list, only this time around the price increases by $2.0K to $106,990, BOC.And VW hasn’t forgotten the tradies with the ID. Buzz Cargo SWB three-seater picking up the Pro’s new standard inclusions as well as wireless phone charging, and built-in nav with no change to the $69,990 MSRP.

It feels like everyone has a VW bus story. Someone’s sister converted their Multivan into a home-away-from-home, Uncle Ern had a pop-top kombi and Macca at the pub has had his since 1982.Which is no surprise because many peoples’ favourite VW has been around, in one form or another, for over 75 years. And this limited ‘Edition’ package has been applied to the most recent, seventh-generation version of the Multivan.Exactly 300 will be available, each costing $79,990, before on-road costs, or $82,990, drive-away as an introductory offer.That price puts it between the short- and long-wheelbase Multivan Life ($77,990 and $80,290 MSRP, respectively) and adds additional standard fruit including a black roof and gloss black 18-inch alloy wheels, LED matrix headlights (with dynamic cornering function), darkened (LED) tail-lights, dual-tone synthetic velour and synthetic leather seat trim, heated front seats and the Digital Cockpit Pro instrument display.There’s also puddle lamps, ‘easy open and close’ power sliding doors and tailgate, built-in nav, a 360-degree camera view and a sliding multi-function table.Put the Multivan Edition next to rivals like the Ford Tourneo Titanium ($74,590), Hyundai Staria HEV Lounge ($73,740), Kia Carnival GT-Line HEV ($76,840) and Mercedes-Benz Vito Tourer ($89,672), all before on-road costs, and the VW puts up a compelling value-for-money pitch.There are two colours, Pure Grey and Candy White, both with a Deep Black Pearlescent roof and door mirror combination and aside from Edition graphics this limited edition’s fundamental design is unchanged.It’s kind of like an expanded Golf with head- and tail-light treatments in particular clearly connecting it to the current VW family.The Multivan’s close to 5.0m length, near 2.0m width, 1.9 metre height and lengthy 3124mm wheelbase provide a comfortable interior for seven (an eight-seat Life is available). And while the interior has that typical VW look of teutonic efficiency it also feels welcoming thanks in no small part to the synthetic microfibre and synthetic leather seat trim. I’m guessing Shaquille O'Neal would have enough headroom in the Multivan, because at a lowly 183cm tall I had what felt like metres between my scone and the headliner.And it’s the interior layout’s incredible flexibility that makes this VW such a practical multi-passenger proposition.There’s a flat, walk-through floor and we’d need a separate website to detail all the available seating and storage combinations but suffice it to say rails running the length of the Multivan’s floor allow the seats to move easily so they can be adjusted to best accommodate the passengers onboard.With the driver’s and second-row captain’s chair seats set to my position I still have enough space in the third row, although toe room under the seat in front is a little tight. Up to teenage kids will be more than comfortable back there.Storage is everywhere including cupholders, bins and flip-up tray tables but the highlight in the Edition is its sliding multi-function table which can serve as a front centre console but has the ability to slip backwards, rise in height and sprout large tabletop surfaces for the second row. There’s Qi-compatible wireless phone charging up front as well as six USB-C ports and three 12-volt sockets spread across the interior and cargo area which is more than enough to keep everyone happy with fully charged devices. With all seats upright there’s 469 litres (VDA) of luggage space, expanding to 1316L with the third-row folded and a van-like 3672L with the second and third rows removed. The seats are lightweight and slide easily so removing them isn’t as hard as you might think. Maximum braked trailer towing capacity is a useful 2.0 tonnes. A 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine sends 110kW/310Nm to the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch auto transmission with the current Multivan riding on VW’s MQB Evo platform which also underpins the Golf and Tiguan.And the Edition feels far more car-like than any of its predecessors. Don’t get me wrong, this is a boxy bus but the way it drives, rides and steers is exceptional.The engine feels responsive and strong, picking up acceleration quickly without a hint of turbo hesitation and works hand-in-glove with the super-smooth auto. The front seats are comfy, ride quality is terrific for this class of car, freeway cruising is effortless and road feel from the steering is good. Even winding B-roads didn’t unduly upset the Multivan’s handling or stopping power.Unsurprisingly, wind noise starts to make its presence felt around the A-pillars and exterior mirrors at around 100km/h, but never to an alarming degree. The Multivan scores a maximum five-star ANCAP assessment to the latest protocols with seven airbags (including a front centre bag) and the Edition boasts a laundry list of ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems) crash avoidance tech, the highlights being AEB (auto emergency braking) Park Assist (with front and rear proximity sensors), adaptive cruise, lane keeping, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.There are child seat top tethers on the second row captain’s chairs and across the third row, with ISOFIX anchors on all of those except the centre rear position.  The official fuel economy figure for the Multivan on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle is 6.2L/100km which puts it ahead of all key competitors and translates to a theoretical range of around 1160km. On the roughly 350km launch drive program which took in urban, B-road and freeway running we saw an average of 7.3L/100km, which would translate to a real-world range of around 950km. Not too shabby for a roughly 2.0-tonne bus.The Multivan is covered by Volkswagen’s five year/unlimited kilometre warranty which is now being overshadowed in the mainstream market with many brands at seven-, eight- and 10-year terms. Roadside assist is included for the first year.Servicing is recommended every 15,000km or 12 months with fixed price and pay-as-you go plans available. You’re looking at an average of around $650 per workshop visit over the first five years. Not the cheapest but not outrageous.Volkswagen operates a network of around 180 dealers and service centres across the country.

A new luxury-pitched ute is about to hit Aussie showrooms. The Volkswagen Amarok W600 is a dual-cab ute that will arrive in showrooms next month, with deliveries beginning in September.The Amarok W600 will start from $91,990, before on-road costs, which is more than $9000 extra compared to the previous range-topping variant and nearly $20,000 more than the base car. It is also $1300 more than the off-road-focused Ford Ranger Raptor performance ute.The W600 is Volkswagen’s new flagship ute developed in collaboration with prominent Australian performance company Walkinshaw, which was known for tuning fast Holdens.It gets versatile Kona suspension that adjusts the dampers based on road vibrations as well as a newly-developed 22mm rear anti-roll bar. It rides on 20-inch alloy wheels fitted with specialist Michelin sports tyres to compliment enhanced steering response and cornering stability. There is a different front grille and light bar design, along with electrically deployable side steps and dual side exhausts. The Amarok shares many of its underpinnings with the Ranger, including the T6 ladder-frame chassis, 3.0-litre turbo-diesel 184kW/600Nm V6 engine, and 10-speed automatic transmission. It can tow up to 3500kg and carry up to 954kg.The car's interior features heated and electrically adjustable front seats, with all seats covered in Savona leather, along with a premium Harmon Kardon audio system.  It offers plenty of safety technology such as adaptive cruise control, trailer assist and a 360-degree camera.  Volkswagen recently dropped its four-cylinder diesel engines for the Amarok to focus on V6 units instead.The Amarok battles in the high-competitive ute segment, where it seeks to make up ground on four-cylinder rivals the Kia Tasman and Nissan Navara. 

If you can’t beat them, join them. Volkswagen has long resisted the urge to add conventional, Toyota-style hybrid power to its cars, but not anymore.The German maker is rapidly expanding its petrol-electric range, diversifying from the petrol, plug-in hybrid and fully-electric options currently available.Now it has revealed European prices for the VW Golf hatchback and T-Roc SUV hybrids, which would rival the popular Toyota Corolla and Corolla Cross.Prices start at €41,400 ($67,000) for the Golf and €44,470 ($72,000) for the T-Roc. Both models are only available in the top-spec R-Line specification, and represent about a €4000 ($6500) premium over the petrol models.Petrol R-Line versions cost about $50,000 before on-road costs in Australia, so a hybrid version could cost about $60,000 on the road in Australia. That would put it about $20,000 more than the cheapest equivalent Toyota hybrids.Volkswagen Australia has previously been unable to confirm if the hybrid Golf and T-Roc will arrive in Australia, but the company said it is always evaluating opportunities for our market.The hybrid Golf and T-Roc combine a tried-and-tested 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine, two electric motors and a 1.6kWh battery.VW claims this set-up produces 125kW/309Nm, a jump of 15kW/59kW over the petrol Golf’s 110kW/250Nm max outputs.It also uses about 4.6-litres per 100km of fuel, which is slightly more than Toyota's claim.Hybrid options are becoming increasingly important to brands in Australia as purely petrol powered vehicles are starting to fall foul of Australia’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES).The NVES levels fines against carmakers for every gram of CO2 a sold vehicle emits over a certain threshold. This threshold gets lower every year until 2030.The fines can be offset by sales of EVs and plug-in hybrids.Purely petrol cars will soon become prohibitively expensive, with hybrids also attracting moderate fines in the coming years.The NVES is also putting Australia at the front of the queue for international brands to get low emissions or electric vehicles.Volkswagen Australia for years struggled to get its electric cars sold in Europe and other parts of the world, as our market wasn’t considered an emissions critical one that needed these vehicles. This is no longer the case.All this works in favour of Volkswagen bringing its latest hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles here.

A new report has shed light on which electric vehicles (EVs) maintain the highest percentage of battery life over time.Swedish car marketplace Carla has published results from a study into battery life of electric cars, using data from 10,000 battery tests on EVs in Sweden between 2022 and 2026.The results may come as a surprise to some, with the best brand for battery health after 10,000km travelled being Kia, and the second best being Hyundai with 96.8 per cent and 95.4 per cent battery health, respectively.The next brands down were premium marques Mercedes-Benz (95 per cent) and BMW (94.5 per cent), with Ford (94.3 per cent) sitting above Geely Group brands Volvo (94.2 per cent) and Polestar (93.7 per cent).Volkswagen Group vehicles took up the next four positions, which in order included Audi (92.9 per cent), Skoda (92.6 per cent), VW (92.4 per cent) and Porsche (90.9 per cent).Tesla, which is often quoted as a brand with impressive battery degradation figures in other studies placed 12th in the Swedish study, with its cars maintaining 90.2 per cent battery health after 10,000km.The grouping of various brands together comes as little surprise given each parent company will source batteries from similar places and use familiar chemistries and heat management methods.Another graph from the same study shows average battery degradation between the first 50,000km (94.39 per cent) and the next 50,000km was negligible, at just over 2 per cent. Average battery health of the 10,000 cars tested by 100,000km was 92.35 per cent.More interesting is the breakdown by model, with the study showing the car with the least overall battery degradation was the Kia Niro EV, which maintained 97.25 per cent of its battery capacity.The Hyundai Kona Electric and Kia EV6 also scored well, with the next model down being the Volvo XC40 Recharge and Polestar 2.The popular Tesla Model Y also maintained 92.18 per cent of its battery capacity on average over 10,000km, although ranked 18th in the study, below many VW Group, BMW, and Geely Group products.It is worth noting that this study does not simply transfer across to the Australian market. Many of the EVs delivered to Sweden are built in Europe which often use different battery suppliers to the versions of the cars sold here.In addition, Sweden’s cool climate may produce different results to our hot climate, with different demands placed on temperature management systems, and different pressures placed on batteries while discharging or charging.However, more Australian cars using batteries from Chinese suppliers may actually be an advantage. Lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) batteries from CATL (China’s largest battery supplier) are now pervasive across EVs from many brands sold in Australia. The Swedish study compared the performance of these Chinese CATL LFP batteries, Korean LG Chem batteries and two different types of Japanese Panasonic batteries, all in the Tesla Model 3 to control for model differences.The CATL cells had the highest average battery health, maintaining 93.3 per cent, the LG Chem cells were next at 91.5 per cent, and the Panasonic NMC batteries ranked lower at 89.8 and 88.2 per cent respectively.One factor worth keeping in mind is BYD’s lack of a major footprint in Sweden despite launching there in 2022, leaving it off the study. Not only does this exclude BYD from the ranking system, but it also leaves its batteries out.BYD sells its signature LFP ‘Blade’ batteries to many brands for cars sold in Australia, including Kia, KGM, and even entry-level versions of the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y.The study confirms several things - battery degradation is often over-stated, with almost all cars maintaining over 90 per cent capacity at the 100,000km mark, and newer chemistries and temperature management systems are having a notable improvement on battery life across all makes and models.Previous stories of cars losing up to 50 per cent of their capacity were often limited to early-generation NMC batteries using air-cooled technology. Almost all new EVs sold, particularly in Australia, use liquid-cooled cells.In other good news for Aussie EV owners and those considering a second hand EV, the Carla study is not the first time EV batteries have performed better than expected when surveyed en-masse.In Australia, auction house Pickles recently shared data based on its battery health scoring which showed EVs with between 80- and 120,000km were maintaining a battery health score of around 91 per cent.

Volkswagen has confirmed a battery size for its smallest EV will bring a new entry price with order books already open overseas.The 2027 VW ID.Polo brings a new 37kWh battery as an option, available in its base model Trend for as little as 24,995 euros (A$40,900). From 29,195 euros (A$47,760), it can also be had in higher specifications like Life and Style.The move by the German manufacturer is almost certainly an addition to retain sales in the lower-budget end of the market, where Chinese manufacturers have been increasingly popular despite EU tariffs on new Chinese cars.VW claims the new battery size provides enough driving range, 334km under WLTP testing, for daily use, and can be charged from 10-80 per cent in 23 minutes. Charging speed tops out at 90kW with a powerful enough DC charger.It’s also available in versions of the ID.Polo with either 85kW or 99kW, and is set to launch just weeks after the larger battery version with a 52kW unit.The ID.Polo is yet to be confirmed for Australia, but Volkswagen’s local arm has been considering similar models like the ID.Cross small electric SUV for some time now.The ID.4, ID.5, ID.Buzz and e-Transporter are the only EVs the brand currently offers locally.While there’s no guarantee the ID.Polo will land in Australia any time soon, its larger 52kWh battery would likely be more popular, with trim levels probably similar to the Trend, Life and Style versions available in Germany.The announcement comes as rumours of a significant model-cull circle the Wolfsburg brand alongside its continued mass-reduction in employee numbers around the world.

A new report from the Australia Automotive Dealer Association (AADA) has shed light over fresh concerns regarding long car repair and refund wait times in Australia.Dealers admitted customers face significant delays to get their cars fixed in Australia, especially EVs. It can take between six and eight weeks for an issue to just be diagnosed due to workshop backlogs.The association said some manufacturing faults can even take months or years to be correctly diagnosedDealers are now refusing to accept tow-ins or diagnostic work for vehicles they did not originally sell due their backlogs.They blamed long wait times on sourcing parts like electric car batteries that cannot be air-freighted and must be shipped instead.Dealers have also pointed the finger at car manufacturers that dispute or mull over approving warranty requests.The report said that only manufacturers can provide remedy for design faults, leaving dealers helpless to appease customer expectations of a swift resolution. The report stated concerns over manufacturers denying reimbursement claims and failing to meaningfully engage with dispute processes. Carmakers are required to make parts and repair available for a reasonable time after purchase, but this is a vague stipulation.The report sets out several Australian Consumer Law reform recommendations to rectify these issues. It said manufacturers should be required to respond to buyback requests within a fixed period.If the manufacturer fails to respond with written confirmation of indemnity, it is deemed to have accepted responsibility. Manufacturers should also be required to join legal tribunal proceedings for alleged manufacturing or systemic defects. The report called for further clarification of consumer guarantees regarding battery degradation and replacement thresholds. This would recognise the inevitable delays of sourcing EV components and developing software solutions.The Australian EV boom is in full swing, with sales surging in the wake of skyrocketing fuel prices and increasingly stringent environment regulations. More EVs will hit the roads in the coming months, with the industry likely to be placed under further strain.

Electric car buyers in Australia are facing a new concern.There are demands for increased responsibilities for car manufacturers to correctly state how long EV batteries should last, according to a report from the Australian Automotive Dealer Association (AADA). The report warns that buyers could face a “wave of litigation” when EV batteries need replacement outside of warranty as their cost could exceed the vehicle’s remaining value.One particular dealer said Chinese-built cars are “not holding their charge” or are “blowing up on fire”.The report suggests manufacturers should be required to define acceptable battery thresholds or disclose the expected degradation of a unit. Most batteries carry an eight-year or 160,000km manufacturer warranty, but dealers are looking for greater clarity on what this means.The new initiative would require manufacturers to provide clear indicators of acceptable battery performance.A battery would be considered to be performing at an acceptable level if it has at least 70 per cent of its total capacity remaining after more than eight years, for example. The EV driving range debate continues to rage on and it remains a substantial roadblock for buyers considering switching from petrol- and diesel-powered cars. Many EVs now boast more than 500km of driving range, but people have also started to recognise that most journeys do not require significant amounts of driving. The convenience and accessibility to home and public charging have also increased the convenience of EVs. Reported driving range figures on a particular car can vary greatly depending on the testing cycle used. The Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) is viewed as the most accurate standard available. Its testing figures often come in noticeably lower than the older New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) and the even more generous China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle (CLTC).As much as these systems do their best to mirror real-world driving, they can never be truly accurate because of the different ways people use their cars.Consumers often experience range anxiety or disappointment when EVs fail to achieve the range advertised in brochures, according to AADA. AADA has put forward a series of reforms for the Australian Consumer Law to adopt, but it remains to be seen whether any of these will make their way into legislation. 

Volkswagen has revealed a new electric counterpart to the T-Cross small SUV.The 2027 Volkswagen ID.Cross is based on the MEB+ dedicated electric platform like the ID.Polo, Cupra Raval and Skoda Epiq.While this new electric SUV can be ordered already in Germany, it’s unclear if or when it will be coming to Australia.“The Volkswagen ID.Cross is currently being assessed for the Australian market as part of our ongoing product planning activities,” said a Volkswagen Australia spokesperson.“While we recognise the interest in the vehicle, we are unable to confirm local availability or timing at this stage.”All versions of the ID.Cross are powered by a single, front-mounted electric motor but there are three different power tunes. These are 85kW, 99kW and 155kW.There are also two battery packs available, 37kWh and 52kWh. The latter offers up to 427km of WLTP-claimed range.Both battery packs can be AC charged at rates up to 11kW, but the 37kWh battery can be DC fast-charged at rates up to 90kW and the 52kWh battery can be DC fast-charged at rates up to 105kW. This allows for a 10 to 80 per cent charge in 23 and 24 minutes, respectively.Vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability is available as standard across the line-up at rates up to 3.6kW. It’s available with the use of an adaptor that plugs into the external charge port.On the outside the ID.Cross’ design language is cohesive with the ID.Polo. There are available matrix LED headlights, a rear LED light bar with 3D elements, illuminated VW logos, as well as black-painted pillars to create the illusion of a floating roof.It measures in at 4153mm long, 1794mm wide and 1581mm tall, with a 2601mm wheelbase. This makes it 45mm longer, 34mm wider and 2mm shorter than the T-Cross. The wheelbase is also 38mm longer.Inside there is a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster that, like the ID.Polo, offers a view mode that emulates the first-generation Golf’s gauges, as well as a 12.9-inch touchscreen multimedia system.There’s also a panoramic glass sunroof with an electric sunblind, fabric-covered dash panel, piano-key shortcut buttons under the touchscreen, an available 10-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, heated seats and steering wheel, as well as keyless entry and start.There are a total of five seats, 475 litres of boot space with rear seats upright, as well as a 25-litre frunk.With the reveal of this ID.Cross, it’s unclear what this means for the combustion-powered T-Cross which was originally revealed in 2018 and launched locally in 2019. It was last updated in 2024.

Volkswagen’s woes seem to be ever-growing in the 2020s, but one aspect of its production is likely to get a huge overhaul in an attempt to cut costs.Volkswagen’s CEO Oliver Blume raised an idea during the company’s first-quarter earnings call on April 30 that has seemingly started to take hold - building its China-only models in its underutilised German plants.As part of what Blume has called “the most comprehensive realignment in the company’s history”, Volkswagen will not only cut around 50,000 jobs on top of about 37,000 already cut since 2024, but will also consider a couple of ways in which it can lower production costs while utilising its connections with China.A report from Automotive News Europe says insiders have flagged three possible moves VW might make to fill production lines and improve the company’s efficiency.The first, and apparently the preferred option for VW Group’s top brass, is to use VW’s incoming China Scalable Platform (CSP) for global models, though the platform isn’t set to underpin models in China until 2028.Volkswagen has joint-ventures in China with Xpeng, SAIC and FAW and could lean on those in the meantime. The potential plan has reportedly raised concerns from VW’s workforce representatives, who say the brand’s Wolfsburg engineering teams should handle development of new cars.Another possible move is for the China-only VW ID Era 9X to replace the VW Touareg which just ended its production run in Europe.The range-extended electric SUV is a six-seater built specifically for China, developed with its joint-venture partner SAIC. It has become relatively popular compared to VW’s other electrified models, and reports say executives like the idea of it filling the large-SUV-sized gap left by Touareg in Europe.Another, less likely possibility is for VW to build XPeng models in its German plants, given its 5 per cent stake in the Chinese brand and the fact the XPeng G6, G9 and P7+ are imported to Europe.Automotive News Europe says insiders don’t see this as likely, reporting that executives see no value in becoming a contractor for a Chinese EV brand.Volkswagen is also expected to massively cull its global model line-up, with German newspaper Bild reporting a wide range of cars from all of its brands won't survive to another generation.