Volkswagen ID. Buzz - Electric motor, drive and performance

Originally, the short wheelbase (SWB) Volkswagen ID. Buzz came with a 201bhp electric motor driving the rear wheels, and a 77kWh battery. Both have been updated, so you now get an enlarged 79kWh battery in SWB form, and a 282bhp electric motor. Both these changes have increased the already hefty 2,411kg kerbweight to 2,454kg. Mind, that’s nothing compared with the 2,669kg for the long wheelbase (LWB) model with its even bigger 86kWh battery.

However, the weight of both battery packs is kept low in the chassis to help stability and to settle the car's ride, so the ID. Buzz is a comfortable machine overall. Lumps and bumps are brushed aside quite easily, even on cars fitted with the largest diameter 21-inch alloy wheels that are available, and it's only really big bumps that cause any upset. Hit a pothole, and you'll feel a shudder through the car's body, although it's not as harsh as the thump you'd feel in any other van-based MPV.

There's good grip in the corners, and while there's some body lean to be felt, it's not so drastic that it makes the ID. Buzz feel unstable. Again, the location of the battery low in the floor helps with this, so while there's a tall driving position, the car doesn't feel like it's cornering on stilts.

But it’s on the motorway where the ID. Buzz shines. We found the ride quality actually improves at higher speeds, and although strong crosswinds will tug at the car’s slab sides, the VW still feels stable and reassuring. With no engine noise to draw your ears, wind and road noise is more audible here than any petrol or diesel-powered MPV, however it’s not intrusive by any means.

Light steering boosts low-speed manoeuvrability, as does the 11.1-metre (11.8m for the LWB) turning circle, which is brilliant for a car of this size. The high driving position provides a commanding and clear view of the road ahead. It all means the ID. Buzz is great around town, and its size doesn't become a hindrance when you're parking.

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0-62mph acceleration and top speed

By EV standards, the 10.2-second 0-62mph time of the original 77kWh VW ID. Buzz is reasonable, but not devastatingly swift. However, ID. Buzz has been improved so all rear-wheel drive versions gain a much more potent 282bhp electric motor, dropping the acceleration time to 7.6 seconds for the regular wheelbase car, or 7.9 seconds for the longer wheelbase model. And that’s before we mention the 335bhp four-wheel drive GTX version with its 6.1-second acceleration sprint.

This is a 2.5-tonne vehicle aimed at family buyers, though, so they’re more likely to appreciate the stout 560Nm of torque its electric motor can deliver, which has little trouble motivating the ID. Buzz at slower speeds, making sure you’re able to keep pace with traffic.

Combine this with the car's quiet cabin, and ID. Buzz is deceptively rapid. It runs out of steam at higher speeds, and it's limited to a maximum of 99mph (an increase from 90mph for the 77kWh version), but this isn't anything that will spoil the way the ID. Buzz behaves on the road.