2025 Volkswagen ID Buzz GTX | UK Review

When your brand literally translates as ‘people’s car’, it implies the core of your sales appeal lies in affordable, dependable transport. Which is precisely the field Volkswagen has furrowed for decades with Beetles, Golfs, Polos and Passats. So maybe it shouldn’t surprise us that the concept of a halo VW has always felt curious. Especially when it has a performance bent. Peruse the classifieds and the ballsiest versions of its largest cars – think Touareg V10s and Phaeton W12s – are conspicuous by their absence. There’s a handful of Arteon Rs on PH at the moment and it might feel prudent to swoop in while they’re on low mileage with a sizeable discount.

But maybe there’s a new Volkswagen flagship to gaze up at. Not least because it’s so flipping massive. We’re already reasonably affectionate towards the big ID Buzz – who wouldn’t be, with those looks – but we’ve harboured reservations about its very ID-era interior and the absence of any tangible USP beyond its design. When not in full seven-seat mode, at least…

The arrival of a 340hp go-faster GTX might appear silly in the context of sensible family transport, but then the Buzz has never been priced or positioned to replace the retired Sharan. With all the bells, whistles and e-motors you see here, it feels like a new VW halo. That said, one of several baby elephants in the room is the fact no GTX ID has yet lit our fire. The ID.3 GTX does nothing a Cupra Born can’t and simply doesn’t live up to Volkswagen’s pioneering fast hatch history. The ID.5 and ID.7 GTXs serve to highlight how plainly competent their base cars are rather than elevate the experience into something mightier.

Yet I found myself stepping down from the lofty seat of this ID Buzz GTX thinking it ties together lots of what we like about VW – even if a £68k starting price punts it a long way from ‘people’s car’ territory. But I think we all know EV residuals might flip that on its head once a few thousand miles have been clocked. It also looks decent value within its own range, a seven-seat GTX demanding little more than a ten per cent leap over a five-seat base Buzz Life – perhaps even less on a smart lease deal – while dishing out loads more goodies alongside perkier performance and range figures. Whether mahoosive 21-inch alloys and a six-point-odd sprint to 62mph impede on its family car credentials is something you might want to consider if you’re genuinely planning on regularly loading this thing up with your offspring and their pals.

Its peak outputs are useful in near three-ton bus, though, and with just its driver aboard it is a pleasingly brisk thing, demonstrating the pep of instant, electric torque with no whipcrack aggression. Its power and weight feel neatly aligned and there’s sufficient potency to know that with every seat, nook and cranny filled, you’ll still have no trouble keeping up with traffic or wending your way through tight country lanes on a family day out. Crucially, it feels bang on as an EV and the chugging of a 2-litre TDI or strained revs of an overworked TSI simply wouldn’t fit the aesthetic. 

It handles pretty neatly, too. Its steering is light and responsive, and the front tucks more assertively into corners than you’d dare hope, its driver’s keenness likely spurred on by the vast front screen and the expansive visibility created by those huge quarterlights. To declare its vista of the road ‘McLaren-like’ would be absurd, but I think vision can be an overlooked facet in the assessment of a performance car; even here it spurs on a bit of cornering spirit that few MPVs or minivans ever would. The twin-motor, 4WD chassis beneath broadly lives up to the billing, too, its balance evidently rear-led and the back axle neatly following the front in a precise, predictable and satisfying manner. It’s patently not engineered to be a thriller – but here’s a GTX where the feel and feedback emanating from below feels ‘enough’. Phew. 

Being positioned so close to the front screen of the Buzz can’t help but draw the inevitable Type 2 camper references. That particular beacon of VW culture celebrates its 75th birthday in 2025, and the Buzz feels rich in precisely the sort of heritage that aggressively priced Chinese brands can only daydream about.

Efficiency might be of more concern for some buyers, of course. Here the GTX offers two battery sizes – 79kWh in the SWB model, which its five and six-seat iterations, or 86kWh in the LWB, available as a six- or seven-seater. All permutations claim 2.9 miles per kWh (versus 3.0 for a stock 286hp Buzz) with a peak range figure claim of 252 miles for the SWB or 282 for the LWB. Meaning yes, the bigger, more practical one should also go a mite further between charges – and hopefully nudge 200 miles with a few folks on board in real-world use. Peak DC charging capacity varies between the two layouts; the SWB Buzz manages 185kW while LWBs muster a more satisfying 200. Fitting all 4,962 millimetres of their length into public charging bays may offset any smugness, however…

The interior is broadly a triumph. Yes, there are ergonomic annoyances familiar from smaller IDs – ones which may be due to a spruce-up now that VW openly acknowledges some of its mistakes. Much like recent Golf GTIs, a more vigorous grip on the steering rim can activate the heated wheel touchpad on corner entry; with three levels of heating to toggle through, it’s then an almighty distraction getting back to zero as you exit the turn. Argh!

But the mix of plush and pragmatic materials in this GTX proves as pleasing as ‘half and half’ with a curry, the combination of halo trim with sensible, commercial vehicle underpinnings making it feel ready for the rough ‘n’ tumble of everyday life. The plastic tray tables for rear passengers don’t initially tally well with the price tag – but they’ll prove hardier in use and cheaper to replace than a plusher alternative. The cavernous bottle holders within its ginormous front doors feel more practical than teeny cupholders, too, and the whole thing has a useful air of minimalist logic to it. Much like really good VW interiors always have. 

Let’s hope it proves suitably screwed together beyond those three-year lease deals – because this is a car with a whiff of minor modern classic about it. The price is punchy, but it looks flipping cool, drives neatly and ticks off enough rational targets to back up any irrational want for one. Believe it or not, a petrol or diesel VW Multivan is no lighter on the scales and scarcely any cheaper if you’re paying the VAT. 

Assess the Buzz GTX too objectively and its case can easily splinter, yet anyone besotted with the looks is unlikely to be shopping in the more pragmatic family bus aisle with much gusto. To our eyes, it’s a unique cocktail of VW’s most appealing talents – and ultimately a charming new chapter for the fast Wolfsburg flagship. How many you’ll find in the PH classifieds of the future, though, remains to be seen…

Engine: Dual electric motors (rear permanent magnet synchronous, front asynchronous) Battery: 79kWh (LWB: 86kWh)
Gearbox: Single-speed reduction, all-wheel drive
Power (hp): 340
Torque (lb ft): 413
0-62mph: 6.1sec (LWB: 6.4sec)
Top speed: 99mph (limited)
Weight (unladen): 2,738kg (LWB: 2,897kg)
Range (WLTP): 252 miles (LWB: 282 miles)
Efficiency (WLTP): 2.9mi/kWh
Max charge speed: 185kW (LWB: 200kW)
Price: £67,535 (LWB: £67,895); £71,356 as tested