The GTX will arrive in Europe in 2023 with 335 horsepower and all-wheel drive.
A California camper version is also being planned for the long-wheelbase model.
The ID.BUZZ should begin sales in North America as a 2024 model.
Volkswagen has announced it is working on many different versions of the ID.BUZZ electric minivan for Europe, including a sporty GTX model and a camper version.
Like the ID.4 GTX which is currently sold in Europe, the ID.BUZZ GTX will benefit from more power than the standard version due to the addition of a second motor, which will give it all-wheel drive by the same token.
According to the automaker’s R&D boss, this version of the electric minivan should have 335 horsepower while the standard model has 202 horsepower.
In addition, the GTX will feature distinctive elements such as new paint colours, a different interior treatment, and more standard and available equipment.
Since the ID.4 GTX is not offered on our side of the Atlantic, it is possible that we won’t be able to order the sportier version of the ID.BUZZ either.
2023 Volkswagen ID Buzz Cargo | Photo: Volkswagen
What we will be able to order, however, is the upcoming seven-seater long wheelbase version. In fact, this model will be the only one offered in the United States and Canada, along with the extended cargo van version.
This model will be longer than the current version sold in Europe by 25 centimetres which will make it possible to install a third row of seats and rotating captain’s chairs.
This will make the ID.BUZZ more competitive against traditional minivans such as the Chrysler Pacifica and the Toyota Sienna than the shorter version would have been.
Another model we are likely to see is an all-wheel drive, non-GTX model. As of now, the ID.BUZZ has only been offered in a rear-wheel drive configuration in Europe, but this is likely to change soon since the company is working to adapt the front motor found in the ID.4 and the upcoming ID.7 into the van.
Doing so will likely reduce the maximum range of the vehicle, but it should make it more powerful and more useable in places with harsh winters.
Playing into its retro style and the heritage of the original VW BUS, the ID.BUZZ will also be offered in a camper configuration, similar to the Westfalia RVs of the 60s and 70s.
Called California, this model will be based on the long-wheelbase model exclusively and it could feature an extending canvas roof like its predecessor.
This version should only arrive in Europe in 2025 and it isn’t clear if it will ever cross the ocean, especially since the models sold in North America will be assembled in Tennessee while those sold in Europe are made in Germany.
Source: Autocar
