(Credit: Volkswagen)
Volkswagen has revealed the price and range for the ID.Buzz, the long-awaited electric version of the iconic microbus, ahead of its fall 2024 debut at US dealers.
The modernized hippie van will start $59,995 for the Pro S trim, with a pricier $63,495 Pro S Plus version available. A special "launch-only 1st Edition" starts at $65,495.
As for range, the ID.Buzz comes in about average for the market, at 231 miles for all-wheel drive and 234 for rear-wheel drive. That's about the same as the Kia EV9, another 7-seat electric competitor, which starts at $56,395 with a 230-mile range. But the long-range version of the Kia EV9 offers exceptional value, starting at $60,695 for up to 304 miles of range.
The Rivian R1S is the other 7-seat SUV the ID.Buzz may compete with. It starts at $75,900 with a 270-mile range, with the top-of-the-line trim getting 410 miles of range for almost $90,000. But the Kia EV9 and Rivian R1S lack the retro style and decades-long history of the ID.Buzz, which distinguishes it from all other EVs on the market.
"The ID. Buzz looks like nothing else on the road, thanks to retro design cues brought fully up to date," Volkswagen says. "The exterior’s oversized VW logo, short overhangs, and expansive greenhouse are paired with a variety of interior and exterior color combinations, allowing customers to express themselves with their ID. Buzz."
The ID.Buzz features VW's latest technology, including a 12.9-inch infotainment display and 5.3-inch digital instrument cluster. Drivers can customize the ambient interior lighting from 30 colors and five mood presets. The exterior comes in 11 colors, including a new blue and white combination unique to the North American market.
Volkswagen is bullish on the vehicle's success in the US and Europe, and recently nearly tripled production.