VW ID Buzz Cargo joins our fleet | Long-term test

One of the first things I noticed after getting behind the wheel of our new long-term Volkswagen ID Buzz Cargo van was the enormous amount of attention it attracts.

I’ve had people point at it, wander over to it to have a closer look as soon as I’ve parked it, while pedestrians and other motorists often stare at it when I drive past them.

I’m sure part of that is because of the Commerce Plus (basic price of £43,875, exc VAT) trim level model’s vibrant Lime Yellow metallic colour, but also because of the retro-futuristic styling which harks back to the iconic 1950s Volkswagen T1 van.

However, the ID Buzz Cargo’s appeal is much more than just skin deep. Underneath the striking exterior is a capable van.

At 4.7m long, it sits between the Caddy (4.5m) and shortest Transporter (4.9m), and offers a load space of 3.9cu m (Caddy: 3.7cu m; Transporter short wheelbase/normal roof: 4.3cu m), with Volkswagen saying it can carry two Euro pallets. Payload is 592kg.

The ID Buzz Cargo’s maximum load length is 2.2m, with a maximum loading width of 1.7m. The distance between the wheel arches – which is also the same as the rear door opening - is 1.23m. It has sliding doors on both sides, as well as having rear doors which can open 180 degrees.

The van is based on the Volkswagen Group’s MEB platform, which is also used for a number of passenger cars such as the Volkswagen ID4, Audi Q4 e-tron and Cupra Born.

ID Buzz Cargo also uses the same 204PS motor, rear-wheel drive layout, as some of those, while its 77kWh battery provides a WLTP range of 254 miles.

The onboard charger technology is also shared with the cars, and this means the van can charge at speeds of up to 170kW from a DC charger, taking 30 minutes for the battery to go from 5% to 80% capacity.

A maximum rate of 11kW from an AC charger will see it take seven-and-a-half hours to go from empty to full.

Over the next few months we’ll be reporting on life with the ID Buzz Cargo, but there has been plenty to like about it so far.

Its car origins are clear in the way it drives, while much of its standard safety and comfort equipment is shared across the VW Group vehicles.

In particular, the navigation and infotainment system will be recognised by anyone familiar with the ID3 and ID4, and features a 5.5-inch driver display panel and a 10-inch centrally-mounted touchscreen.

As mentioned earlier, the positive impression it has made so far with the wider public has been clear – and that level of enthusiasm has been more than matched by me.