• Roomy for passengers
• But seating is very conventional
• Enormous boot, lots of storage

How much space is there?

If we’re talking basic passenger space, then there is plenty of it inside the ID.Buzz. A higher-than-average roof and a deep dashboard mean the driver and front passenger have lots of room, and a commanding view of the road ahead.

The rear seats are accessed by sliding doors, which is great for managing kids in tight car parks and again there is plenty of head and legroom in the back. But the rear seats are also where you start to realise this is more of super-sized family hatchback than a true MPV in the spirit of Volkswagen’s conventionally petrol- and diesel-powered alternative, the VW Multivan.

For instance, the ID.Buzz has no option for individual chairs in the second row, and the conventional bench seat that is fitted doesn’t do any clever folding tricks – it simply tilts forward with a 60:40 split. There are also only two Isofix points (on the outer rear seats), and the rear middle seat is firmer and narrower than those either side of it.

You might still get three booster seats across the width of the bench, but three chunky travel systems are out of the question.

Boot space and storage

The ID.Buzz has a vast 1,211-litre boot in a very practical cube shape – and that’s while carrying five passengers. But given all that room, it’s surprising you have to move the front seats forward from their rear-most position to fold the rear seat backs. Still, once done, 2,205 litres of load space is available. Which is around a third more than the 1,575 litres available to VW ID.4 owners. For instance.

45

If you want a flat loading floor in this configuration you have to go for the pricier Style trim level or add the optional Comfort Package Plus, both of which include the ‘Multi-flex board’. This is a substantial shelf that creates a platform level with the height of the folded seat backs. There are storage boxes that slide underneath, but you still lose some space and have to deal with a raised loading height.

Storage in the cabin is practical and impressive, however, with large door bins front and rear plus the removable Buzz Box centre console storage system.

Is it easy to park?

The ID.Buzz is deliberately built to have a lower roofline than the old VW Caravelle and the VW Multivan – in an effort to make it more compatible with more car parks. However, it is still a very large vehicle, and you may find it a close fit in a lot of average parking spaces. A rear-view camera and parking sensors should help, while the boxy shape makes positioning the ID.Buzz easy to judge

Failing that, you get Park Assist Plus as standard, which allows you to teach the Buzz up to five 50m parking manoeuvres it can remember and repeat to save you the trouble in future. The sliding doors are handy for getting in and out, but the large tailgate may prove problematic when it comes to accessing the boot after a shopping trip.

Safety

• Five-star Euro NCAP rating
• Lots of modern safety tech
• Car2x and centre airbag

The ID.Buzz is a high-ranking member of Volkswagen’s flagship electric vehicle line-up, and as such it is loaded with modern safety aids. In addition to the usual high-functioning autonomous emergency braking system (which can detect pedestrians and cyclists as well as cars), seven airbags (including front centre airbag) and electronic stability control system, it also has newer tricks such as Car2x technology.

This networks the vehicle to other sources of information about the road ahead, which should theoretically give you advanced warnings of hazards. Like other modern cars, it can also alert the emergency services in the event of a crash, use lane assist to keep you on the straight and narrow, read road signs and help you take evasive action, should circumstances demand.

Euro NCAP gave the ID.Buzz a five-star rating when it crash-tested it in 2022.

Watch the Euro NCAP crash test video