VW showcases 250kW all-wheel drive ID.Buzz GTX

VOLKSWAGEN Commercial Vehicles has this week detailed its ID.Buzz GTX.

The 250kW all-electric and all-wheel drive model is the most powerful ‘Bulli’ (or Kombi) the German manufacturer is yet to produce, and is available with two wheelbases and with two battery capacities to provide what it says is maximum pulling power and traction in every driving situation.

VW’s acclaimed 4Motion all-wheel drive system is offered as standard on both ID.Buzz GTX variants, the first featuring a 79kWh (bet) battery pack and the second an 86kWh unit. Both boast an 80kW front electric motor and 210kW rear unit to deliver total system power of 250kW – and a 0-100km/h time of just 6.5 seconds. Top speed is electronically capped at 160km/h.

When coupled to a DC fast charger, the ‘lesser’ battery pack may be charged at a rate of up to 185kW, providing a 10-80 per cent charge time of 26 minutes. The 86kWh unit may absorb energy at up to 200kW (DC) and may also be charged from 10-80 per cent in “about 26 minutes”.

“First, there is the new California with an incredible number of fans. I’ve been looking forward to the world premiere this summer ever since we unveiled the concept car last year,” said Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles head of sales and marketing Lars Krause.

“Second, we have the new Transporter, which is the successor the legendary T6.1, and today it’s a whole other ballgame – namely this fantastic vehicle: the new ID.Buzz GTX.”

The Volkswagen ID.Buzz GTX will offer a braked towing capacity of 1800kg in short wheelbase format and 1600kg for the long wheelbase model. The figures give each a respective increase of 800kg and 600kg over the standard ID.Buzz variants.

Volkswagen says the standard 4Motion system provides great traction advantages for towing, especially over wet or loose surfaces, and says the ID.Buzz GTX is an ideal towing vehicle for trailers often moved on slippery ground, like horse floats or boats.

Stylistically, the ID.Buzz GTX is characterised by a unique frontal treatment with the bumper finished with a black intake and side grilles in GTI-esque honeycomb design. Daytime running lights are integrated into the bumper, while air guide treatments, designation lettering, and wing mirror housings are presented in high-gloss black.

Additionally, Solna 20-inch alloy wheels are standard on the ID.Buzz GTX, while 21-inch wheels – in two designs – are offered optionally. IQ.Light LED matrix headlights are also standard, while a new paint finish, Cherry Red, is offered exclusively on the GTX range.

Moving inside, the ID.Buzz GTX features darkened tones to “underline the sporty character” of the brand’s most powerful “Bulli” yet. The seats, which are upholstered in ArtVelours Eco microfleece – also feature a specific GTX design and are electrically adjustable up front with a memory function for driver and front-seat passenger.

The multifunction steering wheel is differentiated by red cross-stitching and a red garnish on the centre trim with GTX lettering integrated in chrome.

Further back, the passenger compartment of the ID.Buzz GTX is offered with five, six or seven seats, depending on wheelbase.

The short wheelbase (five-seat) variant features a 60:40 split-fold second row and is also offered as a six-seat variant with two individual seats in each seating row. The long wheelbase variant will launch as a five-seater and will also be available as a six- or seven seat model, the latter with three seating positions in the second row and two in the third.

Depending on the variant, the seats in the second row may be moved longitudinally by 1500mm (SWB) or 200mm (LWB).

The luggage compartment of the ID.Buzz offers 1121 litres of capacity in five-seat mode (SWB) or 2123 litres with the rear bench seat folded down. The LWB variant ups those numbers to 1340 litres and 2469 litres respectively and provides 306 litres of load space when configured as a seven-seater.

On the technology front, and in addition to those features offered in the regular ID.Buzz, the GTX models feature new head-up display and next-generation infotainment systems. VW says the latter features a new menu system and graphics, as well as a faster processor. The screen now measures 12.9 inches, instead of 12.0.

An illuminated touch bar for temperature and volume control sits beneath the central screen, while new IDA voice assistant is operated with “natural voice commands” to control numerous vehicle functions. Thanks to ChatGPT, the voice assistant may also be used to provide answers to general knowledge questions and has online access to databases such as Wikipedia.

Finally, Volkswagen will offer long wheelbase versions of the ID.Buzz GTX with a smart glass-enabled panoramic sunroof. The multi-layered smart glass roof features an integrated liquid crystal film which can be electronically switched between transparent or opaque modes.

While no local availability for the Volkswagen ID.Buzz GTX has been announced, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles says pre-sales for the model will commence in Europe from mid-2024.