Volkswagen ID Buzz Cargo long-term test: report 1

The car Volkswagen ID Buzz Cargo 77kWh Pro Run by John Bradshaw, chief photographer

Why it’s here To find out whether the ID Buzz Cargo Van offers the same practical magic as the MPV, or does it make more sense when it's full of seats?

Needs to Prove capable of journeys of varying lengths while carry anything we can throw at it

Mileage 1070 Price £53,521 Target Price £53,521 Price as tested £53,521 Test range 205-240 miles Official range 254 miles 

7 June, 2024 – Is this real life, is this just vantasy?

During the time that we ran the ID Buzz in our long-term test fleet, we marvelled at its incredible practicality. You'd be hard pressed to find a more versatile MPV, let alone an electric one. Akin to a bungalow on wheels, it offered each of its three rear-seat occupants enough leg room and foot space that they could wear flippers if need be, and enough head room for a trio of wizards to head to the coven without removing their conical hats. And just as astonishing was its luggage capacity. With all the seats in place, its 1120 litres of uncluttered, easy-to-pack volume allowed to take 16 carry-on suitcases – three for each occupant, with one to spare.

With that third row removed, the Buzz was basically a van. But what if it actually was a van? Well, soon after the ID Buzz was launched, it was followed by a dedicated panel van version, appropriately named the ID Buzz Cargo, which ditched the rear seats in favour of pure carrying capacity. When we were offered the chance to put one through its paces in daily life, we jumped at it. And it's already had me thinking.

Its colossal 3900 litres of load capacity truly is a blank canvas. Of course, its intended purpose is to be stuffed full of goods for delivery to customers; probably bulky but relatively light items – the Cargo's maximum payload of around 600kg is much less than a combustion-engined van of similar size can carry.

However, when it doesn't have to work for its living, it lends itself to leisure. It's a huge, wipe-clean area into which you could cram bikes, kayaks, hang-gliders; pretty much any hardware central to exciting, fashionable lifestyle activities. Or, you could chuck an airbed in there and comfortably sleep for the night – a good deal more comfortably than you would in the ID Buzz MPV's reclining seats.

Really, it strikes me that – forget the MPV – the ID Buzz Cargo is closer in ethos to the classic Type 2 VW Transporter camper vans that so capture the public imagination. The Buzz is great at transporting five people to and fro of somewhere they can have fun, whereas the Cargo lets two people take their fun with them.  

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