The Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo Is The Coolest Delivery Vehicle On The Road

By Jeremy Taylor & Jessica Talbot-Ponsonby

6 months ago

Jeremy Taylor & Jessica Talbot-Ponsonby test drive VW's new Buzz

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What’s the feel-good van for folk with trendy stuff to sell? Whether you’re delivering Korean corn dogs or hot honey, the electric Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo gets your business noticed.

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Review: Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo

JT – Fancy a kombucha – or what about a tepache?

J-TP – You see, to me, that suggests you have been reading the product names on the side of vans in London again. However, you don’t have to be flogging something weird to a posh pub to drive a Buzz Cargo.

True, but if you don’t want to be regarded as an everyday ‘white van man’.

Or woman.

Indeed, or woman. Then Volkswagen’s battery-powered Buzz is the coolest delivery vehicle on the road. In fact, it’s the complete opposite of a stereotypical Ford Transit, which has survived on longevity, heritage and a no-nonsense approach to getting the job done.

We should say the Transit is available in other colours and there’s also an all-electric version. But the Ford just can’t compete with the VW for style and chic. Although, you are also unlikely to spot a Buzz on a building site.

True, even though it boasts a decent 3.9 cubic metres of carrying space the VW is more of a fashionista’s fancy. It can’t compete on price or carrying the same volume of goods but a payload of 592kg is decent enough. Note, a standard Vauxhall Vivaro will swallow double that and there’s an electric one of those, too.

OK, but neither it, or any other van, will sell your business quite so well as the retro-styled Buzz. Plus, if you are VAT registered, it costs from £43,875 – or £52,650 once the taxman gets his hands on your profits. And a long-wheelbase Cargo is expected in the near future for extra load-lugging ability.

As for the techy stuff, the VW is powered by a single, 210bhp electric motor driving the back wheels. It has a motorway-friendly top speed of 90mph and a maximum range of 254 miles. So, expect around 200 miles in everyday conditions.

Up front in the cabin, VW has fitted three cloth seats, while the dashboard is pretty minimalist. The infotainment screen is ready for CarPlay and Android, although the Commerce Plus version we drove also benefitted from a built-in navigation system, 19-inch wheels and rear-view camera.

Yes, but the touch-sensitive, sliding temperature controls are infuriating! What’s wrong with a dial?

On the road, the Buzz offers car-like driving, while sliding doors on both sides mean you don’t have to worry so much about finding a parking space with direct access to the pavement to off-load.

There it is, then. The VW Buzz Cargo – great for a fledgling yuzu kosho entrepreneur, although I’m still more of a chutney fan.