VW ID. Buzz finally priced, starts at $61,545

We can scarcely believe it ourselves, but Volkswagen has finally released official pricing, plus electric range, for the long-awaited ID. Buzz electric minivan, a car that was first previewed by a concept in 2017. No, it’s not cheap, but at the $61,545 base price (including the $1,550 destination charge), it does come seriously well-equipped.

But before we dig too deep into pricing and features, we should also look at the range numbers. They all come with a 91-kWh battery pack, and the rear-drive 282-horsepower variant will go the farthest. It manages 234 miles, but the 335-horsepower dual-motor all-wheel-drive version is darn near as good at 231 miles.

Now onto the nitty-gritty details, starting with the complete pricing. There are three trims, Pro S, Pro S Plus and 1st Edition. Only the Pro S Plus and 1st Edition are available with all-wheel drive, and it adds $4,500 to the overall price.

Pro S: $61,545
Pro S Plus: $65,045
1st Edition: $67,045

This of course is a premium over the other major three-row competitor in the EV space, the Kia EV9. The EV9 starts at $56,395 for the base trim with similar electric range, albeit less power. At $60,695, the EV9 can be had with far more range (304 miles), though still less power. All-wheel-drive EV9s also offer more range plus more power, but are fairly comparable on price. EV9s also come very well-equipped like the Buzz (as we’ll soon discuss), though of course the aesthetic is dramatically different. The Tesla Model X is also a three-row on the market, but it starts at nearly $80,000, well above the VW and Kia.

The Pro S is basic in really only one major way: color selection. Sadly, the base trim will only be available in white, silver or black. To get any of the two-tone options, you’ll need to jump up to the Pro S Plus. It does come with 20-inch alloy wheels and animated LED head and tail lights, and at least the colors will go well with any aftermarket vinyl two-tones customers might go for. It also comes with a choice of two interior colors, either Copper or Moonlight (both pictured in the gallery above, along with the Dune option for higher trims). Leatherette upholstery is standard across the board. Copper features a saddle brown upholstery with yellow piping, light faux wood trim and black accents. Moonlight has a dark-brown upholstery with white piping, plus dark faux wood trim and blue and black accents on the dash and door panels. 

Convenience features abound on the Pro S. For infotainment, the Buzz has a 12.9-inch touchscreen, along with a 5.3-inch instrument screen. The infotainment features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and there’s a pad for wireless charging. The front seats are heated, ventilated, and have massage and memory functions. The outboard seats in the standard second-row bench are heated, as well, and so is the steering wheel. Automatic climate control has three zones, and the audio system has nine speakers. And on the driver-assist front, the Buzz has IQ.Drive, which includes adaptive cruise control with lane-centering, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and automatic emergency braking.

Moving up to the Pro S Plus unlocks the $995 option of a two-tone paint scheme. The only color not available on the Pro S Plus is plain silver (all exterior colors are pictured above). All three interior color options are available, too, including Dune, which includes light grey leatherette with orange-brown piping and accents, plus light faux wood trim. This trim adds a head-up display, surround-view cameras and a 14-speaker Harman/Kardon sound system. The rear-drive version still gets the bench seat, but second-row captain’s chairs are available either as a standalone option, or included as standard on the all-wheel-drive version. All-wheel-drive also adds a heated windshield. And for $1,495, you can add an electrochromic panoramic sunroof. For an undefined charge, you can get the Flexboard, a panel that allows for a flat floor with the rear seats folded, along with some storage bins that fit below it.

The 1st Edition comes only with the Dune interior, and can only be had in the white two-tone combos: Energetic Orange, Pomelo Yellow, Mahi Green, Cabana Blue and Metro Silver. It gets all previously optional features as standard, plus unique wheels, badging, floor mats, and some mystery gifts for the customer. It will only be available for the first year of the model.