Volkswagen (VW) plans to bring a new more performance-orientated version of its trendy ID.Buzz electric van, the EV version of its iconic Kombi. It will be called the VW ID.Buzz GTX edition.
The upcoming GTX model will be offered with an all-wheel-drive (AWD) drivetrain that produces 250 kW of power. Kai Grünitz, the development chief of the ID.Buzz platform described the performance upgrade as:
“The GTX will be a cool high-performance version, with 250kW, a dedicated interior, new exterior colours and some additional features”
This is a huge step up from the 150 kW RWD Pro variant of the ID.Buzz is available for sale in Europe.
What is surprising about the 250 kW of power from the AWD system is that it’s more than any other GTX variant that VW currently produces.
This includes VW’s EV SUV lineup, the ID.4 and the ID.5 GTX variants which have a maximum power output of 220 kW.
It’s currently unclear if the 250 kW of power will be due to different high-performance motors or an increased output from the same motors. The technical specifications are likely to be revealed closer to the launch.
Based on the looks of one of VW’s most iconic vehicles, the Kombi van, the ID.Buzz is currently offered in a Pro version.
The Pro version comes with an 82 kWh battery pack that delivers the energy to a rear-mounted motor. This can get the ID.Buzz from 0-100 km/h in 10.2 seconds.
Late last year, the ID.Buzz received a five star EuroNCAP safety rating which is quite an achievement in the van segment.
An Australian launch date for the ID.Buzz is still unclear but more information is expected to be made available later this year.
Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.