More than two years after being announced for the U.S., Volkswagen’s electric minivan is inching closer to the showroom floor. Today’s baby steps: a price and an EPA-estimated range.
The 2025 ID. Buzz will set buyers back $59,995 for the Pro S trim, which includes seven seats, rear-wheel drive and a 91 kWh battery. With those specs, the bluff-sided van will only be able to drive an EPA-estimated 234 miles before running out of electrons. That’s about 25 miles short of what Volkswagen was targeting as recently as last year.
Still, for the price, buyers will get a reasonably well-equipped minivan, including a 12.9” infotainment display, three-zone climate control, acoustic glass, a range of advanced driver assistance systems and heated, ventilated and massaging power-front seats.
Opting for the Pro S Plus trim adds $3,500 to the price and adds a heads-up display, tow hitch and premium audio, among other goodies. Pro S Plus buyers can add all-wheel drive for another $4,500, which also brings with it second-row captains’ chairs and a heated windshield. (AWD drops the range by four miles but provides 335 horsepower, a healthy boost above the base model’s 282 horsepower.)
Buyers who want to go all out can select the launch-exclusive 1st Edition, which basically adds all the options and drapes the body in one of several examples of the concept’s fetching two-tone paint. Pro S Plus buyers can also opt for the two-tone treatment, though it’ll cost them. Rear-wheel drive 1st Edition specimens will cost $65,495, while AWD versions will run $69,995.
Because the ID. Buzz will be assembled in Europe and imported to the U.S., it isn’t expected to qualify for federal tax credits.
All told, these prices aren’t terrible for a three-row EV, a segment that currently suffers from a dearth of entrants. The Tesla Model S, Rivian R1S and Mercedes-Benz EQS all start thousands higher, and the Tesla Model S and Mercedes-Benz EQB have third rows that make a kiddy picnic table seem roomy.
That leaves the Kia EV9 as the closest competitor. There, the ID. Buzz doesn’t fare well. For $59,200, buyers can take home an EV9 with captains’ chairs, 304 miles of range and a feature set that compares favorably with the VW minivan. If you’re willing to sacrifice range, you can buy an EV9 with 230 miles of range for $5,000 less than an entry-level ID. Buzz. What’s more, Kia has been offering generous incentives recently to offset its current tax credit ineligibility. Once EV9 production commences in Georgia, it’ll likely gain access to federal incentives.
The ID. Buzz’s prices suggest that if Volkswagen wants to move a lot of them, it’s either going to have to go big on incentives or lean heavily on the, ahem, buzz the minivan has generated over the years.
Source : Techcrunch
