Louth Motors: The Love Buzz
First we had the Love Bug from VW, now we have the Love Buzz – the ID. Buzz to be exact. I screamed “Make it” at the screen when I first saw the concept vehicle a few years ago and thankfully VW have. And they did not make too many cosmetic changes either, sticking as far as possible to the original concept design. Very well done VW.
The ID. Buzz is the modern-day combi that is fully electric. You will still be able to travel in your "fried out combi" albeit this time it is all-electric which, without checking, might be close to the range of the original one. It is funky, modern, futuristic, and idiosyncratic looking, and from any new car designer that is known as acing it.
I have never experienced anything like the attention this car attracts. It was from everyone, regardless of age or gender. And to those I spoke with the word love was used a lot. They love it and I have to say I do too. I have a fairly thick skin and am not influenced by others but there were times that I wondered if I'd have the confidence to drive it every day – especially in look-at-me Pomelo Yellow with a white roof.
You are constantly under the scrutiny of eyeballs. I cannot identify an exterior design issue that I feel they could change and as such it's a wonderful piece of design work.
Inside the design is pure concept car. It looks like nothing else. The exterior colour is very prevalent in the usual places and made its way onto the seats. There is lots of storage spaces with rubber inserts to ban the sound of anything moving. This is to ensure the serene quietness when the car is moving is maintained.
Even the glove box is big and useful. We have been driving cars for years and it took EVs to make the driver screens and controls minimalistic when all that has really changed is the engine.
The ID. Buzz has the right amount of screen, albeit it is entirely touch. Mercedes with the EQS have bucked this trend and made the screens ginormous and wins the mine is bigger than your competition but I think less is more.
For the passengers who need omnipresent connectivity there are micro-USB ports in the doors – just be careful you disconnect them before opening them.
There is a huge distance between the steering wheel and the windscreen which I thought housed a frunk underneath but on inspection I found it to be just a drop-down lid at the front to fill the windscreen washer fluid. I cannot fathom how there isn't a frunk in there somehow.
The blind spot alert is provided via an LED strip across the dash right in the eyeline of the driver and I have to say I find that is the best place to display it.
Driving the ID. Buzz reveals a wonderfully comfortable car. It is really quiet, and the ambiance is one of cool luxury. On the twisty bits the car is quite agile and belies its big dimensions. It is not car like, but not a mile away from it and body roll is kept well in check.
Your passengers and kids will not suffer too much from motion sickness. Environmentally conscious A-listers will be specifying the ID. Buzz to drop and collect them from events because it is super cool, electric, very spacious and comfortable. Mind you only four A-listers and the chauffer as it is currently available only as a 5-seater.
The boot is enormous, and the flooring arrangement is such that when all the rear seats are folded there is a flat surface perfect for sleeping in if the ID Buzz gets used for its ancestral purposes.
Energy consumption is a claimed 21.3 kWh/100kms and I managed 24.3 kWh/100kms or 13% less which is rather good and equates to a real-world range, for me, of 317kms.
There are four trim levels with prices starting at €68,470.
There are a few items that were not as good as they should be.
The electric sliding doors are a must to exaggerate the cool of the already cool car, but my elderly parents found it hard to get into as the step up is pretty high.
Same for the front passengers. Once in the back they had fabulous visibility but bizarrely no windows they could open or rear air-con controls which I thought they were mistaken when they pointed it out.
On a sweltering day this may prove a weakness.
Those rears seats though have as much settings as the front seats and can move in every direction.
When I changed the radio station there was no display showing the new station selected. At night, the air-con and volume touch places are not illuminated – why? The yellow-coloured seat covering is to be avoided.
The car I had had 10k kms on it and the seats have darkened with use and look dirty.
I would choose a darker colour or whatever the animal free, carbon neutral version of leather you can get - just not vinyl which was a covering in the first combi.
The ID. Buzz won the overall 2023 Irish Car of the Year award. To get that you must have a lot of positives and the ID. Buzz certainly has.
It is one of the most striking cars on our roads, looks super-cool, is perfect for five passengers and is remarkably car like to drive.
Next to the must have Tesla's for image conscious Irish buyers, there isn't a stronger contender for your Euro's if you want an electric car, any car in fact.
It is a sure-fire winner.