What Van? Britain's biggest and best van buyers' guide

There is a strong argument to be made that the ID. Buzz Cargo is one of the two most important electric vans to come to market in 2022, the other one being the Ford E-Transit. 

The pair do not compete head to head – the E-Transit takes its place in the large van segment while the ID. Buzz Cargo, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle’s (VWCV) first purpose-built electric van, occupies a space somewhere between the compact and medium van sectors.

This is important because it differentiates the Buzz Cargo from its larger sibling, the medium-sized Transporter.

Under the product-sharing deal between Ford and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, the blue oval brand is set to take the lead in medium vans, meaning the Transporter, although a highly successful product in its own right, will end up piggybacking the platform producing the Ford Transit Custom. 

The Buzz Cargo, however, will not and VW is hailing it as the successor of the future to its legendary Bulli camper van. 

Despite being smaller than the Transporter, the ID. Buzz Cargo and the passenger-carrying ID. Buzz are the largest vehicles the manufacturer has built on its Modular Electric Drive Kit (MEB) platform, which also produces the ID.3, ID.4 and ID.6 passenger cars as well as models for Volkswagen Group brands Audi, Skoda and Cupra.

The Buzz Cargo is 4,712mm long and has a wheelbase of 2,988mm, which is slightly shorter than the short-wheelbase (SWB) Transporter T6.1. It is 1,985mm wide, excluding the exterior mirrors.

Short bodywork overhangs make it nimble to manoeuvre in urban settings and large wheel arches contribute to a tight turning circle of 11.1m. 

Volkswagen says the MPV ID. Buzz will, in future, be offered with an extended wheelbase but there are no plans, as yet, to carry this over to the Buzz Cargo, which is surprising because load-carrying capacity is not its strongest point. It has a load volume of 3.9m³ and a payload of up to 650kg and can tow 1,000kg. This compares to 5.8m³ and 913kg and 2,200kg in the SWB T6.1.

The model we tested came with a single side loading door but VWCV assured us that in the UK it will come as standard with sliding doors on both sides. Our van had a wide-opening tailgate but this will be an option in the UK, with twin rear doors the standard fit.

When it comes to performance, ride quality and agility, the rear-wheel drive Buzz Cargo is outstanding. It is equipped with a 77kWh battery and a 204hp motor, which makes its 310Nm of torque available immediately. As well as being quick off the mark the van can also more than hold its own in the fast lane of the motorway. The battery is integrated within the vehicle floor, creating a low centre of gravity that reduces body roll when cornering.

An aerodynamic body keeps wind noise to a minimum and contributes to a range of up to 258 miles on the WLTP cycle, as does the ‘B’ mode, which the driver can select instead of the standard ‘D’ mode to enhance regenerative braking and reduce the need to use the foot brake. Gear selection is via a switch on the steering column and also includes ‘N’ (neutral) and ‘R’ (reverse)

Crisp steering enhances excellent handling but if a less hands-on driving experience is what you’re after then the Buzz Cargo’s driver assist systems push it towards autonomous motoring, especially the assisted lane-changing on motorways, which, once activated, requires only the lightest touch of the driver’s fingers on the steering wheel to take control. Travel Assist operates like an advance adaptive cruise control system, monitoring traffic all around the vehicle, rather than just in front.

At the press of a button Park Assist Plus relieves the driver from having to steer, brake or accelerate while parking, they must, of course, remain alert.

The memory function enables the driver to save particular parking manoeuvres, undertaken manually once, which thereafter the vehicle carries out automatically. While these functions will be offered as options, VWCV says the likes of Car2X, which warns of hazards nearby, Front Assist with pedestrian, cyclist monitoring and Pre-crash occupant protection, which tensions seat belts, will be standard.