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

It’s difficult to think of many new vans that will ever have been more eye-catching than the Volkswagen ID. Buzz. With retro styling openly based on the classic T1 van, it’s the first ground-up EV from Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, although it actually uses the MEB platform previously seen with several electric models in VW’s car range. Fresh from being crowned as International Van of the Year, it’s now arrived in the UK, and we’ve had the chance to sample the model here in right hand drive form.

Only one van bodystyle is available, alongside a five-seater car model, and although a longer-wheelbase version of the latter is expected next year, no such variant is planned for the Cargo.

A single powertrain is on offer, featuring a 204hp electric motor and a 77kWh battery, which delivers an official range of 256 miles with the entry-level Commerce trim, or 254 miles with the Commerce Plus we drove. The entry-level version also offers a slightly higher payload, at 607kg versus 592kg.

Compared with a short-wheelbase version of VW’s more conventional Transporter medium panel van, the ID. Buzz’s wheelbase is only 11mm shorter – although overall vehicle length is down by 192mm with that wheels-at-the-corners styling. Load volume for the ID. Buzz is 3.9m³ compared with 4.2m³ for the Transporter – although the latter model’s payloads range from slightly higher to much higher depending on spec due to its diesel powertrains. Perhaps more relevant, the ID Buzz’s electric rivals – the Mercedes-Benz eVito, and the Stellantis medium van family that includes the Vauxhall Vivaro Electric – both also beat it for load volume and payload, though they also bring drawbacks which we’ll return to later.

The ID. Buzz Cargo has good levels of interior and safety equipment, with technology taken from VW’s car range. A 5in Digital Cockpit display sounds small but it’s actually nicely optimised with relevant information, while the central 10in touchscreen is nicely responsive, and both features impressively high-def graphics. Unfortunately, the car range’s irritatingly fiddly audio and ventilation control touch sliders also feature.

Despite prestige car elements to the interior design, cabin trim is kept to hard-wearing plastics, with the exception of a synthetic leather steering wheel.

A fixed bulkhead is standard, but our test van featured an optional windowed version, which allows an eye to be kept on cargo and ensures that the interior rear-view mirror is actually useable (although it would be even more so if the headrest from the middle seat didn’t get in the way) when combined with our van’s optional windowed car-style single tailgate, although this is large and requires a decent amount of space to be left behind the van to open it – windowless rear wing doors are standard.

On the move the ID. Buzz Cargo is very quiet, which isn’t as obvious a statement as you might think – the sound of wind rushing past the mirrors can be distracting on some EVs, but not here, while the full bulkhead reduces noise coming through from the load bay.

With 204hp available acceleration is very sufficient and would be fast compared with a diesel van, although there isn’t the hot hatch-rivalling pace of the Ford E-Transit.

With its rear-wheel drive layout and car underpinnings the ID. Buzz Cargo is a very capable and secure handler, and despite the vehicle’s height it would take more vigorous treatment than is advisable on the public road to incur any loss of composure or anything in the way of body roll. Visibility is good, and a short front end helps with manoeuvrability – although seen from the side it’s not quite as slab-fronted as you might think, which presumably aids the model’s aerodynamics (VW claims a 0.29 drag coefficient), improving efficiency. Manoeuvrability is further helped by front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera.

The ride did get a bit bouncy occasionally in our unladen test van, particularly on rough A-roads, but big bumps are softened nicely ­– a subsequent drive in the heavier, passenger-carrying ID. Buzz suggests things will be smoother when the van is loaded.