The 2027 Volkswagen ID. Buzz: The Electric Van That Sells on Pure Joy and Doesn’t Apologize for It

Almost every car gets bought with the head. Buyers weigh the range, the price, the cargo space, the charging speed, and the reliability ratings, then make a sensible decision. The Volkswagen ID. Buzz throws that entire process out the window. This is a vehicle you buy with your heart, and Volkswagen knows it. The ID. Buzz is a rolling wave of nostalgia, a modern electric reincarnation of the beloved 1960s Microbus, and it triggers something in people that no spec sheet can explain.

I’ll give you a sense of what I mean. Reviewers who’ve driven it consistently report the same phenomenon: everywhere the ID. Buzz goes, strangers want to talk about it. Older folks share stories of the groovy VW buses of their youth, younger people recognize it from movies and shows, and everyone smiles. That reaction, that spontaneous delight, is the ID. Buzz’s entire reason for existing, and it’s a genuinely rare thing in a car. After skipping the 2026 model year, the electric Microbus returns for 2027, and it’s still one of the most charming vehicles on the road.

The Return, and What’s New

Volkswagen paused the ID. Buzz for 2026, blaming tariffs and cooling EV demand, and there’s no sense pretending that pause didn’t happen. But VW promised the van would be back, and it kept its word. The 2027 ID. Buzz goes on sale in the fall, and it returns with a broader, more thoughtful lineup.

The headline addition is the new Tourer trim, which leans all the way into the van’s adventurous, free spirited character. Based on a camping oriented package, the Tourer includes a fold out mattress that lays across the folded second and third row seats, window blinds, ventilation panels for the front windows, an exterior table and chairs, and an Overnight mode that adapts the van’s systems for sleeping in it. It comes standard with all wheel drive, a retractable tow hitch, electrochromic tinting for the sunroof, second row captain’s chairs, and 20 inch wheels. In other words, VW built the camper van version that this vehicle was practically begging to become, and it suits the ID. Buzz perfectly.

The rest of the 2027 lineup includes the rear wheel drive Pro S and the Pro S Plus with 4Motion all wheel drive, and notably, all wheel drive is now available on the entry Pro S trim too. Every 2027 ID. Buzz gets a NACS charging port for Tesla Supercharger access, which is a genuinely useful addition for a van built for road trips and adventures.

The Practical Reality

Underneath all the charm, the ID. Buzz is a genuinely practical three row electric van, and its packaging is where the electric platform pays off beautifully. Because the battery sits under the flat floor, the cabin is completely unobstructed and feels remarkably airy and spacious from every seat. It seats up to seven, offers the commanding upright driving position that van lovers adore, and features sliding rear doors on both sides that make loading passengers and cargo in tight spaces far easier than hinged doors would.

The powertrains carry over, with a single rear motor producing 282 horsepower in rear wheel drive form and a dual motor all wheel drive setup delivering 335 horsepower. A 91 kWh battery provides the energy. The driving experience, fittingly, is relaxed rather than sporty. The ID. Buzz isn’t going to give you an adrenaline rush, but it’s easy to handle, comfortable, and has more than enough power for everyday driving and highway cruising. It drives exactly the way a friendly, retro van should: calmly, pleasantly, and without drama.

The Elephant in the Room: Range and Price

Now for the part where the heart and the head have their argument, because the ID. Buzz asks you to lead with the former. The van’s EPA range tops out at just 234 miles, which is modest, and noticeably short of what many rivals offer. The electrical architecture is unchanged for 2027, so that figure isn’t expected to improve. For a vehicle you might genuinely want to take on long, adventurous road trips, that range requires some planning, and the Supercharger access helps but doesn’t erase the limitation.

Then there’s the price. The van launched around $60,000 to start, which is genuinely steep for a vehicle that’s fundamentally a minivan underneath the retro styling. Official 2027 pricing will land closer to its fall on sale date, but expectations point to a starting figure around $60,000 or above. That’s a lot to ask, and it’s worth being clear eyed that a big part of what you’re paying for is the design, the charm, and the emotional appeal rather than pure practical value.

VW has delivered fewer than 10,000 of these in the US so far, and that modest range and lofty price almost certainly played a part in limiting demand. So this is not a rational purchase in the traditional sense. It’s a heart purchase, and whether it makes sense for you depends entirely on how much you value the things that don’t show up on a spec sheet.

Where I Land

The ID. Buzz is one of the few vehicles I’d genuinely describe as joyful, and that counts for more than the cynics might admit. In a world of increasingly anonymous SUVs and crossovers that all blur together, the ID. Buzz is unmistakable, characterful, and guaranteed to make people smile, including you. It nails the retro revival, it’s genuinely practical inside, and with the new Tourer trim it finally becomes the adventure ready camper van it always wanted to be.

In my opinion, the ID. Buzz makes sense for a very specific buyer, and that’s completely fine, because it was never trying to be for everyone. If you value character, design, and the sheer delight of driving something special, and you can live with the modest range and the premium price, there’s nothing else quite like it. If you’re shopping purely on range, value, and practicality, plenty of electric vehicles will serve you better for less money. But none of them will make a stranger walk across a parking lot just to tell you how much they love your van. The ID. Buzz sells joy, unapologetically, and in a market that often forgets cars are allowed to be fun, there’s something wonderful about a vehicle that leads with its heart and trusts you to follow.

*EV Rob writes about electric vehicles, automotive technology, and the future of transportation at The Wonderful World of EVs.*