New Volkswagen ID.Buzz GTX adds some sting to the retro MPV’s tail

Volkswagen has opened order books and confirmed pricing for the dual-motor ID.Buzz GTX, the sportier, all-wheel-drive variant of the brand’s funky retro electric MPV. Deliveries begin this autumn, and the new Buzz GTX will sit above the existing single-motor version in the line-up, with prices starting from £67,435.

That gets you a GTX with five seats, and represents a premium of more than £8,600 over a regular five-seat Volkswagen ID.Buzz in Life trim (£58,915). VW has confirmed it will also offer the new seven-seat Buzz in GTX form, for £500 more than the five-seater, and a slightly smaller £8,400 increase over the regular seven-seater car.

The five-seat SWB and seven-seat LWB versions have their own battery capacities. The regular GTX comes with a new 79kWh (net) battery pack as found in the recently revealed ID.3 GTX and ID.7 GTX models. This powers its motors, which produce a peak power figure of 335bhp.

The balance is very much skewed to the rear, with a new 282bhp motor producing the bulk of the output, and augmented by a 107bhp unit up front. The sum of the two motors’ outputs is more than the headline figure, but 335bhp is as much as the battery components can draw at any one time.

VW has also upped the charging capacities of the GTX compared with single-motor ID. Buzz models: up to 185kW DC fast charging is possible, and this will top up the batteries from 10 to 80 per cent in around 25 minutes. Thanks to the extra driven wheels, the towing capacity has also increased, to up to 1,800kg with a braked trailer.

Seven-seat models feature the same electric motors, but up the battery size to 86kWh (net) and the peak charging capability to 200kW, matching the 25-minute 10 to 80 per cent charge time. The towing capacity is also marginally down on the smaller model, with a 1,600kg rating, while VW claims up to 291 miles of range from this 86kWh version. Beyond the technical differences, the LWB also gets the option of a huge electrochromic glass roof.

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In SWB form the GTX gets from 0-62mph in 6.1 seconds, while the seven-seater extends that to 6.5 seconds – the latter still a massive 3.8-second improvement over the standard 200bhp model.

All ID.Buzz GTX models feature some styling tweaks with a new front bumper and foglight arrangement. There’s also the option of a unique Candy Red finish that’s available as a full body colour or two-tone option overlaid with metallic silver. Standard fit on the GTX are 21-inch wheels, along with a specific grille design, 30-colour ambient lighting, Harman Kardon audio, and a head-up display.

Inside, the light and friendly colour palette of the single-motor car has been swapped out for a more aggressive black and red alternative, with chunkier seats, red piping and lots of black ‘ArtVelour’ microfleece fabric on the seats and doors.

VW’s also been busy updating the tech, with the GTX introducing an updated 12.9-inch infotainment system, featuring the brand’s latest user interface and illuminated sliders for the temperature and volume. These new elements come at the same time as a general update of all the digital interfaces, which have faster reaction times and a general uptick in reliability.

Both versions of the GTX are available to order now, and VW says customer deliveries will begin in the autumn.

Click here for more information on the new Volkwagen ID.3 GTX...