More than two years after being announced for the U.S. , Volkswagen’s electric minivan is inching closer to the showroom floor. Today’s baby steps: a price and an EPA-estimated range.
The 2025 ID. Buzz will set buyers back $59,995 for the Pro S trim, which includes seven seats, rear-wheel drive and a 91 kWh battery. With those specs, the bluff-sided van will only be able to drive an EPA-estimated 234 miles before running out of electrons. That’s about 25 miles short of what Volkswagen was targeting as recently as last year .
Still, for the price, buyers will get a reasonably well-equipped minivan, including a 12.9” infotainment display, three-zone climate control, acoustic glass, a range of advanced driver assistance systems and heated, ventilated and massaging power-front seats.
Opting for the Pro S Plus trim adds $3,500 to the price and adds a heads-up display, tow hitch and premium audio, among other goodies. Pro S Plus buyers can add all-wheel drive for another $4,500, which also brings with it second-row captains’ chairs and a heated windshield. (AWD drops the range by four miles but provides 335 horsepower, a healthy boost above the base model’s 282 horsepower.)
Buyers who want to go all out can select the launch-exclusive 1st Edition, which basically adds all the options and drapes the body in one of several examples of the concept’s fetching two-tone paint. Pro S Plus buyers can also opt for the two-tone treatment, though it’ll cost them. Rear-wheel drive 1st Edition specimens will cost $65,495, while AWD versions will run $69,995.
Because the ID. Buzz will be assembled in Europe and imported to the U.S., it isn’t expected to qualify for federal tax credits.
All told, these prices aren’t terrible for a three-row EV, a segment that currently suffers from a dearth of entrants. The Tesla Model S, Rivian R1S and Mercedes-Benz EQS all start thousands higher, and the Tesla Model S and Mercedes-Benz EQB have third rows that make a kiddy picnic table seem roomy.
That leaves the Kia EV9 as the closest competitor. There, the ID. Buzz doesn’t fare well. For $59,200, buyers can take home an EV9 with captains’ chairs, 304 miles of range and a feature set that compares favorably with the VW minivan. If you’re willing to sacrifice range, you can buy an EV9 with 230 miles of range for $5,000 less than an entry-level ID. Buzz. What’s more, Kia has been offering generous incentives recently to offset its current tax credit ineligibility. Once EV9 production commences in Georgia , it’ll likely gain access to federal incentives.
The ID. Buzz’s prices suggest that if Volkswagen wants to move a lot of them, it’s either going to have to go big on incentives or lean heavily on the, ahem, buzz the minivan has generated over the years.