New 2024 Volkswagen ID.Buzz LWB: Prices, specs and release date

The new Volkswagen ID.Buzz LWB is a seven-seat version of the characterful, retro-look Volkswagen ID.Buzz electric MPV. The longer wheelbase yields enough room inside both for a third row of seats and a bigger boot, and the firm has introduced a bigger battery option, too.

The new Volkswagen ID.Buzz LWB runs alongside the existing Volkswagen ID.Buzz, which is offered in both MPV and Cargo guise. A van version of the new Volkswagen ID.Buzz LWB is expected in due course, too.

The new Volkswagen ID.Buzz LWB is an alternative to other large seven-seat electric MPVs such as the Mercedes-Benz EQV, Citroen e-Spacetourer, Vauxhall Vivaro Life Electric and Peugeot e-Traveller. None of them has the style of the new Volkswagen ID.Buzz LWB though – and the only contemporary alternative, the Tesla Model X, is no longer offered in right-hand drive.

The new Volkswagen ID.Buzz LWB has been revealed in the US and will soon start touring European events and motor shows, including the popular VW Bus Festival in Hanover. The firm will open ordering later this year, with first deliveries expected in early 2024.

New Volkswagen ID.Buzz LWB prices will naturally be higher than the regular Volkswagen ID.Buzz – and that's a model that already costs almost £59,000 even in entry-level guise. With its extra space and power, the new Volkswagen ID.Buzz LWB is likely to cost upwards of £65,000, and prices could even hit the £70,000 mark for entry-level versions.

Higher-spec new Volkswagen ID.Buzz LWB, with the larger battery and most powerful motor, could edge towards the £100,000 mark…

The new Volkswagen ID.Buzz LWB has all the loveable modern-retro style of the regular ID.Buzz. The only major difference is that it's longer overall. Even the large VW roundel at the front is the same – and for major market outside the UK, it's now illuminated. Sadly, this feature isn't legal over here.

Colour combinations for the new Volkswagen ID.Buzz LWB will be just as bright and cheerful as with the regular version. The multi-colour options will be most popular, but less overt hues will be available too.

The new Volkswagen ID.Buzz LWB measures 4962mm long, thanks to a 250mm longer wheelbase (it grows from 2969mm to 3239mm). This means the sliding rear doors are longer too, by 192mm, while the overhang behind the rear wheels has also increased slightly.

Visually, the extra length of the new Volkswagen ID.Buzz LWB works well, giving it an elegant profile that works well alongside the slightly sportier-look normal wheelbase model. The extra length has been blended in nicely.

Inside, the big difference with the new Volkswagen ID.Buzz LWB is the availability of a third row of seats. In the UK, five seats are likely to be standard, with those buying or leasing a new Volkswagen ID.Buzz LWB being offered the choice of either six or seven seat variations.

The new Volkswagen ID.Buzz LWB 7st version has a two-three-two layout of seats, while the 6st version has three rows of two seats. The middle row is a 60:40-split bench, with the individual sections reclining by 16 degrees, or sliding forward 200mm to improve space in the rear. The third row of seats also each recline and slide.

All five rear seats in the new Volkswagen ID.Buzz LWB can be folded flat into the floor. This liberates up to 2469 litres of stowage space when all the seats are folded down. With five seats in use, it has a 1340-litre load space – and even with all seats occupied, there's still 306 litres of boot space.

The new Volkswagen ID.Buzz offers up to six ISOFIX points for child seats, and up to eight USB-C sockets for ultra-fast charging of devices. There's rear multi-zone climate control too, with the digital controls located next to the rear LED reading lamps. Multi-colour ambient lighting is available.

The new Volkswagen ID.Buzz LWB has a newly-developed panoramic sunroof that's the largest ever produced by VW. It measures a huge 1.5 square metres and has ‘smart glass’ that can be changed from transparent to opaque via a touch slider – or by using the Volkswagen voice assistant.

Up front, the new Volkswagen ID.Buzz LWB benefits from the latest, much-improved VW infotainment system. The 5.3-inch driver display remains, but the centre touchscreen has grown to 12.9 inches. The menus are easier to use and both the temperature and volume controls are now illuminated. A head up display is available too.

The new Volkswagen ID.Buzz LWB is available with a new, more powerful electric motor, alongside the existing entry-level 204ps setup. The new electric motor produces 285ps, which delivers improved performance. 0-62mph acceleration takes a much swifter 7.9 seconds, while the top speed is capped to 99mph – which is faster than the 90mph top speed limiter of the regular Volkswagen ID.Buzz. Like today's model, the 285ps new Volkswagen ID.Buzz LWB is rear-wheel drive.

There will also be an all-wheel drive new Volkswagen ID.Buzz LWB GTX, with dual electric motors. This will produce an overall 339ps power output, which will be good for 0-62mph performance in 6.4 seconds. The extra power will make light work of driving with seven people on board, too.

The new Volkswagen ID.Buzz LWB offers the same 77kWh battery as today's model. However, an additional 85kWh battery will also be available. Volkswagen hasn't yet revealed details of its range, but it will improve on today's 258-mile maximum range. We expect a range of up to 285 miles.

The new Volkswagen ID.Buzz LWB's 85kWh battery will also offer 200kW rapid charging capability, for faster top-ups than the 170kW peak of the 77kWh battery. The firm says a new type of heat pump is more efficient in winter, too.

Before you step into a showroom, read our in-depth guide to all the new cars coming in the next 12 months and beyond – some are well worth the wait.

It may be a people carrier, but the new Volkswagen ID.Buzz LWB also has a decent turn of speed. 0-62mph acceleration takes 7.9 seconds, and the 2024 GTX version will do 0-62mph in 6.4 seconds.

The new Volkswagen ID.Buzz LWB is 250mm longer than the regular Volkswagen ID.Buzz. It measures almost five metres long, making it one of the largest new VWs you can buy.

The new Volkswagen ID.Buzz LWB is a genuine global EV. It will be sold in the USA and China as well as in Europe and the UK. It is built at Volkswagen's low CO2 factory in Germany.