Volkswagen updates ID. Buzz, replaces haptic buttons with real buttons

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Purrchil@reddit

Finally that color scheme. I cannot understand they didn’t offer this from launch. If you think of a old VW bus, you think red and white.

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Parcours97@reddit

No idea, im not from the US. Maybe at your local VW dealer.

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kstetter@reddit (OP)

Plugin hybrids are very popular here, it's very confusing to me that every western manufacturer only offers ICE or EV

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Thomas_633_Mk2@reddit

Plugin hybrids are very popular here, it's very confusing to me that every western manufacturer only offers ICE or EV

There's a real size and weight penalty, and Western manufacturers tend to emphasis sportiness and feel because they ain't competing on price or features.

As a quick example, using what our market call utes but what are really pickup trucks:

EV: Ford F-150 Lightning: 5.91m long, 3.1 tonnes (131 kWh)

PHEV (dedicated PHEV platform): BYD Shark 6: 5.46m long, 2.8 tonnes (30 kWh, 2.0L engine)

PHEV (ICE platform): Ford Ranger PHEV: 5.37m long, 2.7 tonnes (18 kWh, 2.3L engine)

They're only single data points, but they're illustrative of the wider trend that PHEV's are just heavy. An engine + a battery and motor is a lot of weight, and combining the two makes a very heavy car. Doing so on a platform not specifically designed to do so is even worse (the Ranger has 40% less battery and is shorter, but is only 100kg lighter). And that PHEV platform will then be worse at making a purely petrol/diesel or a purely EV vehicle.

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V8-Turbo-Hybrid@reddit

You’re asking T7 Transporter, it’s exactly VW van with hybrid. However, like its Transit Customer, VW with Ford don’t believe it would sell in America.

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The_Bucket_Of_Truth@reddit

Does this mean it'll get rear window switches back as well? Or is that only for all new generations?

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Dachshand@reddit

Rear window switches for the manual sliding windows?

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OkDirection8015@reddit

Did they also ditch the EV batteries and put in a 2.0 turbo?

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McChickenLargeFries@reddit

Man VW dropped the ball so hard on this thing, it could've been the car of the decade. Imagine bringing back the VW bus, making it look dope AF, super functional, futuristic but also retro at the same time.

But then failing in every other department. The original VW bus was $22,000 when adjusting for inflation. This thing is almost 3 times that price.. Then there's the 234-mi range on the quintessential road-trip vehicle that can't take road-trips.

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Dachshand@reddit

The original was a cheap ass transporter. This is a luxury product. Apples and oranges.

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Parcours97@reddit

The VW T7 starts at 55k€ or 64k$, thats the better comparison than a 70 year old car with ZERO features.

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McChickenLargeFries@reddit

I don't see where in my comment I was comparing a 70 year old cars technology to a modern day one.. Also the T7 isn't sold in the US.

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Parcours97@reddit

The original VW bus was $22,000 when adjusting for inflation. This thing is almost 3 times that price..

There you go. Here is your comparison.

So if the T7 isn't even sold in the US who in their right mind would produce a new platform just for the US?

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KeyboardGunner@reddit

Europe only for now.

The 2026 VW ID.Buzz will reach dealers in Europe and the UK this summer. While the updates are currently limited to the other side of the Atlantic, there is a chance they will be applied to the US-spec ID.Buzz for the 2027 model year.

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Dachshand@reddit

I thought they discontinued the Buzz in the US.

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NotSoBadBrad@reddit

There are still brand new MY2025 for sale

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mustangfan12@reddit

VW is slowly heading in the right direction, all they gotta do now is add back physical HVAC controls

The ID Buzz needs better range

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ArthurFinchleyIII@reddit

It already has a 86kWh battery.

It’s like driving a brick wall, there’s only so much you can do for range at 70 mph. Imo it makes more sense to cruise slower in these. 60 will massively increase your range, and honestly most of the time you’re going to be driving around town anyway.

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julienjj@reddit

Driving around town ? Pretty sure the market for those westfalias where always people who go on camping.

No wonder they sold about 5 of them.

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ArthurFinchleyIII@reddit

Really? This is clearly a large family hauler. That’s why I want one.

As other users have noted, it doesn’t even have a camper mode and will turn off in the middle of the night. You can’t use it to keep air circulating or keep you warm etc.

I bet it’s going to spend 80-90% of its life in the city on the school run or similar.

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julienjj@reddit

I would take an odyssey or a sienna as a large family hauler waaaaay before any VW or anything electric.

Both those vans will easily serve you well for 14-16 years with very little maintenance.

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Gilbert0686@reddit

We have 228,000 miles on one of our odysseys with nothing but oil changes and tires since we bought it 100,000 miles ago. About to take it in for a big service though.

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julienjj@reddit

Big service isn't that big tho. Just changing the transmission fluid with the OE stuff and all the various filters will go a long way.

Just remember to clean and lube the automatic door mechanism/rails since they don't really do that at the dealer.

We did so many road trips with that van towing a little boat. Not the most sporty ride around (lol) but super safe for the precious cargo and enough space to have the kids play with their own toys on their side when you want some quiet time.

When we sold ours it was starting to get rusty in the rear fenders but absolutely everything was working well.

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Oh_ffs_seriously@reddit

odyssey or a sienna

Europeanishly: A what and a what?

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julienjj@reddit

Honda Odyssey and or a Toyota sienna :P

I think the honda is sold as a LaGreat elsewhere.

Both are unkillable japanese minivans that have 3 full size rows of seats.

They're like a VW multivan, but so reliable your familly use it till the kids are in university then you sell it and it lives a 2nd life as an airport taxi for another 8 years.

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ArthurFinchleyIII@reddit

It being an EV is the whole point. Charging is free/cheap. Diesel is £2/L.

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Dachshand@reddit

To be fair 86kwh still isn’t a lot for a big „camper“ van.

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cook_poo@reddit

It charges well enough that the trips we’ve taken haven’t been a problem. It gets to 100 as fast as my Rivian gets to 70, so I’ve found it to be largely a wash as to which is faster to roadtrip.

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Fozzymandius@reddit

What rate does it charge at when near full? I’m surprised to hear that because that would make it one of the better charging vehicles out there.

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drfsrich@reddit

You figured it out. It's the ultimate throwback experience - driving dangerously show I in a VW Bus because that's all it can do! ;)

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alastoris@reddit

Now for the golf R to get that update, that's the final thing I need to pick one up!

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joe2105@reddit

It's really not a deal breaker at all. I was someone who wanted one when they released but decided not to due to the controls. Recently picked up a 2024 and it's fantastic. The touch controls are a non-issue tbh.

It was blown out of proportion by journalists when it came out and they had improvements to make (2022 infotainment speed) but mine is really great. There are too many people out there who have never experienced a mk8 that complain about the touch controls. I would highly suggest you go out and test drive a few!

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alastoris@reddit

Maybe I'll grow to be okay with it. I sat in one with it in hand and I wasn't a fan.

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thiber@reddit

By now they‘ve updated almost all models except the R. That is because have no real R button yet.

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Jim-Plank@reddit

Yeha, they just can't be bothered (too cheap) to make an entirely new wheel SKU just for the R.

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_carbonneutral@reddit

It's really not bad... finally bought a '26 and was ready to swap out the steering wheel controls to physical buttons, but ended up keeping the haptic ones.

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0992673@reddit

Pre-2020 physical knobs and buttons clima panel back plz. The modern piano black touch-only clima panel VW is no better.

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gigamiga@reddit

Keeping my 2018 running just long enough for it all to come back nicely :)

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BlazinAzn38@reddit

I think the Buzz’ range would have been acceptable had the price been cheaper to match

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testthrowawayzz@reddit

And physical headlight knob based on the picture in the article

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LevanderFela@reddit

Updated ID.3 Neo got HVAC buttons back!

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The_Crazy_Swede@reddit

Those "buttons" looks a whole lot like icons on a screen or touch "buttons" and not actual buttons.

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Modders14@reddit

They are actual buttons.

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LevanderFela@reddit

Yep, there's an extensive hands-on video.

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Godvater@reddit

They have added physical hvac to their latest vehicles

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Dredgeon@reddit

Maybe that range extender they've been working on for the Scout?

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Sun_Aria@reddit

I saw an ID Buzz the other day and they look like a fun ride! But yeah, the range is lacking.

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wearymicrobe@reddit

Admittedly I have only had mine for the last week. The haptic buttons are fine after you use them for like an hour or two. Just brining up the speed on the freeway with the cruise control sucks. The 91kwh battery is more than acceptable and the range sucks because it’s a huge box being pushed through the air.

I have been getting 3 miles per kWh give or take which I find more than acceptable for just how many people and things you can fit inside. It’s dead quiet indie, does not rattle and the build quality perfect for the purpose. It’s way too expensive but tarrifs and low production numbers are hard to fight.

It needs a better stereo on the fully loaded package, a camping mode, and it should never be available in anything other than a two tone color-way. Also a battery heat pump, which I don’t really need in SoCal.

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idriveaVdub@reddit

One tip I found for adjusting cruise control speed is that a hard press is +5 mph and then a light press is +1, it's similar to how 3D touch was on the older iPhones. I'm not sure if that's the same issue you're having but it was one of mine until I realized what was going on.

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Flyinace2000@reddit

Super common feature. Both my MINi and Honda will do 5mph increments on a long/hard press vs 1 on a quick press

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quantum-quetzal@reddit

They're talking about the actual force used to press the button, not the duration of the press.

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Flyinace2000@reddit

Yes, I understand. I'm saying there are similar features in other cars that the capacitive touch buttons are mimicking.

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SavageryRox@reddit

VW was giving dealerships $1,500 to wrap montone units because they weren't selling. Something about production restrictions with the two-tone paint.

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cook_poo@reddit

Two tone is really expensive is the reason.

The front grill is too intricate to wrap, so the wrapped ones look really weird.

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autobauss@reddit

Never got used to buttons despite driving pretty much all VW products for hours ever since this nonse was introduced

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Fiveby21@reddit

Audi also announced a return to physical in their next design generation.

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PsychologicalPen8634@reddit

Ferrari also announced a retrofit steering wheel for the past few years of their cars that had haptics

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DM725@reddit

So had they offered AWD and a more inconspicuous paint job in the U.S. I would have considered it.

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fuzzylogicIII@reddit

We did it reddit

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InfinitePossibility8@reddit

Bullying works

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QcRoman@reddit

Too little too late.

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costafilh0@reddit

Good. Dozens of additional sales because of it.

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fishmousse@reddit

That's probably a 200% increase

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vhs29@reddit

From the 60k they sold last year, only 7k were in the US. So, maybe?

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StonedBooty@reddit

I thought they were cancelling this?

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kstetter@reddit (OP)

For the US

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cook_poo@reddit

Trying to rile people up. Not canceled, skipping a year until the refreshed my27.

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Hustletron@reddit

It is coming back to US next year

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gutster_95@reddit

I will never understand how they could have some design studies and subjet tests where all of the people said: "Yup, buttonless interior is the shit, please do this"

Like noone likes it, yet it was in the cars for the last 6-7 years?

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real_picklejuice@reddit

I thought I read something that they had cancelled it?

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Drzhivago138@reddit

Not cancelled outright, but they've skipped 2026 for the US.