Volkswagen ID. Buzz GTX: the 'ultimate parentmobile'
The 'striking' new mini-van is 'easy to get comfortable in'
It seems counter-intuitive to make a sporty version of a mini-van, but "it's easy to fall for" the "charming" VW ID Buzz GTX. It looks "striking", said Auto Express, with 21-inch alloys and a new front grille and bumper. There's a 50% boost in power: with a dual-motor set-up and 335bhp, it can do 0-62mph in 6.1 seconds (1.6 seconds quicker); towing power increases too. All in all, the new Buzz is "likeable", if not exactly "sensible".
There's a five or six-seater short-wheelbase version or a seven-seater long-wheelbase, with 79kWh and 86kWh batteries respectively. The GTX is quite comfortable, but "doesn't feel as quick as the numbers suggest" and performance tails as you speed up, said Car Magazine. The weight helps with stability at speed, but "blunts its cornering ability"; there's little feel to the brakes and the steering system is slow.
The ID Buzz GTX comes in a new cherry red colour with a panoramic glass roof. The "cavernous interior" is full of handy cubbyholes, there are new sports seats, an improved infotainment screen, plus a "stonking" Harman Kardon sound system. Visibility is great and it's "easy to get comfortable", said The Times. With "no compromise on style and practicality", could this be the "ultimate parentmobile"?
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The launch of the world’s first weight-loss pillSpeed Read Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have been racing to release the first GLP-1 pill
-
Six sensational hotels to discover in 2026The Week Recommends From a rainforest lodge to a fashionable address in Manhattan – here are six hotels that travel journalists recommend for this year
-
Maduro’s capture: two hours that shook the worldTalking Point Evoking memories of the US assault on Panama in 1989, the manoeuvre is being described as the fastest regime change in history
-
Courgette and leek ijeh (Arabic frittata) recipeThe Week Recommends Soft leeks, tender courgette, and fragrant spices make a crisp frittata
-
Avatar: Fire and Ash – third instalment feels like ‘a relic of an earlier era’Talking Point Latest sequel in James Cameron’s passion project is even ‘more humourless’ than the last
-
The Zorg: meticulously researched book is likely to ‘become a classic’The Week Recommends Siddharth Kara’s harrowing account of the voyage that helped kick-start the anti-slavery movement
-
The Housemaid: an enjoyably ‘pulpy’ concoctionThe Week Recommends Formulaic psychological horror with Sydney Sweeney is ‘kind of a scream’
-
William Nicholson: a ‘rich and varied’ exhibitionThe Week Recommends The wide-ranging show brings together portraits, illustrations, prints and posters, alongside ‘ravishing’ still lifes
-
Oh, Mary! – an ‘irreverent, counter-historical’ delightThe Week Recommends Mason Alexander Park ‘gives the funniest performance in town’ as former First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln
-
The ultimate films of 2025 by genreThe Week Recommends From comedies to thrillers, documentaries to animations, 2025 featured some unforgettable film moments
-
Into the Woods: a ‘hypnotic’ productionThe Week Recommends Jordan Fein’s revival of the much-loved Stephen Sondheim musical is ‘sharp, propulsive and often very funny’