Volkswagen ID. Buzz GTX confirmed

A performance-oriented GTX version of the Volkswagen ID. Buzz electric people-mover has been quietly confirmed.

The intel comes from a recently published Volkswagen slideshow detailing future plans for the ID. Buzz posted on the VW ID Talk forum site, which previews the performance variant via a whole-slide image of a GTX-branded steering wheel along with the words: “ID. Buzz – there’s more to come… GTX-Version”.

The image itself showcases lower third of the steering wheel’s black, red and silver colourway, with the focus clearly on the GTX logo.

No other details, teasers or titbits are shown within the slideshow but examining the established GTX portfolio – Volkswagen ID.4 and ID.5 – gives us a pretty clear indication of what’s to come.

For starters, a dual-motor powertrain good for around 220kW/460Nm is all but guaranteed to power the GTX version of the born-again Kombi EV.

Complementing the extra performance will be a more aggressive body kit comprising a black grille mesh and GTX badging, plus bigger alloy wheels and a sportier cabin.

The sports steering wheel previews the black and red interior colour scheme as well as the inevitable sports seats, black headlining and dedicated GTX graphics for the infotainment and digital cockpit displays.

But while the performance and athleticism will be stepped up considerably, the driving range will more than likely suffer compared to the standard version on account of the extra motor’s power requirements.

For reference, the standard ID. Buzz will cover up to 423km on a single charge of its 77kWh battery, which it will share with the ID.4 and ID.5 GTX twins – a figure we anticipate dropping back down closer to the 400km mark or even less following the sporty makeover.

The aforementioned SUV twins dispatch the 0-100km/h sprint in around 6.2 seconds and top out at an electronically governed 180km/h – all figures the ID. Buzz GTX should come close to matching… at least in short-wheelbase form.

Long-wheelbase versions by contrast will be powered by a 111kWh battery pack and offered with all-wheel drive, but these versions are yet to break cover officially or be detailed in full.

A long-wheelbase ID. Buzz GTX could actually up the performance ante compared to what we’ve seen from the ID.4 and ID.5 GTXs and depending on exactly how hot the hypothetical flagship ends up being, it could serve as a direct rival for the production-spec Ford SuperVan.

The only other key takeaway from the slideshow is the confirmation/modelling of at least one seven-seat variant.

An Australian launch for the mainstream ID. Buzz range isn’t expected to happen until at least 2024 or 2025, meaning it could be even longer before we see the hot version(s) on local roads.

However, hot GTX versions of the ID.4 and ID.5 are expected to arrive here as part of the local launch of the mid-size electric SUV twins at the end of 2023 or early 2024.