Should you buy one?

That depends. If you need a big electric car with an enormous boot, the Volkswagen ID. Buzz could suit you well. The fact it has a pretty interior, attention-grabbing looks, solid handling and a comfortable ride is a bonus. But this is a style-led car for families looking to make a statement – and there are options out there with a broader spread of ability.

The Buzz’s maximum range is limited by its heavy weight and blunt shape. That means it can’t drive as far on a charge as a conventionally shaped Volkswagen MEB electric car, such as an ID.4 SUV or Skoda Enyaq. If you only need a car with five seats and can live without the Buzz’s cavernous boot space, these will be more convenient to own.

Alternatively, if you need an electric seven-seater with a long driving range, the Kia EV9 is probably a better bet. Its larger 99.8kWh battery means it has a real-world range of between 280 and 300 miles (compared to the 200-ish of the Buzz) – and it’s even more comfortable and well-equipped than the van. For the same amount of cash, too.

We’re not that stuck on the GTX model, either. It doesn’t take a big enough stride away from the standard MPV in terms of performance to make it worth the extra cash. Plus, the sports van niche hasn’t even been Volkswagen’s strongest suit. That’s Ford’s job.

The GTX would have been infinitely more recommendable if Volkswagen had jacked up its suspension, bolted on some rugged body cladding, fitted it with some knobbly off-road tyres and marketed it as a high-torque, adventure-seeking tow vehicle.

If you’re a paid-up member of the van life fan club, you’ll find a lot to like about the Buzz. But if you just want a practical electric family car, you’ll find better value elsewhere.

What we like

The ID. Buzz has a spacious interior and a huge amount of boot space in five-seat guise. It’s also pleasant to drive, incredibly refined at speed and we’re yet to drive a car that gets quite so much attention on the high street. Plus, now that it’s available with seven seats, it can suit the needs of more drivers. That new infotainment is great, too.

What we don’t like

We found the Buzz’s bench seat to be quite disappointing. Its folding mechanism is quite basic, so it robs a bit of outright boot space. Range has improved with the new batteries, but it still can’t rival the EV9 as a convenient motorway cruiser. The new GTX model isn’t fast or capable enough to justify its steeper price, either.