Volkswagen ID. Buzz GTX 2024 First Impressions

A launch in Hanover, Germany, proved to be the perfect place to drive the new range-topping Volkswagen ID. Buzz GTX - rolling fields and country roads, tight town driving and the autobahn gave me a real opportunity to try it out properly. ‘Opening it up’ is the wrong term to use with electric vehicles, but I was able to put my foot down and experience the benefits of two (yes, two) electric motors powering this speedy van in the mainland European sun - it felt like the right way to experience the top-spec ID. Buzz.
This GTX version is now the sporting flagship of the expanded 2025 ID. Buzz line-up available in standard and long wheelbase form, although the UK will get the GTX on its standard wheelbase length only - you can read our long wheelbase ID. Buzz review in our car reviews section. The GTX version offers drivers a classy exterior and interior design tweaks, including new wheels and colour options, a full length panoramic sunroof, the new larger and updated infotainment system with head-up display, a choice of battery options, and 4MOTION all-wheel drive as standard. It all comes at a price (as you’d expect for an ID. Buzz - which is where finance or a lease deal could help), so let’s take a closer look at what it offers for your hard-earned money.

This is where the GTX really shines and offers a major difference from the ID. Buzz you’ll already be familiar with. First up, the battery option offered to GTX buyers: 79kWh with a larger battery not offered in the UK. However, most importantly is that the GTX is the first ID. Buzz model to be equipped with two electric motors (one on each axle) to deliver 4MOTION all-wheel drive for a total power output of 340PS. This offers a top speed limited to 99 mph, but getting there with a 0-62 mph time of just 6.1 seconds for the standard-wheelbase model is electrifyingly fast. It feels way quicker than a vehicle of its size and weight has any right to feel.
Charging is simple, with the 79kWh battery’s top DC charging speed of up to 185kW providing 10-80% charges in around 26 minutes! The GTX also offers a higher maximum towing weight than the standard ID. Buzz models with the standard wheelbase model pulling up to 1,800kg.

It would be easy to dismiss the external details and design upgrades as skin-deep, but the bespoke exterior design package for the new GTX flagship model of the ID. Buzz includes front and rear bumpers, colours and wheel designs.
We’ve got new front bumper features like the black air intake grille now sporting a honeycomb design and new side air guides that give the vehicle’s front end a dynamic, distinctive appearance. New daytime running lights are also added into the bumper on both sides, alongside new air intake grilles, GTX lettering and the exterior mirror housings are finished in high-gloss black. You’ll also notice the addition of stylish and exclusive 21-inch alloy wheels that come as standard on the GTX. As for the paintwork, the new ‘Cherry Red’ paint style is offered exclusively on the GTX and can be configured in two-tone with Mono Silver - although I saw a picture of an all-red version that looked very cool, not to be down the two-tone colourway. On the inside, the GTX gets branded seats with electrically adjustable ergonomics and memory functions as standard in the front. The seats are finished with ArtVelours Eco microfleece with a diamond pattern and red contrasting seams and piping - a touch you’ll notice on all seats and even on the multifunction steering wheel. And, just like the new ID. Buzz Long Wheelbase version, you can have the high-tech panoramic sunroof – the largest ever fitted to a Volkswagen – added to the vehicle as an option (which I think most people will want).

The only version of the GTX currently marked for a UK release is the standard wheelbase model that comes as a five-seater with a 40:60 split three-seat bench in the second row, or as a six-seater with two individual seats each in the second and third rows. The boot volume of the GTX standard wheelbase is between 1,121 litres (when loaded to the upper edge of the rear seat backrests) and 2,123 litres (with the rear bench seat folded down, loaded up to the upper edge of the front seat backrests).
Also, depending on seat layout, GTX models can be equipped with a long or short Multiflex board (including two folding boxes). This creates a second loading level and – when the rear seats are folded down – a flat load area that you could definitely stick a rock and roll mattress on (which I’m told is an incredibly popular thing to do in the ID. Buzz).

The GTX, like the other models in the updated ID. Buzz range features what Volkswagen is calling “a major hardware and software update”. These include a new head-up display and the updated generation of the familiar infotainment system, with its touchscreen increasing in size from 12 inches to 12.9 inches as standard. There’s also a new illuminated touch bar for temperature and volume control - although I always miss the hard controls for ease of use.
Take a look at the recently-published review of the Long Wheelbase ID.Buzz for more information on these and other upgrades in the latest models.

Having spent only a few hours with the GTX version, I’m very impressed with what it offers. I’m not positioning this article as a review, rather an overview of what the top trim level has under its belt. The two motors offer a lot of acceleration and make it so easy to get away at traffic lights and to get up to motorway speeds - there’s simply significantly more power on offer than the standard versions. The internal detailing is nice, the red trim making it feel more sporty, and the exterior styling is always a nice addition to range-topping trims.
Ultimately, the high total price is the only issue I’ve ever seen as a hurdle for the ID. Buzz - once you drive one the only question on your mind is likely to be “how can I pay for it”. The retro looks, the internal styling, the power of two motors all comes together to make an interesting package at the top of the lineup. Drive one if you get the chance - that’s not an order, just a suggestion.