Electric Car Awards 2023: Best electric MPV
With electrified cars now coming in all shapes and sizes – and available to suit every budget – we’ve named the best models in every class. Here we look at the best electric MPV...
Volkswagen ID Buzz SWB Style
Being named best electric MPV is a bit like dominating at sports day when you’re home schooled, in that there’s precious little competition to overcome. But don’t go thinking that this means the Volkswagen ID Buzz is less deserving of its place here than some of our other winners.
On the contrary, we rate the Buzz so highly that we named it our overall 2023 Car of the Year back in January, reasoning that it had moved the game on more than any other model launched in the preceding 12 months.
For example, in an era where cars often have big blindspots, the Buzz offers sensational all-round visibility – partly because of its huge windows and partly because you sit at the sort of height usually reserved for Range Rover drivers.
However, because the Buzz’s heavy battery is positioned beneath its floor, this tall vehicle feels far more stable than you might imagine. And your confidence behind the wheel is further enhanced by steering that’s both accurate and nicely weighted.
Around town, the Buzz is much better at soaking up bumps and potholes than the Volkswagen ID 4 SUV with which it shares its underpinnings, yet you don’t pay for this comfort with nausea-inducing floatiness at higher speeds. Factor in how quiet the Buzz is, even on the motorway, and it’s a very relaxing way in which to cover big miles.
True, the Buzz doesn’t have the electric MPV class entirely to itself; you might also want to consider one of the van-based alternatives out there, such as the Mercedes EQV or Peugeot e-Traveller. Indeed, the EQV can seat seven people and the e-Traveller up to nine, whereas the Buzz is limited to five (at least until the bigger, LWB version arrives next year).
Bear in mind, though, that these alternatives feel very agricultural to drive, by comparison. And anyway, the Buzz is still very practical by most standards, with sliding rear side doors to make access easy, an interior that’s wide enough to let three rear passengers sit side by side in comfort, and a boot so big that we ran out of suitcases when trying to see how many it would take.
In addition, no van-based electric MPV can match the Buzz’s official range of up to 258 miles (251 miles in our preferred Style trim). And while some rivals are cheaper, they won’t hold their value anywhere near as well.
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