Electric power suits a car of this size and brief so well, the quietness and refinement, in particular, a real boon. The driving experience will be familiar from any of the growing number of MEB-based cars from Volkswagen, Audi, Cupra and Skoda, delivering brisk but not hair-raising acceleration, and well-judged regenerative braking for more one-pedal driving in the ‘B’ driving mode, selected from the column gear selector. It can still provide a good surge forwards when needed, though, with enough torque on tap even higher up the rev range.
The steering is nicely weighted and precise in its operation, and it undoubtedly feels like that of a car, rather than a van. That latter point goes for the handling, too, the ID Buzz proving itself a surprisingly adept performer through the corners, with far less body roll than you would expect, thanks to the low centre of gravity afforded by the battery pack mounting.
Manoeuvrability is great, too, the turning circle just 11.1 metres thanks to the rear-motor, rear-wheel-drive layout. It also rides nicely, with a multi-link rear suspension as standard. There are no major disturbances from bumps in the road, although it’s a little soft and wallowy on the motorway, and there’s some wind noise (still, at 0.29, the drag coefficient is surprisingly low).
On UK roads, the Buzz feels in some ways remarkably like VW's well-established dynamic model for a medium-sized commercial. The steering effort, gearing and the stabilising understeer built into the Buzz’s chassis are all quite familiar, as is the overall effort and retardation of the brakes - though the Buzz has plenty of brake pedal travel, and a detectable step between the regen and friction phases of braking.
But in other ways the ID Buzz is a long step ahead of its combustion-engined predecessors. Its ride is impressively composed and quiet over high-frequency ripples. Its chassis has a feeling of tautness, damping is fairly impressive and – better still – the cabin is as quiet as a good saloon's over coarse surfaces. Only when pressed over roads with big, long-wave bumps does the suspension begin to lose composure, and even here it does pretty well.
Best of all, the ID Buzz's elevated driving position, good steering, all-surface capability and refinement make it quicker, and easier to handle, than its 4.7-metre size suggests. VW Transporters and Californias have always worked well as family transport, but this new EV edition promises to set an even higher standard. It feels more mature than the other ID cars too, the extra size and weight aiding the refinement, sense of calm and overall substance.