The 2022 Volkswagen ID. Buzz achieved a five-star safety rating after acing its crash tests at the European New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). The fully-electric minivan is the spiritual successor to the Volkswagen Type 2, otherwise known as the VW Bus, but thanks to more than half a century of crash safety developments since the release of the original microbus, the latest EV version is far and away the safer choice.
There’s no surprise there, but it’s another example of how Volkswagen managed to stay true to the spirit of the Bus, while bringing its propulsion and safety technology well into the 21st century.
Euro NCAP awarded the VW ID. Buzz a safety score of 92% for adult occupants, 87% for child occupants, 60% for vulnerable road users (including pedestrians and cyclists), and a 90% score for its onboard safety assist features. The overall percentages added up to a five-star rating for the ID. Buzz, which is the highest rating from Euro NCAP.
The battery of tests performed by the safety agency and their results apply to the European-market 2022 Volkswagen ID. Buzz, which is not the same model that will be released in the U.S., but the results give us a pretty good glimpse at what the American-market ID. Buzz could achieve.
The ID. Buzz that Euro NCAP tested is the two-row, short-wheelbase model of the fully-electric Bus, while the U.S. will be getting the long-wheelbase model when sales start in 2024. The short- and long-wheelbase models differ in vehicle length by 10.6 inches, but the longer model is also expected to come with a bigger battery.
The heftier battery pack is almost guaranteed to make the U.S. version of the VW ID. Buzz heavier than its European counterpart overall, which will probably influence how the bigger EV performs when tested by safety agencies in the U.S, like the IIHS or NHTSA. But it seems unlikely that the European and American VW buses will get significantly different safety scores.