The Volkswagen ID Buzz's Face Opens So You Can Fill the Washer Fluid
VW's electric retro van is the latest EV with a frunkless setup.
Peek-a-boo!
Volkswagen's given its new electric ID Buzz a retro cab-over look like the original Type 2 microbus while ensuring it will still pass modern crash tests. If you were hoping the Buzz would have some sort of frunk with cargo space up front, however, I'm afraid you're out of luck. The ID Buzz does have a panel in the nose that opens up, but it's pretty much just for washer fluid.
With a pull of a lever in the driver's footwell, the Buzz's bottom-hinged panel opens up to reveal the spout and a bunch of wiring and plastic bits. It looks pretty goofy when open, like the Buzz is pushing out its lower lip at you. This isn't the first car to have a similar access panel. The Audi A2's blanked-out grille flipped open to reveal ports for the oil and washer fluid, for instance. Then there's the Mercedes EQS, which has no frunk and a sealed-off hood for better aerodynamics; Mercedes gave it a separate panel on the front left fender that pops open for filling up the washer fluid.
Look at that stubby lil' face.
Honestly, I think it's OK that the Buzz doesn't have a frunk. Due to the shape and styling of the front end it would be tough to create an opening that wouldn't be awkwardly shaped or ruin the look, and I don't think there would be much space anyway. Even in the short-wheelbase, two-row Euro-spec form you see here the Buzz has a lot of cargo room, with 39.6 cubic feet of space behind the second row of seats. Those seats can fold to create a horizontal surface, and VW will offer a height-adjustable floor to create a flat load floor. The Buzz we get in the US will be a long-wheelbase model with three rows of seats, which should still have a lot of room in the back. And for Europeans who need space, a Cargo version of the ID Buzz is going on sale alongside the passenger version.
I'm sure that for a small subset of potential EV buyers, the lack of a frunk will be a dealbreaker. That would be silly though, as the ID Buzz is a fantastic package that seems to have lived up to its immense expectations. The long-wheelbase Buzz will be revealed next year, with its on-sale date in the US set for 2024.
