Volkswagen’s heritage-laced ID. Buzz breaks with tradition in at least one significant way: it’s one of the safest cars in its class. While owners of the original Bus often joke that the driver is the crumple zone, the new electric van earned a five-star crash test rating in Europe.
The European New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) awarded the Buzz its highest rating after putting it through numerous tests. Weighing in at 5,255 pounds, the EV received a 92% score for adult occupant protection, an 87% score for child occupant protection, a 60% score for vulnerable road user protection and a 90% score in the safety assist department. The agency tested the passenger-carrying model.
Achieving a five-star safety rating was easier said than done. When we drove the Buzz earlier in 2022, we learned that it was particularly difficult for Volkswagen to design a relatively flat front end that echoes the original van while staying on the right side of safety regulations.
Keep in mind that the Buzz tested in Europe isn’t the Buzz that we’ll see in American showrooms when sales start in 2024. We’re getting a long-wheelbase van that hasn’t been revealed or detailed yet. The five-star rating in Europe bodes well for the American model, though, and a good score in Europe often means that a good score is within reach in the United States. For example, the ID.4 (which is built on the same basic platform as the ID. Buzz) received a five-star rating from both the Euro NCAP and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Several other models received a five-star rating in the Euro NCAP’s latest round of testing, including the second-generation Volkswagen Amarok and the latest Ford Ranger that it’s closely related to. The Lexus RX and the Land Rover Discovery Sport got top marks as well.
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