VOLKSWAGEN ID. BUZZ LWB

Huge EV has cruised off into the sunset leaving a big, practical hole that will be hard to fill

- Steve Walker [e-mail]

THERE is a massive hole in my life, and four in the gravel parking space at the front of my house. The ID. Buzz has gone back to Volkswagen after its six-month, 8,000-mile stint on our long-term test fleet. Only the stony indents where its 2.8-tonne, five-metre-long body once nestled remain.

The ID. Buzz is a giant of the passenger-car market, especially in the long-wheelbase form we've been testing. But with great space comes great practicality and it’s been a pleasure to conduct family life for half a year without once having to wonder if anything or anyone will fit in the car. With the ID. Buzz, the answer was always yes.

It's not really a car in truth. Despite being based on the MEB platform that VW Group also uses for cars such as the Audi Q4, Cupra Born and Volkswagen ID.7, the body of the Buzz is more like a mid-sized van in terms of its dimensions. Indeed, the ID. Buzz Cargo is VW's electric alternative to its famous Transporter van, another vehicle where interior space is a top priority.

The size of the Buzz is its strongest suit, together with the way it maximises the interior space within that large footprint. There’s no bonnet to speak of at the front, which helps manoeuvrability, but the sheer length, in combination with the overzealous parking sensors, did make it tricky to reverse onto my street when parked cars were in too close proximity. After a few too many 10-point turns, I took to parking it on the main road overnight when I needed to make a hassle-free getaway in the morning.