At last week’s annual media conference in Hanover, Germany, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles revealed a sportier “near-production” GTX version of the ID. Buzz, the recreated electric version of the VW Transporter, with an output of 250 kW. Lars Krause, Member of the Board of Management responsible for Sales and Marketing at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, called it “the most powerful Bulli of all time,” referring to the nickname for Transporters for transporting goods in Germany.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles produces the Transporter, Caddy, the new Multivan, Caddy, Crafter, and Amarok model lines, and since May 2022 the ID. Buzz, with around 24,000 employees at sites in Hanover, Poznań and Września in Poland, and Pacheco in Argentina. It is also the lead VW brand for autonomous driving and offerings such as MaaS (mobility-as-a-service) and TaaS (transport-as-a-service).

Pre-sales in Germany for the ID. Buzz GTX will start in the summer. The U.S. version will receive the all-wheel-drive powertrain of the GTX model, but not its badging and equipment set, with more details coming before launch later this year.

 

Sporty updates

The GTX gets a unique front bumper with a black air intake grille in a honeycomb design, side air guide elements, and daytime running lights. Cherry Red is an exclusive GTX body color in solid or two-tone with Mono Silver metallic finish. Body elements, like those on the bumper, GTX lettering, and exterior mirror housings, are finished in high-gloss black. A Solna 20-in alloy wheel is standard with two new optional 21-in alloy wheels. IQ.Light LED matrix headlights are standard.

The ID. Buzz with a long wheelbase is now available with the largest panoramic sunroof ever used in a VW, turning “the ID. Buzz into a Samba bus for a new era.” The multi-layered smart glass has an integrated liquid crystal film that can be electrically switched from transparent to opaque.

The GTX version will come in two wheelbases and two battery sizes; 5-, 6-, or 7-seater configuration; and standard all-wheel drive.

The standard shorter wheelbase model gets a 79-kW·h (net) pack and the extended 250 mm (9.8 in) longer wheelbase uses an 86-kW·h (net) battery. DC quick charging of the 79 kW·h battery can be up to 185 kW and the 86-kW·h version at up to 200 kW, but both can be charged from a 10-80% state in about 26 min at maximum capacity.

There are two electric drive motors, an 80-kW unit on the front axle and a 210-kW unit on the rear axle. Thanks to the extra 100 kW and the 4Motion four-wheel-drive system, the normal- and long-wheelbase GTX offer higher maximum trailer weights increased by 800 and 600 kg (1760 and 1320 lb), respectively, for 1800- and 1600-kg (3970- and 3530-lb) maximum capacities.

Inside, darker tones underline the sporty character, with GTX the only model in the line equipped with a black headliner. The seats feature a GTX-specific design, with covers of black ArtVelours Eco microfleece, a diamond pattern, and red piping/stitching.

Both wheelbases are available as a five-seater with a 40:60 split three-seat bench in the second row or a six-seater with two individual seats each in the second and third rows. The long-wheelbase model is also offered as a seven-seater with a three-seat bench in the second row and two individual seats in the third row. The seats in the second row can be moved longitudinally by 150 mm (5.9 in) in the standard wheelbase or 200 mm (7.9 in) for the long wheelbase.

Major hardware and software updates come to the ID. Buzz line with the GTX. UX updates are a next-generation infotainment system powered by a faster processor with new menu navigation, graphics, and an optional head-up display. The system’s touchscreen is now 12.9 vs. 12.0 in. Also new is an illuminated touch bar for temperature and volume control.

 

Generative AI help from Cerence

The voice assistant now features OpenAI’s ChatGPT generative AI (artificial intelligence) integration for more natural voice commands and much broader capabilities. For instance, in the GTX it not only allows control of numerous vehicle functions but also provides answers to “general knowledge” questions using the online connection to databases such as Wikipedia. A new wellness app uses preconfigured programs to adjust various vehicle functions to improve well-being while driving or charging.

At CES 2024 in January, Volkswagen presented the first vehicles integrating ChatGPT into its IDA voice assistant. The company said it will be the first volume manufacturer to offer ChatGPT as a standard feature from the second quarter of 2024, with the new chatbot offered with the latest generation of infotainment not only in the ID. Buzz GTX but also the ID.7, ID.4, ID.5, ID.3, and new Tiguan, Passat, and Golf.

“Volkswagen has always democratized technology and made it accessible to the many,” said Kai Grünitz, Member of the Board of Management Volkswagen Brand for Technical Development. “As a result, we are now the first volume manufacturer to make this innovative technology a standard feature in vehicles from the compact segment upwards.”

The voice assistant uses Cerence Inc.’s Chat Pro as the foundation of the new function.

“With Cerence Chat Pro, Volkswagen is empowered with an automotive-grade ChatGPT integration that offers unmatched flexibility, customization, and ease of deployment, while prioritizing security and usability for drivers,” said Stefan Ortmanns, CEO of Cerence. “As we look to the future, together Volkswagen and Cerence will explore collaboration to design a new, large language model (LLM) based user experience as the foundation of Volkswagen’s next-generation in-car assistant.”

The integration into the backend of the Volkswagen voice assistant offers a multitude of new capabilities beyond the previous voice control. In addition to answering general knowledge questions, the IDA voice assistant can control the infotainment, navigation, and air conditioning. In the future, VW says that the AI will have continuously expanding capabilities helpful on many levels during a car journey such as enriching conversations, clearing up questions, interacting in intuitive language, and receiving vehicle-specific information—hands-free.

The feature prioritizes security and seamless integration with IDA’s capabilities and delivers improved ease of use. ChatGPT does not gain access to any vehicle data, and questions and answers are deleted immediately to ensure the highest possible level of data protection. This is facilitated by Cerence Chat Pro, which leverages many sources including ChatGPT, to enable IDA to provide accurate and relevant responses to nearly every query.

VW says that nothing changes for the person behind the wheel. Creating a new account, installing a new app, or activating ChatGPT is unnecessary. The voice assistant is activated by saying “Hello IDA,” or pressing a steering wheel button. The IDA automatically prioritizes whether a vehicle function should be executed, a temperature adjusted, or a destination searched. If the request cannot be answered by the system, it is forwarded anonymously to the AI. Regardless, the familiar VW voice responds.