The Cargo presents as a pretty classy version of a van. The twin side doors and choice of single or split tailgate are part of that, but even the timber floor in the load area suggests somebody has put a bit of thought into this car’s specification.

In the cabin, the three-across front seat is trimmed in tough cloth, and there’s a dual-zone climate-control system. A 12.9 inch touchscreen is the major interface, and the driver information is conveyed via a smaller, animated dashboard.

Airy and roomy, the Cargo's interior lacks the premium feel of its people-mover stablemate, but it's still well equipped and easy to live with. A 12.9 inch touchscreen is the central focus, and there are plenty of USB charge points as well as a large storage compartment on top of the dashboard. VW has even added four coat hooks across the bulkhead. There's no walk-through facility due to the standard cargo barrier.

A single electric motor is mounted between the rear wheels of the cargo and fed power from a 79kW battery pack mounted under the floor. Power peaks at 210kW and there's 550Nm of torque, down 10Nm on the people-mover variant.

The ID. Buzz Cargo is a three-seater with a separate driver's seat and a two-seat bench. All three positions get a lap-sash seat belt. Hard-wearing cloth is the default trim material.

Even though it lacks the luxury gear of the people mover variant, the Cargo is still heavy at almost 2.4 tonnes. But the powerful and torquey driveline masks that and without a load on board, the Cargo will get form rest to 100km/h in about eight seconds. Top speed is limited to 160km/h.

VW claims a 431km range for the Cargo and our testing revealed that this is a little optimistic, but not by too much. On an 11kW AC charger, the Cargo will charge form zero to 100 per cent in about seven-and-a-half hours, and on a fast DC charger will accept up to 185kW to go from five per cent charged to 80 per cent in around 30 minutes.