New Volkswagen Transporter revealed: hey Ford, can I copy your homework?
August 01, 2024 by Jamie Edkins
Car changing is a big deal
This is the new Volkswagen Transporter, and it’s basically a Ford Transit Custom with a different face. Read on for all you need to know.
- New Volkswagen Transporter revealed
- Shares a lot of parts with the Ford Transit Custom
- Signature Volkswagen styling
- Bigger than the outgoing Transporter
- Panel van and passenger versions available
- On sale later this year
The new Volkswagen Transporter is here, and it’s the result of a relationship with Ford which sees two of the most iconic vans on sale merge into one. Under the skin this is the same as the new Ford Transit Custom, but this is no bad thing.
It means you get the same range of diesel engines as the Ford, and there are plug-in hybrid and all-electric models on offer as well. This new van is also bigger than the old Transporter, and it has a higher payload.
New Volkswagen Transporter design
At a passing glance you could be forgiven for mistaking this new Volkswagen Transporter for the Ford Transit Custom on which it’s based. The two vans may share a very similar shape, but the VW has been given plenty of styling changes to make it stand out.
Those sleek headlights up front are very similar to the ones you’ll find on the Multivan, and the way the front bumper wraps around the grille is akin to the characterful ID Buzz. You can also get a version called the Panamericana which has chunky black cladding and 19-inch alloy wheels.
At the rear you have some C-shaped tail lights which mimic those found on the VW Amarok pickup truck, however you can tell that they occupy the same aperture as the Ford Transit Custom’s lamps.
New Volkswagen Transporter interior, load area and payload
The Transporter’s cabin is also pretty similar to the Transit’s – it has the same overall dashboard layout as the blue oval. It has the same bank of screens as well – with a 12.0-inch digital driver’s display and a whopping 13.0-inch infotainment system taking centre stage.
This van is also larger in every dimension than its predecessor. The new Transporter has grown 146mm in length and 128mm in width, and the result is a much bigger load area. It’ll easily accommodate a Euro pallet between the rear wheel arches, and a long-wheelbase version will come along at a later date.
It can also take more weight than before, with a maximum payload of up to 1,330kg. That’s only just under 40kg more than the outgoing Transporter – and around 50kg less than the Transit Custom – but every little helps. The maximum towing capacity has increased from 2.5 tonnes to 2.8 tonnes.
For carrying around lots of people you can get a nine-seater version called the Caravelle, and this model gets some posher interior materials and added equipment such as a ten-speaker sound system and side curtain airbags.
New Volkswagen Transporter engines
It’ll come as no surprise that the new Volkswagen Transporter will be available with the same range of diesel engines as, you guessed it, the Ford Transit Custom. You can choose between 110hp, 150hp and 170hp outputs, and there’s a choice of manual or automatic gearboxes.
You can also go for a plug-in hybrid version which has a combined output of 232hp. While VW hasn’t confirmed how far it’ll go on electric power alone, you can expect it to match the Transit Custom’s 35-mile figure.
Then there’s the all-electric e-Transporter, which is available with either 136hp, 218hp or 286hp, and all come with a 64kWh battery. The Transit Custom can manage up to 209 miles of range from this same battery pack, so the VW will most likely do the same.
When can I buy a new Volkswagen Transporter?
The new Volkswagen Transporter will be available to order in the next few weeks, and this new van will hit the streets in early 2025. There’s no word on pricing just yet, but you can expect to pay a premium over the Ford Transit Custom to have a VW badge on the bonnet. A figure of around £35,000 seems likely.
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