New VW Transporter gets longer, wider and adds electric, hybrid drivetrains

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has touted the increased space, extra payload, and boosted towing capacity of its latest version of its Transporter van range, which is based on the Ford Transit Custom.

VW’s van division released pictures of the new Transporter, showing a front-end design that links the model to the full-electric VW ID Buzz van.

The seventh generation of the long-running Transporter series will be offered with full-electric and plug-in hybrid powertrains for the first time, alongside standard diesel options.

A passenger version will continue to be called the Caravelle. Top-of-the-line versions have a separate front-end design that links it to the separate retail-focused Multivan passenger van range, which sits on the MBQ passenger car platform.

The Transporter and Caravelle were developed alongside the Ford Transit Custom as part of a wide-ranging partnership between Ford and VW Group.

The VW van will be built at Ford’s newly expanded factory complex in Kocaeli, northeastern Turkey.

The two vehicles share the same body shop and paint shop, both of which have been updated to increase capacity. The Transporter has its own final assembly line at the plant.

The Transporter is the final van to be launched as part of an agreement between Ford and Volkswagen that was announced in 2020. The two said they would produce a total of 8 million commercial vehicles together, including pickups.

Ford already builds the Amarok pickup for Volkswagen alongside is own Ranger model at its facility in South Africa. Volkswagen, meanwhile, builds the Ford Transit Connect van alongside the related VW Caddy at its plant in Poznan, Poland.

The standard-wheelbase Transporter is 5050 mm long, which is 146 mm more than its predecessor, the 6.1 generation model. At 2032 mm, the exterior width has grown by 128 mm, making it easier to stow Euro pallets.

VW said the load capacity of the new version is “significantly enlarged” at 5.8 cubic meters, while maximum payload is up to 1.33 metric tons.

The new Transporter generation can pull trailers weighing up to 2.8 metric tons, up from 2.5 tons for the current model.

An extended-wheelbase Transporter is also offered, along with versions with a higher roof and a second row of seats.

The full-electric Transporter uses a 64-kilowatt-hour battery and an electric motor with three different power outputs. No range was given but Ford has quoted a range of between 262 to 336 km (163 to 209 miles) for versions of the e-Transit Custom on which it is based.

A model with a smaller battery for urban delivery uses will follow later, VW said. An all-wheel-drive version is also planned.

The plug-in hybrid Transporter, dubbed the eHybrid, has an output of 232 hp, while the van’s diesel models are available in three different outputs. Higher power diesel models are available with all-wheel drive. All powertrains are supplied by Ford.

Caravelle models are targeting taxi and limousine operators, with higher spec models coming with equipment such as a panoramic roof, keyless locking, three-zone air conditioning and a 14-speaker sound system.

All Transporter and Caravelle models come with two screens, a 12-inch digital instrument cluster and a 13-inch infotainment touchscreen display.

Vehicle start is keyless, and the handbrake lever is replaced with a switch.

Automatic versions have a space-saving steering column selector lever.

Standard equipment also includes LED headlights, LED taillight clusters, rain sensor and active safety features such as lane assist, autonomous emergency braking and road sign display.

VW is also reviving the PanAmericana badge for a more rugged looking version in both van and minibus form with robust trims on the side sills and wheel arches, grained plastic bumpers and a painted radiator grille.
 
Shifting Transporter production from Hanover, Germany, to lower-cost Turkey will give VW an edge in the fiercely competitive midsize van segment.  At the same time, adding the Transporter will also boost economies of scale for Ford’s van business.

Ford’s joint venture with Turkish conglomerate Koc Holdings has said it is investing €1.4 billion between 2021 and 2025 to overhaul the Kocaeli site.