Review I Why Volkswagen's new Transporter is the ultimate family alternative to SUVs

A Volkswagen bus needs no introduction to South Africans, considering it’s been around for decades and at one stage it almost had a monopoly in the segment.

I’ve often said that we should be seeing more vans on the road and that consumers tend to wear blinkers and walk straight to an SUV without a second glance.

For me at least, a van makes sense, especially with a family. 

There’s significantly more space both for people and luggage. Modern vans have all the screens and connectivity you could ever need, they’re economical, and you have a commanding view of the road ahead, to name a few.

The new Volkswagen Transporter is all of that and then some.

Exterior

Sure, it’s built on the Ford Tourneo platform as a result of the joint venture between the two, but there’s still a whack of Volkswagen DNA, especially between the A and B pillars as well as the front end.

The front end with the LED headlights, including Light Assist, grille and VW decal gives it an almost ID. Buzz look, and that’s quintessential VW.

During the launch drive in and around Hoedspruit, Mpumalanga, we drove the range-topping Edition model fitted with black 17-inch alloys and black decals running down the side.

The rear has typical clean VW van lines, and the LED taillights have been technically upgraded over the previous model.

It’s also bigger than the preceding T6.1 version, standing 5.050mm long, an increase of 146mm. The wheelbase has been increased by 97mm to 3.100mm, providing a roomier interior. The Transporter is also available with a long wheelbase extended by 400mm with an overall length of 5.450mm.

Thanks to its increased size, the payload is now 1.33 tons, and the towing weight has been increased from 2.5 tons to 2.8 tons, while the roofload increased from 150kg to 170kg.

Variants and engines

The Transporter is available in Crew Bus, Kombi and Panel Van and are powered by a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine and depending on the model produce 81kW, 110kW or 125kW coupled to a six-speed manual transmission or an eight-speed automatic gearbox with the 125kW version exclusively automatic.

A 4Motion version of the Transporter will be released at the end of October 2025.

Interior

The interior is a mixture of Ford and Volkswagen, with a 12-inch digital instrument cluster and a 13-inch touchscreen infotainment screen that’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible.

The seats, although manually adjustable, provide decent comfort and support, but the second and third rows of seats don’t have slides to move them around to adjust the interior layout of the van.

The multi-function steering wheel is very much VW, and there are a lot of storage spaces, cup holders and USB charging points spread throughout. 

The two sliding doors are not automated, but they open and close smoothly.  

Driving

Our launch route of close to 1000 kilometres provided a decent opportunity to assess the Transporter.

There were four people in a car, and after loading our baggage and laptop bags in the rear, there was still ample room for more luggage.

The automatic gear shifter is situated on the steering column, and after a few rookie errors by forgetting it’s not the indicator stalk, one quickly gets used to it.

The second row of seats is easily accessed thanks to the passage between the two front seats.

The 125kW diesel mill provides enough grunt to make the Transporter an ideal touring companion.

At highway speeds, it cruises effortlessly with the gearbox changes smooth and effortless, especially when changing down for long uphill stretches.

There has been some improvement on the road from Dullstroom to Mashishing (Lydenburg) and then onto Hoedspruit, but it’s a patch job which gave the suspension a decent workout.

Apart from a few hard bumps, the Transporter made easy work of it and at no time did it feel as though it wouldn’t be able to cope.

The Abel Erasmus Pass, with its 62 bends, corners and curves, gave us an ideal opportunity to test its handling.

Keeping in mind that it’s a van with a relatively high centre of gravity, the Transporter held its own with no significant body roll or uncomfortable moments around some of the tighter turns, while steering proved to be light and direct.  

We did notice some road noise coming through on rougher sections of tar, but this is to be expected and not unique to VW because the large interior essentially acts as an echo chamber.

Passing slower trucks and traffic does require some planning on single-lane roads because, despite the 125kW and 390Nm of torque, it takes a while to pick up speed.

It’s certainly not a dealbreaker, but something to be aware of, especially if the van is fully loaded and possibly towing.

Our average consumption hovered between 8-9.3l/100km over the three days that we drove, including some spirited driving on the N4 during the last stretch home.

Verdict

Volkswagen isn’t Volkswagen without a Kombi, and while it may have Ford underpinnings, there’s enough there for it to be one of their stand-out products.

So before you head to the SUV segment, have a closer look at a van.

Pricing

• Panel Van 2.0 TDI 81kW 4x2 Panel Van Manual LWB: R770,000
• Kombi 2.0 TDI 125kW 4x2 Basic Auto SWB (8-seater): R1,081,700
• Kombi 2.0 TDI 125kW 4x2 Commerce Auto SWB (8-seater): R1,055,200
• Kombi 2.0 TDI 125kW 4x2 Life Auto SWB (8-seater): R1,116,845
• Kombi 2.0 TDI 125kW 4x2 EDITION Auto SWB (8-seater): R 1,167,400

Service plans and warranties

Panel Van: two-year/unlimited kilometre manufacturer warranty,three-year/60,000 kilometre EasyDrive Service Plan, 15,000 kilometre service intervals and 12-year anti-corrosion warranty. 

Crew Bus: two–year/unlimited kilometre manufacturer warranty, three-year/60,000 kilometre EasyDrive Service Plan, 15,000 kilometre service intervals and 12-year anti-corrosion warranty. 

Kombi: Three-year/120,000 kilometre manufacturer warranty, five-year/60,000 kilometre EasyDrive maintenance plan, 15,000 kilometre service intervals and 12-year anti-corrosion warranty.