The all-new seventh-generation Volkswagen Transporter has made its global debut at IAA Transportation 2024, upping the game in every dimension.
Unveiled 75 years after the original Transporter, the T7 VW Transporter offers more space, more payload, increased maximum trailer weight, and a professional cockpit landscape.
Model line-up includes panel van, a panel van ‘Plus’ with a second row of seats, crewbus, a double cab with platform body and long wheelbase, and Caravelle versions for passenger transport.
Based on the same platform as the Ford Transit Custom, the new-generation Transporter stands out from the Ford using a design that reinterprets its predecessors and also ties it in with the Multivan and ID. Buzz as part of the Bulli family.
In a first for the Transporter, the new generation also includes fully electric variants alongside plug-in hybrids, along with turbo diesel versions with front- and all-wheel drive, as with its Ford twin.
Stowage volume in the standard panel-van Transporter has grown and it’s now able to accommodate 5.8m3 of cargo; up 10%. Maximum payload has risen from 1.2 to 1.3 tonnes. Volkswagen has also increased the maximum trailer weight (braked with 12% gradient) of this version from 2.5 to 2.8 tonnes for the mid- and high-powered diesel panel van. Meanwhile, maximum dynamic roof load has grown from 150kg to 170kg.
The redesigned cabin delivers a new “ergonomic high-tech workplace”, combining digital displays and controls with physical keys to help avoid driver distraction. It also incorporates various USB and 12V sockets as well as the option to add one or, in the case of the plug-in hybrid and electric models, up to three 230V sockets.
The new Transporter will be available with seven different powertrains. This includes three inaugural fully electric versions, delivering 136hp, 218hp and 286hp.
All three feature a single motor on the rear axle; a dual-motor all-wheel drive version is planned for a later date. A 64kWh battery is fitted across the line-up. Range and charging details haven’t been announced yet.
The eHybrid plug-in hybrid features a 2.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine with electric motor and battery. Again, full details will be revealed later.
Turbo diesels span 110hp, 150 and 170hp outputs; the latter equipped as standard with an eight-speed automatic gearbox that’s optionally available for the 150hp version too. The mid- and high-powered diesels can also be equipped with all-wheel drive.
First vehicles are due on UK roads early 2025. Pricing, specification and efficiency details will be announced in the run-up to the launch.
