Volkswagen has revealed interior details for the new Transporter and e-Transporter ahead of their full unveiling this year.
While full details of the new-generation van aren’t due until the autumn, the latest info confirms the brand’s plans to offer significantly expanded standard equipment and capabilities.
Expected to be built on the same platform as the new Ford Transit Custom/E-Transit Custom, under the firms’ longstanding collaboration, the Transporter will be available as a panel van in two different lengths and heights, a Kombi passenger car, a long dropside vehicle with double cab, as well as the Caravelle.
It will offer a significantly longer and wider load compartment than its predecessor, delivering from 5.8 to 9.0m3 and with a maximum payload of 1.33 tonnes and a towing capacity of up to 2.8 tonnes.
At 5,050mm long, the new Transporter is 146mm longer than its predecessor, while the wheelbase has been extended by 97mm to 3,100mm, and there will be an optional 400mm-longer wheelbase (total length: 5,450mm).
Width rises to 2,032mm, up by 128mm, while the maximum width between the wheel housings has been significantly increased by 148mm to 1,392mm, making it easy to stow Euro pallets.
The load compartment length on the floor of the normal-wheelbase Transporter is 2,602mm – up by 61mm; with an extended wheelbase, the load compartment length grows to 3,002mm.
The load compartment can be configured with various partition walls and individually tailored to a company’s specific requirements.
Despite the increased size, the standard model comes with a height of less than 2.0 metres that fits into all conventional multi-storey car parks. The new Transporter also has a turning circle of 11.8 metres (normal wheelbase).
The cabin will also debut a new cockpit landscape with a 12-inch driver display and 13-inch touchscreen for the standard infotainment system, which includes DAB+ and wireless App Connect with AppleCarPlay/Android Auto). Menu structures for all displays and control panels are said to be clear and self-explanatory.
Also fitted as standard is a new multifunction steering wheel featuring buttons said to be easy to operate even when wearing gloves. As with the Multivan and ID. Buzz, the new Transporter now comes with an electronic parking brake, fitted on the dash panel to free up cabin space and featuring an Auto-Hold function.
The Transporter’s interior has been newly designed and revamped, delivering extra space and functionality. As standard, the new Transporter as a panel van is equipped with two individual seats at the front. Three seats are also optionally available in the front (driver’s seat plus two-seater bench seat). It can also be equipped with up to three easily removable individual seats in the second seat row and – at a later date as Kombi – also with a three-passenger bench seat in the third seat row. The double cab for the dropside comes with six seats onboard: the driver’s seat plus two-seater bench seat in the first seat row and a three-seater bench seat in the second seat row.
There is a stowage tray for smartphones in the centre console with an optional inductive charging function. Further devices can be charged using up to seven USB-C, USB-A and 12-volt interfaces. In addition, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles offers the new Transporter with an optional 230V power hub (400W) including converter to power large electrical devices of all kinds. There will also be an inverter with an output of 2.3kW for the electric or electrified variants.
Powertrains will include diesels, plug-in hybrids (eHybrid) and fully electric (eTransporter) versions. The diesel will be available in three output variants: 110hp, 150hp and 170hp. The latter two will also be available with 4Motion all-wheel drive as an option.
The plug-in hybrid will sit above these, delivering 233hp.
The eTransporter will sit at the top of the range, complete with four fully electric versions e on offer, delivering 116hp, 136hp, 218hp and 286hp. The base version comes with a 54kWh battery, rising to 83kWh for the other models. All are rear-wheel drive; an all-wheel drive version is planned for a later date. Range figures are yet to be revealed.
