Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles: VW Transporter debuts without camouflage
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles expands its Transporter series. Besides electric ID. Buzz models, a larger model based on the Ford Tourneo is now being offered.
(Image: VWN)
Volkswagen is continuing to work on its new Transporter range. In its seventh generation, it includes the ID. Buzz and ID. Buzz Cargo electric cars and the unofficially named "T7" van, which will continue to offer combustion engines and hybrid drives, optional all-wheel drive and also a sole electric drive. The car has already been delivered as the Ford Tourneo since July, and now Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is posting some initial images of uncamouflaged cars from its joint development with Ford Germany online. There is still little real news beyond the photos.
Smaller e-drive in planning
The model series will continue to be offered as an estate, panel van and flatbed, the minibus version intended for shuttle and large-capacity cab applications is traditionally called the Caravelle, and the multipurpose vehicle and motorhome will also remain in the range under their usual names of Multivan and California respectively.
From the outset, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles will offer diesel engines with 81, 110 and 125 kW. The plug-in hybrid drive "eHybrid" (test) with a maximum of 171 kW will also be available from the start. Three electric drives with 100, 160 and 210 kW are to follow soon after market launch, all with a net battery capacity of 64 kWh. Also announced, but not yet quantified in terms of power and battery capacity, VW intends to add a smaller electric drive.
Diesel engines and hybrid models are front-wheel drive, with all-wheel drive available from 110 kW for an extra charge. The battery-electric models are rear-wheel drive, while an all-wheel drive version with a motor on the front axle is in the pipeline. The 125 kW diesel always offers an eight-speed automatic transmission, which costs extra for the 110 kW diesel. The plug-in hybrid has no automatic as an alternative.
At 5.05 m, the new van is 14.6 cm longer than its predecessor. The wheelbase grows by almost 40 cm to 3.5 m. With a wheelbase of four meters, the XL version of the Transporter is 5.45 m long. At 2.03 m, the Transporter is almost 13 cm wider than the previous generation. The maximum width between the wheel arches has been increased by almost 15 cm to 1.39 m, so Euro pallets can fit between them. The load compartment length of the version with a normal wheelbase is 2.6 m, and just over three meters for the long version.
Increased volume and payload
Thanks to the increase in external length, width and wheelbase, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has been able to significantly increase the load volume of the new Transporter: The maximum stowage volume with normal wheelbase and for all drive types grew by practically two moving boxes and is now 5.8 m3. The long wheelbase version with a high roof can hold up to 9 m3. The load compartment can also be adapted to the needs of different companies with various partition walls. The maximum payload increases to up to 1.33 tons, the towing capacity to a maximum of 2.8 tons, 300 kg more than the predecessor.
The basic version as a panel van with 81 kW diesel costs just under 37,000 euros (net), with a flatbed and crew cab it costs at least 39,130 euros in the catalog, for the Transporter with 125 kW diesel, all-wheel drive and eight-speed automatic transmission VW charges at least 47,705, for the plug-in hybrid 46,435 euros.
(fpi)