Volkswagen has released further details of the next-generation Transporter van, which will share a platform with the new Ford Transit Custom.
The next-generation range is due to arrive in Australia next year, and will include a Caravelle people mover variant, with Volkswagen Australia also keen on the all-electric eTransporter already confirmed for overseas markets.
The new Caravelle will be properly distinguished mechanically from the Multivan for the first time in this generation, as the former will use the commercial Ford-VW platform and the latter has moved to Volkswagen’s MQB evo passenger platform.
Pre-sales for the new Transporter have already started in Europe, priced from €36,780 (around A$60,000), ahead of the model’s market launch in the first quarter of 2025.
The seventh-generation Transporter is larger than before in both short- and long-wheelbase options, and boasts both increased payload and towing capacity.
Volkswagen Transporter T7 | Volkswagen Transporter T6.1 | |
---|---|---|
Body length | SWB: 5050mm LWB: 5450mm | SWB: 4904mm LWB: 5304mm |
Wheelbase | SWB: 3100mm LWB: 3500mm | SWB: 3000mm LWB: 3400mm |
Width | 2032mm | 1904mm |
Height | Not detailed | Low roof: 1410mm High roof: 1940mm |
Load compartment length | SWB: 2602mm LWB: 3002mm | SWB: 2572mm LWB: 2975mm |
Load floor width | 1392mm | 1244mm |
Load sill height | 575mm – 638mm | 566mm – 568mm |
Maximum payload | 1330kg | 1220kg |
Maximum towing capacity | 2800kg | 2500kg |
The Transporter has had a complete exterior redesign for its seventh generation, which draws on recognisable elements on the previous T5 and T6.1 iterations, which were released in 2003 and 2015 respectively.
Leaning on Volkswagen’s Bulli design language, the Transporter’s face complements the Multivan and ID. Buzz and incorporates a similar grille shape to the T5.
A horizontal strip covers the length of the van, which has been dubbed the “Bulli line” and harks back to a similar feature on the model’s first generation in 1950.
The seventh generation also features redesigned 16-, 17-, and 19-inch wheels options. The 19-inch “Indianapolis” alloy wheels feature a “diamond-cut rim flange” with six black spokes and inner surfaces.
As with the T6.1 and Crafter, the fuel filler door on diesel and plug-in hybrid variants has been integrated into the B-pillar, while the charging socket for the plug-in hybrid and electric options is located under the right-hand headlight.
At the rear the Transporter will again be available with a lift-up tailgate or barn doors, while the Volkswagen logo is framed by C-shaped taillight clusters with LED dots in a nod to the T5.
The Transporter includes an optional wireless phone charger and up to seven USB-C, USB-A, and 12-volt output points.
There’s also an optional 230-volt, 400W power hub with a converter, while an inverter with an output of 2.3kW is included for electric and hybrid variants.
Diesels in overseas markets range in power output from 81kW to 125kW, while the eHybrid PHEV offers a total of 171kW.
The eTransporter will be offered with a range of variants ranging from 85kW to 210kW, with a standard battery size of 83kWh for all but the base version, which gets a smaller 54kWh battery.
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