Volkswagen Transporter (‘T7’) Review
What’s great:
- Excellent cab environment
- Decent levels of specification
- A wide range of powertrains
- Exemplary road manners
- 5 year warranty and servicing package
What’s not so good:
- Lacklustre front end styling
- Reliability questions remain over the diesel power units
- No high profile Sportline model
- Little to differentiate it from the Transit Custom
‘The icon, evolved’ boasts the glossy brochure for the new Transporter. This may grate a little with the diehard Volkswagen enthusiasts who are being vocal with their dismay that the van is the result of the commercial agreement with Ford and that the T7 (it’s not actually been given that label by the manufacturer) is essentially a rebadged Ford Transit Custom. The Ford is the UK’s best selling van, has had critical acclaim for many years but this isn’t enough to placate the Transporter’s loyal fan base which considers the latest version to be the product of a ‘sell out’, and not a true VW. There may be some truth in that but, with development and manufacturing costs forever escalating, cooperation between manufacturers is becoming commonplace in a competitive marketplace.
The Exterior
If there’s one area where a platform sharing partner can differentiate its van from the others, its at the front. Volkswagen could be accused of missing an opportunity here – there’s nothing particularly wrong with this aspect but, it’s perhaps a little bland and has received a lukewarm reception from press and van users alike. Whereas Ford opted for the bold grille, the VW is more understated and will never turn heads when seen on the road. Otherwise, this is a smart looking medium van with stylish sculptured lines on the side. The rear light clusters blend in well with the corners and rear doors, and a ¾ width black trim panel adds a finishing touch to a pleasing overall view.
Power Units
The Transporter inherits the Ford 4 cylinder turbocharged diesel engines, with 110PS, 150PS and 170PS variants on offer. Although not the subjects of this review, there are fully electric options, with a plug-in hybrid version to follow. One of the main objections being cited by the Transporter fanzone is the question mark regarding the durability of the timing belt in these engines, with premature failures apparently commonplace in the Ford Transit and Custom vans.
The 150PS engine in the test van has a maximum torque of 360Nm, and was coupled to the optional 8-speed automatic transmission in lieu of the standard 6-speed manual box. This is the only engine that can be specified with Volkswagens 4MOTION all-wheel drive transmission, an equivalent option as yet unavailable on the Ford.
The cab environment
Already proven in the Custom, the cab is designed with the driver and their working day in mind. There are the usual storage areas in the doors, on and within the dash and overhead, and the 13” centrally mounted multimedia unit is usefully angled towards the driver. The 12” digital instrument cluster (larger than the Ford offering) is crystal clear and is customisable in what the driver will see as a default in everyday use of the van. The cab floor is flat – this makes life easier for passengers and allows the driver when alone to store boxes without a raised central section causing stability issues. The centre passenger seat folds down to provide a table or writing surface, and additional storage is provided underneath.
Trim levels and equipment
There’s just the three trim options on the Transporter. Entry level Commerce has LED headlights and daytime running lights on the outside, and in the cab there’s the now almost mandatory manual air conditioning. The multimedia unit houses a DAB radio and there’s Android and Apple smartphone integration. The driver benefits from cruise control, rear parking sensors and the now mandatory (due to GSR2 requirements) but not always popular lane assist, front collision warning with braking and dynamic road sign display tech.
Commerce Plus adds body coloured bumpers and grille, front parking sensors, an alarm and a rear view camera whilst the range topping Commerce Pro comes with alloy wheels, heated seats, automatic air conditioning, adaptive cruise control and some additional driver safety aids.
The business end
Three GVM’s are on offer, the vans being plated at either 2800kg, 3025kg or 3225kg. Payloads range from a pretty meagre 767kg up to a more practical 1230kg. Towing capacities are typically 2800kg with some models offering somewhat less. The two body lengths (there’s only one height option), just named SWB and LWB have load lengths of 2602mm and 3002mm and have respective load volumes of 5.8 and 6.8 cubic metres.
The standard door arrangement is twin rear doors and a single side loading one, but the options list sees a second side door and a rear tailgate being available to order. LED lighting is a welcome standard feature, and the steel bulkhead has a load through facility providing 3450mm of capacity in the LWB van.
On the road
It’s difficult to criticise the Transporter in any aspect when it comes to the driving experience. The mid range engine in the test van provided more than adequate power, although recent experience testing higher powered electric vans meant that a ‘mere’ 150PS didn’t feel earth shattering. The automatic gearbox behaved flawlessly and, whilst ratio changes were not as seamless and imperceptible as in some competitor vehicles, neither were they anything like the archaic, slow, lurching that drivers of other vehicles fitted with auto boxes may have experienced in the past (or may still do in a couple of examples that come to mind). The van is quiet, even on a windy motorway and the ride and handling are exemplary, perhaps in part due to the independent rear suspension.
The van proved to be economical, averaging just under 40mpg in the mixed running whilst on test for a week, and at the time of writing Volkswagen is offering a 5 year / 124,000 mile warranty and servicing package with roadside assistance.
Conclusion
As a die hard fan of the Transit Custom, it’s hard for me to find anything bad to say about the Transporter. There’s a good range of powertrains, competitive body dimensions and payloads, a well designed cab and a reasonable spec level. The only question mark is how Volkswagen will compete with Ford, particularly in the fleet arena. And, when looking at retail, will that loyal VW following that is currently resenting the cross-platform nature of the offering soften its opinion and buy into the T7 or, will it start to look at other manufacturers entirely? Time will tell.
