The seventh generation of the Volkswagen Transporter is the first in an illustrious line to share a platform with a van from another brand.
Purists may have found this mixing up of a much-loved recipe hard to swallow but in partnering with the Ford Transit Custom, Volkswagen has surely blended the Transporter with the outstanding medium van currently available, which is also the clear UK market leader.
Built at Ford’s plant in Kocaeli, Turkey, the first tranche of models to arrive in UK showrooms in March will be short- and long-wheelbase (SWB and LWB), low-roof (LR) e-Transporter and Transporter panel vans.
The range will subsequently expand to include high-roof, Kombi, Shuttle, and double-cab chassis models, which are exclusive to Volkswagen and not available in the Ford Transit Custom range. All models are offered as standard or long wheelbase versions. A plug-in hybrid (PHEV) will join the line-up in 2026.
The front-wheel drive ICE Transporter is powered by three 2.0-litre four-cylinder TDI engines with outputs of 110hp, 150hp and 170hp. The 110hp and 150hp engines are paired with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard while the 170hp unit is combined exclusively with eight-speed automatic transmission, which is an option with the 150hp engine. The 150hp van is also offered with VW’s 4Motion all-wheel drive.
The rear-wheel drive e-Transporter will be available in the UK with outputs of 136hp and 218hp coupled with peak torque of 430Nm. Both versions come with a 65kWh lithium-ion battery.
The diesel Transporter is up for grabs in three trim levels – Commerce, Commerce Plus and Commerce Pro – with prices ranging from £30,995 to £40,345, excluding VAT.
The electric van comes in Commerce Plus and Commerce Pro grades with prices ranging from £41,965 to £48,705, excluding VAT and the Plug-in Van Grant (PiVG), which cuts an additional £5,000 from the starting price.
Tested here is the 218hp e-Transporter L1H1 in left-hand drive with specification that corresponds most closely to the Commerce Pro level of trim that will come to the UK in right-hand drive.
Characterised by the clean, sharp lines that recall previous-generation Transporters, Volkswagen’s van is more conservatively styled than the Ford Transit Custom it is based upon.
Equipment and loading
The brand admits some customers were not happy with equipment levels on the T6.1 and has worked to ensure it receives no similar complaints about the T7.
All models include LED headlights and daytime running lights, power-adjustable and heated external mirrors, a six-way adjustable driver’s seat with manually adjustable two-way lumbar support, a 12in driver display, a 13in infotainment touchscreen, cruise control, rear parking sensors, and keyless start.
Further features with Commerce Plus spec include body-coloured exterior trim, front parking sensors, a reversing camera, front and rear mud flaps, keyless start with Safelock, and an anti-theft alarm system.
Stepping up to Commerce Pro spec adds alloy wheels, heated seats, air conditioning with automatic control, wireless phone charging, additional USB-C charging ports, adaptive cruise control, blind spot assist and exit warning system, and a laminated heated windscreen made of heat-reflecting glass.
Our test van also got extras such as an offside side loading door to go with the standard fit one on the nearside, an electrically-folding towing bracket, three folding roof load carriers and a leatherette, heated steering wheel that was multifunctional but, thankfully in our opinion, not oblong-shaped like the one in the Transit Custom that is so designed to enable its transformation, in some versions, into a lunch table or laptop holder.
T7 loading capacities have been increased compared to its predecessor: our van’s 5.8m3 load cube represents a 5% uptick on the T6.1, load length is up 60mm to 2.6m and load width is stretched by 148mm to 1,777mm or 1,392mm between the wheel arches. The LWB van offers a 6.8m3 load cube and a 3.0m load length.
Volkswagen says all Transporter drivetrains will feature maximum payloads of more than a tonne, including the PHEV when it arrives. The e-Transporter’s top carrying weight is 1,038kg and it has a towing capacity of 2.3t, which, though less than the diesel’s 2.8t, is 300kg more than the T6.1. With weight saving in mind, the e-Transporter makes do with a tyre mobility kit instead of the spare wheel the ICE van gets.
Performance and drive
Having driven the E-Transit Custom when it came to market last year, we were expecting the e-Transporter to exhibit similarly impressive driving characteristics and we were not disappointed, with handling and performance both excellent. Acceleration is seriously sharp in urban settings and remains strong up to motorway speeds where only a little wind noise encroaches into the cab. The van remains firmly planted to the road when pushed hard even without a load in the back and the suspension copes well with speed humps and potholes at low speeds. A low centre of gravity thanks to the location of the batteries undoubtedly helps the handling and combines nicely with accurate steering.
Several driving modes are selectable to suit different conditions, including Tow for when hauling a trailer and Eco to conserve energy when unladen. Sport delivers a significant boost to performance but eats into battery range, which Volkswagen cites as 190 miles between charges on the WLTP cycle for the 218hp e-Transporter, rising to 270 miles in urban settings, where the ‘B’ mode can be selected to increase regenerative braking when the driver pulls off the throttle. Normal mode is the most versatile and best suited for most conditions.
| Model | Volkswagen e-Transporter Commerce Pro BEV |
| Price (ex VAT, inc PIVG) | £42,855 |
| Price range (ex VAT, inc PIVG) | £36,965-£43,705 |
| Warranty | 5yrs/124,000mls (battery 8yrs) |
| Service intervals | 2yrs/unlimited mls |
| Load length | 2,602mm |
| Load width (min/max) | 1,392mm/1,777mm |
| Load bay height | 1,433mm |
| Gross payload | 1,009kg |
| Load volume | 5.8m3 |
| Engine size/power | 218hp electric motor with 64kWh battery |
| Range | 192 miles (WLTP) |
| CO2 | 0g/km |
| On sale | March 2025 |
| Key rival | Ford E-Transit Custom |
| Verdict | New electric van is a worthy addition to the Transporter’s esteemed lineage. |
| Score | 9/10 |
