The 2025 Volkswagen Transporter has finally officially launched, with the new mid-sized van making its public debut at the 2024 IAA Transportation van show in Hanover.
Despite the slightly drawn-out reveal process, the Transporter looks very familiar in many ways, as it is the first to be codeveloped with Ford and shares lots with the Transit Custom.
There are multiple options beyond the standard Transporter panel van, with a Kombi version, a double-cab dropside and a people-carrying Caravelle. There are seven different powertrain options, two wheelbases, two heights and several trims including the Panamericana that also features on the VW Amarok pickup truck.
VW has managed to differentiate the Transporter from the Ford Transit Custom, with the front end featuring most of the major changes. It gets a low down grille that seems to elongate the bonnet and a strong horizontal identity.
New Panamericana trim
The Panamericana trim has been offered on a Transporter before, and continues for the seventh generation, this time on both the panel van and the Caravelle people carrier. It features large amounts of black protective film lower down around the bumpers and side sills, illuminated steps with stainless steel details.
VW has confirmed that the Panamericana trim will come with the largest alloy wheels ever offered on a Transporter van as well as all-terrain features. These are black and 19-inch in diameter and are standard on the Caravelle and optional on the Transporter. The large wheels suggest that VW is intending the Panamericana version to appeal more on an aesthetic basis than other models
The Panamericana trim is offered on the VW Amarok pickup truck where it offers a greater degree of off-roading kit such as under-body protection and tweaked suspension.
This version provides the Transporter with a rival and equivalent to the Ford Transit Custom Trail, which also offers a degree of off-road-inspired kit that majors on visual appeal rather than the go-anywhere ability the name suggests.
Crucially, though, the Transporter Panamericana does get four-wheel drive, which will help it navigate off-road construction sites and the like.
2025 VW Transporter styling
Volkswagen has highlighted several elements where the Transporter’s ancestors have influenced the latest model’s styling. The T5 is said to be seen in the radiator grille, the T6.1 in the headlights while the front end as a whole links to the latest VW Multivan people carrier and ID.Buzz electric van.
The side line that separates the top and bottom areas pays tribute to the T1 while the rear lights again tip a nod to the T5. Otherwise, the body is exactly the same as that of the Ford Transit Custom.
Inside the 2025 Volkswagen Transporter
The Transporter is, perhaps unsurprisingly, pretty much the same as the Ford Transit Custom in the cabin as well. This means the same 13-inch infotainment screen, 12-inch digital instrument display, electronic parking brake and steering-column-mounted gear selector.
What it also means is that the Transporter comes with some welcome features that haven’t appeared in all Volkswagen models in recent years – form example, physical shortcut buttons for some of the functions such as the windscreen demister.
The 2025 Transporter is bigger inside than its predecessor, with more space in every direction. It’s 148mm wider between the wheelarches in the loading bay, while the standard length version is 61mm longer in the back, taking it to 2,602mm in total.
The smallest model can offer up to 5.8m3 of capacity in the back, while the high roof, long wheelbase can provide 9.0m3. The extra space means the long-wheelbase can accommodate three Euro pallets in the rear.
VW has also confirmed a few basic details on the van’s weights, with a payload of up to 1.33 tonnes and a towing capacity of up to 2.8 tonnes. This increased space is thanks in part to a wheelbase that is now 97mm longer at 3,100mm on the shorter model and 3,500mm on the longer van.
VW has previously confirmed what body types will be available including a panel van and double cab, plus the powertrain options. An array of familiar diesels will be offered, in front- or all-wheel-drive configurations, and plug-in hybrid and electric models will follow later. There will also be two body heights to pick from, not something that is a given in this category.
VW has also said there will be ‘various partition walls’ available for making best use of the space. This is set to include the L-shaped bulkhead that features in the Transporter’s sister van, the Ford Transit Custom. This is called the Panel Van Plus and offers seating for two with a narrow section of full-length loading bay.
There will be a choice of rear doors, with a top-hinged tailgate or a pair of side-openings. The load-sill height is between 575mm and 622mm, depending on which version you go for.
Other confirmed features include a range of power points including USB-A, USB-C, 12V and 230V (400W), meaning the Transporter will be able to charge devices as diverse as phones, laptops and power tools.
Seating for up to six
There will be a selection of different seating options in the Transporter, the standard van offering two individual spots in the cabin. You will also be able to go for a three-, four-, five- or six-seat setup across two rows.
Those second row seats will be fully removable, so the crew van can be used to carry more kit if needs be. There will be a passenger Kombi version at a later date with a three-seater third row as well, taking the maximum capacity up to nine.
More kit and uprated cabin
The new Transporter will further benefit from increased equipment levels, standard features including LED headlights and a 13-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support.
There will be a stowage tray with wireless charging for smartphones and up to seven USB-C, USB-A and 12-volt sockets.
The latest news on the new Transporter coincides with the launch of the pre-order configurator in Germany, which lists starting prices for the base 110 TDI variant at €36,780, excluding taxes – that’s approximately £31,700, or some £2,000 more than a current base-specification T26 Transporter with a 110hp diesel.
Previously, buyers had been expected to commit to the new van without knowing huge amounts about it, but also with a lot of implied information. We simultaneously knew very little and a great deal about the next generation of Transporter, thanks to the now firmly established Project Cyclone.
This is the ongoing agreement between Volkswagen and Ford that entails the two companies collaborating on the creation of a range of commercial vehicles. This means the Transporter is fundamentally the same van as the Ford Transit Custom under the skin, but with visual and specification tweaks to set the two apart.
This partnership has already borne fruit, the new Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok being the first jointly developed product to come out of the agreement. While the Transporter T6.1 was a purely VW creation, the 2025 model is set to follow the path laid down by the Ranger and Amarok and will also be a jointly developed vehicle.
What sets the VW Transporter apart from the Ford Transit Custom?
There would appear, on the face of it, to not be a huge amount that sets the Transporter apart from the Transit Custom. When VW launched the Amarok pickup it was keen to stress all the differences, and how every exterior panel bar a couple were bespoke.
However, with the Transporter the situation is different, with marketing boss Lars Krause explaining that this is because VW was more involved in the project from the outset, so it got more of a say from the start.
‘Here we started in the conceptual development phase,’ he said. ‘So that means we brought in our requirements from the beginning.’
Krause also pointed out that there are crucial differences, even if they hadn’t been shouted about in the same way: ‘We have our own idea of the suspensions, our own idea of the drivability of the car, and of course, the connectivity is different.’
The biggest difference visually is at the front of the Transporter. The basic shape is shared with the Ford, but the grille, LED headlights and other details are all VW.
How big is the new VW Transporter?
The shorter VW Transporter is 5,050mm long and 2032mm wide, without mirrors. These represent an increase of 146mm and 128mm compared to its predecessor, granting it more load capacity. There is a longer model that stretches both the wheelbase and overall length by 400mm, making it 5,450mm in total.
The wheelbase of the new Transporter is also 97mm longer than the old one, at 3,100mm and 3,500mm respectively.
What 2025 VW Transporter bodies are available?
VW Commercial Vehicles will offer several different variants of the new Transporter. The base panel van kicks off the line-up, followed by a panel van Plus model that has a second row of seats.
There will also be a panel van with an L-partition, a rear-window-equipped Kombi, and a long-dropside vehicle with a double cab. The Kombi and panel vans can also be specified with an extended wheelbase and a high roof, but short-wheelbase versions can now also be specified in high-roof configuration. Consequently, there should be something to tick the box for most commercial users.
An upmarket Caravelle model, designed primarily for carrying passengers, will be offered later.
What are the payload and capacity ratings for the new Transporter?
Volkswagen has released a handful of key details about the capabilities of the new 2025 Transporter, compared to its predecessor:
- Payload of standard-wheelbase TDI Transporter: 1.3 tonnes (+0.1 tonne)
- Maximum braked trailer weight with 150/170hp TDI variant: 2.8 tonnes (+0.3 tonne)
- Maximum width between wheel housings: 1,392mm (+148mm)
- Stowage volume, standard wheelbase and roof: 5.8 cubic metres
What is the standard equipment for the 2025 VW Transporter?
New Transporter variants will benefit from standard-fit LED headlights and LED tail light clusters, improving visibility, as well as driver-supporting features such as lane keeping assistance, autonomous emergency braking and an electronic parking brake with auto hold.
A 12-inch digital instrument cluster will help relay key driving data, while a 13-inch touchscreen multimedia system will provide access to DAB+ radio, online services, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity functions.
What engines will the 2025 Volkswagen Transporter come with?
Volkswagen will initially offer the Transporter with an array of conventional diesel engines. These will include 110hp, 150hp and 170hp diesel options; front-wheel drive will be standard, but 4MOTION all-wheel drive will be available for the 150hp and 170hp variants.
A plug-in hybrid Transporter, called the eHybrid, will go on sale later, blending electric and diesel power for improved efficiency and a total of 232hp. However, it will only be available in front-wheel-drive format.
The new Volkswagen Transporter will also be sold with an electric powertrain at a later date. The zero-emissions version, called eTransporter, will be available in 136hp, 218hp and 286hp specifications, all of which will be rear-wheel drive. All-wheel-drive versions, however, are planned.
A battery pack with an 83kWh gross capacity will be standard, but it looks like the base 116hp version will feature a less expensive and lighter 54kWh battery.
These engine options echo that of the new Ford Transit.
Who developed the 2025 VW Transporter?
The vehicles produced by the Ford/VW partnership have thus far seen one manufacturer take the lead on the project, and this will be the case with the new Transporter, too.
With the Ford Ranger and VW Amarok, it was Ford that played a greater role in the development, hence both pickup trucks feature Ford engines and gearboxes.
This is set to be the case with the Ford Transit Custom and the VW Transporter – Ford has had development sovereignty in the project again. This is little surprise given the relative importance of the two medium-size vans to the two manufacturers. Although the Transporter is an established name with a committed customer base, the Transit Custom is a vital vehicle to Ford.
It has regularly been the best-selling vehicle in the UK – not just the most popular van, the best-selling vehicle full stop. The Transporter is undeniably an important vehicle to Volkswagen, and one that has had a strong fan base over the years. However, this is driven to a large extent by the more lifestyle versions of the van such as the VW California camper van model. But the latest generation of Volkswagen California is based on the Multivan people carrier – VW isn’t risking alienating fans by handing its camper over to another company.
On the same basis, it would be strange for Ford to hand the lead development role of its most popular van over to VW. The next Transporter will therefore be based on the same platform as the new Transit Custom and use the same engines.
What will be shared between the Volkswagen Transporter and the Ford Transit Custom?
As the basic platform of the Ford and VW are the same, both vehicles offer similar dimensions. One could choose to provide more in the way of body lengths and raised roof options as time progresses, but it is highly likely that the same options will be available to both.
This means a maximum payload in the region of 1,300kg, a towing capacity up to around 2,800kg and features such as the flat cabin floor allowing for walk-through access.
The engines and gearboxes will also be shared between the two vehicles, as they are in the Ranger and Amarok. However, it doesn’t mean that the two line ups will be identical in every way – Volkswagen will have the opportunity to take a look at what is available and decide which options to take. Both will come with an electric version, though.
How much will the VW Transporter cost and when can I buy one?
The UK pricing for the VW Transporter has not yet been confirmed, but expect it to be very close to the equivalent Ford Transit Custom, which means it is likely to start at around £35,000 for the base models.
Despite the pricing not having been announced, VW says that it has had around 10,000 pre-orders, before it was even revealed.
It will go on sale in the UK in early 2025.
