Prices have been announced for the 2025 Volkswagen Transporter. The range starts at £30,995 (before VAT) when order books open in January 2025, and tops out at £45,015 (again, before VAT). The seventh-generation of VW’s mainstay mid-sized van made its public debut at the 2024 IAA Transportation van show.
Based on the latest Ford Transit Custom, the Transporter is available from launch with a choice of two 2.0-litre diesel engines, or a fully electric powertrain. Then there are three trim levels, four bodystyle and two wheelbases. Other powertrain and trim options are expected to be added to the range in due course, including the rugged Panamericana – also seen on the VW Amarok pickup truck.
There was a rather long, drawn-out reveal process for the Transporter as VW issued endless teaser images. Its front-end styling is the main visual different to the Transit Custom, with a low down grille that seems to elongate the bonnet, and a strong horizontal identity.
What trim levels are available on the 2025 VW Transporter?
Initially, there are three trim levels to choose from on the 2025 Volkswagen Transporter panel van: Commerce, Commerce Plus and Commerce Pro. They all come with a 13-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a 12-inch digital driver’s display, cruise control, rear parking sensors, keyless start and heated door mirrors.
Commerce Plus adds body-coloured bumpers, mirror housings and door handles, front and rear mudflaps, front parking sensors and reversing camera. Commerce Pro gains 16-inch alloy wheels, heated seats and aircon, wireless phone charging, extra USB-C ports, adapative cruise control, blind spot monitoring and LED lighting in the loadbay.
Electric versions of the Transporter van are available with Commerce Plus and Commerce Pro trims. They have the same standard features as diesel equivalents plus a battery heat pump and auxiliary heater. The spare wheel is replaced with a tyre inflation kit, as well.
It’s expected that other trim levels will be added in due course; trim levels may be different for other bodystyles, as well.
What 2025 VW Transporter bodies are available?
VW Commercial Vehicles will offer several different variants of the new Transporter when it goes on sale. Core choice is the base panel van, with comes in short- and long-wheelbase form with a sliding door on the driver’s side and rear barn doors.
There’s also a Kombi van with rear windows, nine-seater Shuttle minibus and double cab chassis, all of which are available in SWB or LWB form. When the Transporter was revealed, there was talk of a high roof van, but VW hasn’t indicated if/when that will get to the UK – it may simply be listed as an extra cost option for the van, rather than a separate model.
An upmarket Caravelle people carrier will be added to the range at a later date.
What engines will the 2025 Volkswagen Transporter come with?
The initial price list for the 2025 VW Transporter includes two diesel engines and the electric version. The diesels both have 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged engines and offer a choice of 110hp or 150hp. They come with front-wheel-drive and a six-speed manual gearbox. We expect a DSG automatic and 4MOTION four-wheel-drive to be available as well, probably only on the 150hp version.
The electric eTransporter launches with a 136hp motor and 83kWh battery capacity. The single-speed automatic gearbox sends power to the front wheels.
At the reveal, VW detailed several other powertrains that will eventually be added to the Transporter range. They include a 170hp diesel, 218hp and 286hp electric versions and the plug-in hybrid eHybrid which blends electric and diesel power for 232hp. We’ll update you with new additions as they come through.
How much will the VW Transporter cost and when can I buy one?
UK prices for the new Volkswagen Transporter start at £30,995 excluding VAT, a total of £38,520 on the road. That’s for the TDI 110 Commerce SWB panel van. For comparison, the equivalent Ford Transit Custom costs £32,350 (exc. VAT). The diesel range tops out at £45,780 OTR. Entry to the electric Transporter costs £51,369 OTR, rising to £55,009. VW hasn’t detailed how much other bodystyles will cost in the price list we’ve seen.
Volkswagen opens VW Transporter order books in January 2025.
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.
The latest Transporter is the product of 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 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
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.
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