2025 Volkswagen Transporter review

The same partnership that made the current-model Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok utes ‘twins under the skin’ is responsible for the new VW Transporter van, which shares engines and underpinnings with the Ford Transit.

That, in part, explains why VW has taken a fresh approach to powertrains for this seventh generation, simplifying its diesel lineup for the 2025 Transporter launch and introducing EV and PHEV variants in mid-2026.

But what will Volkswagen’s loyal buyer base make of this transformation? Will a VW interior and myriad customisation options be enough to keep them from looking elsewhere?

How much does the Volkswagen Transporter cost?

The new VW Transporter van range offers a mix of wheelbases and drivetrains, with six variants in total. A manual version is no longer available.

Kicking things off is the short wheelbase (SWB) diesel TDI 125kW FWD for $58,590. An AWD version of same with VW’s 4Motion system costs $62,590. In long wheelbase (LWB) form, the FWD model starts at $60,590 and the AWD option is $64,590. All these run the same 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

All-new to the Transporter lineup is a battery electric drivetrain with rear-wheel drive, the e-Transporter. The SWB starts at $83,590 and the LWB is priced at $85,590.

In the diesel van market, the Transporter finds itself up against longtime rivals such as the Ford Transit Custom (from $56,590), Hyundai Staria Load ($46,740), LDV Deliver 7 ($46,305), Toyota Hiace ($51,880) and Renault Trafic ($49,990).

In the electric space, the Transporter’s key competitor will be the Ford E-Transit, which offers the same (albeit not as powerful) motor for about $5000 less. Also in the mix are the, LDV eDeliver 7 (starting at $63,990 drive-away for ABN holders), Peugeot E-Expert (from $79,990 before on-roads), and smaller Volkswagen ID Cargo (from $79,990 before on-roads).

Additional variants will arrive in 2026, including a plug-in hybrid van (171kW and 205Nm) with up to 60km of electric range, a five-seater Crewvan (available in SWB and LWB and all three powertrains), and LWB cab-chassis e-Transporter with six seats.

What is the Volkswagen Transporter like inside?

The approach to the interior is utilitarian (as expected in a commercial van) and hard plastics abound. The dashboard styling and grey/black colour scheme aren’t disagreeable, though, and the steering wheel is a nice size and wrapped in leather. A large driver display sits behind the steering wheel, and a central touchscreen sits proud within easy reach from the driver’s seat.

The seats are clad in hard-wearing cloth and well-padded (they’re more comfortable, in fact, than many VW Group passenger cars, which tend toward firmness) and good for a full day’s deliveries. The single row seats three abreast and the middle seat, while on the narrower side, will accommodate a fighting-weight tradie. 

Touchscreens notwithstanding the interior is pretty spartan, although it does have a pop-out cup holder and ample storage in the door pockets. There is also a large storage cubby in the top of the dash (where couriers like to keep receipts and McDonald’s rubbish), although the digital screens form a sort of rampart that restricts access to it – you’d want to the van to be stationary to rummage around in it safely. 

The VW Transporter has two glove boxes (the second in the top of the dash on the passenger’s side) and the gear selector is now on the right-hand side of the steering column, which frees up space… although ‘space’ is the operative word, as there’s no centre console and an armrest is optional.

Open the tailgate and the first thing you notice is how high it goes up – the Transporter is 2062mm tall and any tradie under five-foot-seven will likely have to jump to close it. Barn doors ($690) may be a good investment if you’re vertically challenged or need to open the tailgate in confined spaces. The Transporter’s cargo area does have a low load lip, which makes it easy to step into.

Both the SWB and LWB are up 60mm in length over the previous generation, for a loading length of 2600mm and 3000mm metres respectively and total load volumes of 5.8 and 6.8 cubic metres.

What equipment does the VW Transporter come with? 

Even though pricing remains similar to the outgoing model, this Transporter offers more standard features on the tech side.

Among first-time inclusions are a 12-inch driver’s display, 13-inch colour touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, satellite navigation, digital radio, and eight-way adjustment for the driver’s seat.

Also on the menu are steel wheels, keyless start (but not entry), a four-speaker sound system, LED headlights and taillights, automatic high beam, single-zone climate control and seven USB ports. In the rear are a plastic floor cover, six (SWB) or eight (LWB) load-rated tie-down points, LED roof lights, and a 12-volt charging socket on the D-pillar.

In typical VW fashion, the Transporter can be jazzed up with numerous extra-cost options. These include dynamic Matrix LED headlights ($2590), 17-inch alloy wheels ($1990), a digital rear-view mirror with dashcam feature ($1990), colour-coded bumpers and mirrors ($1190), metallic paint ($1490), a 360-degree camera ($690), a centre console instead of a middle seat ($390), and various sliding/electric door combinations.

VW is looking to customisation to further distinguish the Transporter from its Ford cousin (beyond interior trim and switchgear). As well as the abovementioned options and commercial upgrades like rails on the walls and floors, LWB diesel Transporters will be available with a no-cost Camper Preparation Package, which adds swivel seats for the driver and passenger with heaters and lumbar and headrest adjustment, an armrest, a 95Ah AGM battery with cutoff relay, a second 95Ah battery, poor-weather light, and the deletion of the steel partition and plastic flooring.

VW has also partnered with numerous conversion partners so non-commercial customers can trick out their Transporters. These include Trakka, Skyline Campers, Frontline Campervans, Pedders, Walkinshaw and Jayco. Work done by approved converter partners is covered by a five-year warranty and $20 million product liability insurance.

How safe is the VW Transporter?

The seventh-generation 2025 VW Transporter has not been ANCAP crash-tested.

It does offer a good list of safety equipment, however, including driver, front passenger, side and curtain airbags, autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, turn assistance with evasive support, adaptive cruise control with speed assistance and traffic sign recognition, lane keeping assistance, blind spot warning with trailer assistance, reverse emergency braking assistance, front and rear parking aids, and a rearview camera. 

What powers the VW Transporter? 

While Volkswagen preferred to discuss differences rather than similarities between its new Transporter and the Ford Transit, the TDI390 2.0-litre turbo diesel four-cylinder engine and eight-speed automatic gearbox doing duties in both vehicles are Ford-designed hardware.

Output is 125kW and 390Nm – a substantial 10kW and 50Nm increase over the smaller TDI340 turbo diesel in the previous Transporter, but quite a bit less than the larger TDI450 (146kW and 450Nm) engine found higher up the old range.

Combined-cycle fuel consumption for the TDI390 is 7.9L/100km for the FWD model and 8.4L for the AWD – both thirstier than even the larger of the two VW engines, which posted around 7.6L/100km.

It’s a similar story for the e-Transporter. It runs on the same EV platform with the same 64kWh battery as the E-Transit. Both have an electric motor on the rear axle providing propulsion, although the VW Transporter offers better performance at 210kW and 415Nm versus 160kW and 415Nm. The Transit can travel a touch over 300km on a single charge and the VW has a similar range of 330km according to the WLTP.

The e-Transporter supports 11kW AC charging and up to 125kW DC charging (again the same as the Transit) for a 10 to 80 per cent DC charging time of 38 minutes or about seven and a half hours AC.

Towing capacities are 2800kg for the diesels and 2300kg for the EV. Payloads are 760kg (EV LWB), 806kg (EV SWB), 917kg (AWD diesel LWB), 963kg (SWB AWD), 1016kg (LWB FWD) and 1062kg (SWB FWD).

Service intervals for both the diesel and e-Transporter are 12 months and 30,000km, with the EV fixed at $410 per service but the diesel fluctuating between $670 and $892. The Transporter comes with a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty. The e-Transporter has a separate eight-year/160,000km warranty on its battery. 

What is the VW Transporter like to drive?  

Volkswagen and Ford were pioneers in making commercial vehicles safer, more comfortable, and more car-like to drive, and that heritage remains on show in the latest Transporter. During a launch in urban Sydney, we drove the diesel Transporter and e-Transporter variants.

Diesel Transporter

The driving position is commanding without feeling as though you’re perched in the air and the steering wheel extends out at a comfortable angle. Press the starter button and there’s no uncertainty you’re in a diesel, with quite a bit of clatter and vibration from the TDI390 four-pot. The appeal or otherwise of a gear shifter on the steering column comes down to preference, but in any event that’s where VW appears to be heading with many of its newer models.

Put it in drive and there’s nothing sluggish about the engine, with pleasing throttle response and a nice well of torque available throughout the rev range. Acceleration is even and progressive for the most part, although when we asked for quick power the eight-speed automatic jolted alarmingly on kick-down (this was with the van unladen – it may not be quite so pronounced with a payload).

Handling is exactly as you’d expect from a modern van, with body roll reined in nicely and light steering that nevertheless retains reasonable turn-in and road feel. The soft suspension takes large speed humps and potholes in its stride effortlessly and, while some vibration is transferred to the cabin, it’s never jarring or uncomfortable. 

Vision ahead and to the sides is excellent; reward vision is more like an enlarged keyhole and the Transporter does have substantial blind spots (not uncommon in a commercial van), although the combined flat/convex side mirrors do provide a full view along the sides, allowing confident lane changes.

Perhaps most importantly, the Transporter never feels oversized or ungainly to drive – provided you account for its height, it’s not much different to driving a diesel ute. A rearview camera as standard is a valuable inclusion when it comes time to park. 

e-Transporter

The VW e-Transporter’s interior presentation is identical to its diesel sibling’s, right down to the starter button. The only real deviation is a B button inset into the gear shifter to turn on/off the regenerative braking. 

Brake regeneration on the EV is quite strong, although it probably falls slightly short of one-pedal driving as VW claims. 

The drive experience is remarkably similar to the diesel’s, at least in ride and handling. The additional weight from the battery is detectable in a somewhat harsher response to bumps, but as to steering and body roll the diesel and EV could almost be the same vehicle.

The key difference, of course, is throttle response and acceleration. Every one of the e-Transporter’s 415Nm is available at an instant and, unladen at least, the van offers remarkable straight-line acceleration. It’s also a heck of a lot quieter, making the outside world seem loud by comparison. 

 

Open Road’s take on the VW Transporter 

One of VW’s most enduring models has reached an interesting crossroads. Knowing Ford mechanicals reside under its German exterior could concern some traditional Transporter buyers. These reservations aside, however, everything that made the Transporter such a popular option over the years continues on in this new generation – plus it offers a raft of new drivetrains and technology. If comfort and customisation matter more than price, the Transporter remains the go-to choice.