Making a low-CO2 BlueMotion package standard on all models has helped Volkswagen ensure that its latest Transporter offers noticeably better fuel returns than its predecessor. The sixth model since 1950 to bear the Transporter badge, the newcomer boasts Start/Stop, regenerative braking and low-rolling-resistance tyres.
As a result, its 102bhp 2.0-litre Euro 5 TDI common rail single-turbo diesel is 4.5mpg more frugal than the comparable old model and pumps out 22g/km less CO2, says VW. In Euro 6 guise it is a very healthy 10.2mpg better and delivers a creditable 45g/km less.
The 2.0-litre is also available at 84, 140 and 180bhp if you opt for the twin-turbo BiTDI. The 102bhp engine is to date the only unit offered at Euro 5 and 6 in advance of the latter becoming mandatory for all new light commercials registered from 1 September 2016. However 150 and 204bhp Euro 6 diesels will appear over the next 12 months.
When it comes to styling, VW has always favoured evolution rather than revolution, and changes to the latest models are characteristically conservative (internally and externally). "We only modified Transporter where it seemed necessary and where customers expected it," explains VW Commercial Vehicles manager Dr Josef Baumert.
Turning technical, its failure to standardise on a six-speed manual is a little surprising – the two lowest-powered models take a five-speed – but on the plus side Transporter's build quality eclipses virtually all its rivals. It can also be ordered with a seven-speed twin-clutch semi-automatic DSG (direct shift gearbox), which is also available in the all-wheel-drive, low-rise 4Motion Transporter.
Nor can VW's emphasis on safety be denied. Devices offered on all Transporters include Automatic Post Collision Braking System, which is standard. If the driver slams into something, it activates the braking system to prevent a secondary shunt. Standard, too, is Driver Alert. If the driver begins to nod off and the van wanders out of its lane, visual and acoustic warnings are triggered.
As for the options list, it includes adaptive cruise control (ACC), which employs sensors to ensure that a safe distance is kept between Transporter and the vehicle in front. ACC also includes VW's Front Assist area monitoring technology with City Emergency Braking, which applies the brakes if the van gets dangerously close to an obstruction.
Other options include Side Scan, which displays a warning signal in the appropriate rear-view mirror if the driver starts to switch lanes into the path of a vehicle in his blind spot. High Beam Assist lso dips the headlights automatically when oncoming vehicles are detected – switching to main beam automatically at night at speeds above 37mph. And fog lights have integrated cornering.
Operators can select from two wheelbase3s and three roof heights: the tallest model employs a fibreglass roof extension, although the full-height doors are all-steel. Load cubes range from 5.8 to 9.3m3 – ample room for a van this size – while payload capacities run from 1,131—1,274kg. Transporter is also sold in Kombi guise, with rear seating accommodation plus a rear cargo area.
Yet again, no electric or hybrid versions are being marketed. VW still takes the view that demand would not justify the introduction of such derivatives. However, continued (generally unwarranted) criticisms of diesels and concerns over NOx emissions in urban areas may cause this view to change.