Here in America, when it comes to Volkswagen vans, we have sort of a different view than the rest of the world. They’re either seen as nostalgic artifacts of some idealized long-ago era, quaint relics that now command crazy money, or an eagerly-anticipated EV revival of those old original air-cooled Type 2 buses, in the form of the ID.Buzz. The rest of the world, though, has never had their supply of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles taken from them thanks to the talons of the cruel Chicken Tax. In the rest of the world, VW has been building workhorse vans as part of the Transporter series since 1950 and hasn’t stopped. VW just released some pictures of the latest version, the T7, as in the seventh generation of transporter since those early rattly bread loaves from 1950, and they look pretty good! Maybe I’m especially interested because these are forbidden to me, or maybe it’s just my fondness for humble working vehicles, but I think we should tale a moment and look at these new vans.
It is sort of strange to think about how differently we view VW vans and buses in America as opposed to how VW themselves thinks of them. The ID.Buzz, for example, is absolutely a product of the American view of these machines: saturated with nostalgia and character and references to very specific eras and design ideas. The Transporter series, though, cares not for nostalgia! The Transporter series has been a series of boxes on wheels with engines since the get-go, and as technology and the world changed, then the Transporter changed, too.
Let’s take a quick look at Transporter evolution:
That’s up to the current generation, the T6, or, really, T6.1, as VW called the facelifted/updated version, and which had a run from 2015 to 2024, the year we’re currently enjoying as we speak. The T6.1 I think was a very appealing and useful van/bus/camper platform, and I always felt it was a shame VW never thought it made sense to sell in America. Hell, David and I once spent 24 hours straight in one:
They’re solid vans, and they get used for just about everything all over Europe! This new T7 generation of Transporter updates the styling and, more significantly, be the first VW vans to be available with drivetrain choices that include turbodiesel, plug-in hybrid or battery-electric power. This is especially interesting because it means that the ID.Buzz will not be VW’s only electric van. Here’s what VW’s press release says about the drivetrain options:
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is significantly expanding its range of drive systems with the debut of the new Transporter and Caravelle versions. In addition to the latest turbodiesel engines (TDI), both models will be available with both a plug-in hybrid drive and an all-electric drive. The pre-sales phase is already underway with three different TDI engine power options: 81kW (110 PS), 110kW (150 PS) and 125kW (170 PS). The newly developed plug-in hybrid drive (eHybrid) with a system power of 171kW (232 PS) can already be ordered. Three electric drives with outputs of 100kW (136 PS), 160kW (218 PS) and 210kW (286 PS) and a net battery capacity of 64kWh will follow soon. In addition, there will be an electric version with reduced power and a smaller battery for urban delivery transport. The TDI and eHybrid models come with front-wheel drive. The 4MOTION all-wheel drive system is available as an option for the TDI versions from 110kW. The all-electric models have rear-wheel drive; an all-wheel drive version is also planned here for a later date.
The small-battery urban delivery version is especially interesting, I think, and could be a very rational choice for the job it’s designed to do.
Look-wise, I think the updates to the vans are quite good; I especially like the front end of the Transporter version (seen above), which is the cargo van version, as opposed to the Caravelle, which is more for passenger-carrying duty:
As you can see, the front of the Caravelle adds a dark strip between the headlamps, which I think just overcomplicates the face of the van. Look again at the Transporter one:
It feels cleaner and emphasizes the friendly look of the van, something that I think should be lauded. Not every vehicle needs to look like it wants to murder you! The smiling grille and approachable proportions give these machines a look of eagerness, a quality that I think is great for a commercial vehicle. The Transporter line will come in Panel van versions for mostly cargo (though a second-row seat is available), Kombi, for passengers, if not as luxuriously as the Caravelle, and Double-cab flatbed pickup versions. The cargo capacity is now 1.33 metric tons, close to 3,000 pounds, and they can tow up to about 6,200 pounds, about 700 more pounds than the last generation.
Also, at least based on the press images put out by VW here, the color selection looks promising! That vivid lime green, that electric blue! These are great colors! Not all commercial vans need to be white!
VW included some interior shots of the cockpit, and they look fine, I guess:
I do like seeing that manual shifter in there, I won’t lie.
VW also mentioned a PanAmericana package that sounds like an exciting overlander sort of thing – it seems they’ve offered this sort of package for a few generations now:
On the outside, the new PanAmericana is recognisable by its robust all-terrain trims on the side sills and wheel arches, grained bumpers designed for tough conditions and a painted radiator grille. Film wraps also protect the boot lid or rear wing doors in the lower area. Inside, this van welcomes the driver and passengers with illuminated stainless steel inlays for the steps, high-gloss black applications in the dash panel and interior door handles in chrome. Other distinctive features include exclusive seat fabrics with PanAmericana lettering incorporated into the backrests as well as colour-coordinated contrasting seams. The Caravelle PanAmericana is equipped as standard with the new 19-inch Indianapolis alloy wheels (in black with a diamond-cut finish), which are also available as an option for the PanAmericana Transporter. The optional 4MOTION all-wheel drive perfectly complements the character and range of applications of both PanAmericana versions.
VW didn’t release a picture of that one just yet.
So, while these won’t likely matter much in America, these are important commercial vehicles, and I still think one of the more appealing vehicles modern VW makes overall. I’m still sort of hoping one day they’ll find a way for them to make sense in America. A plug-in hybrid Kombi in that green seem kind of like an ideal family car to me!
Does this leave VW building any actual commercial vehicles any more, apart from the cargo version of the ID.Buzz and the Caddy, both of which are on car platforms?
The Crafter is a Mercedes Sprinter (has been for quite a while).
The Transporter is now a Ford Transit Custom.
The Amarok is now a Ford Ranger.
Here in the UK, all my mates who work in the building trade want a Transporter, but most of them can’t afford one.
One who could afford one as his work van liked it so much he bought a second one as a family hauler/camper.
Saw a VW California up in Jasper Canada last month and my heart just sank knowing I’d never have one.
The cargo version looks like it wants to be my friend, borrow my car and return it with a full tank AND clean!
As someone who drives a T4 dual cab chassis with AWD (and has done since 2002) this is in my wheelhouse. Because driving a twenty plus year old diesel VW that wasn’t made in significant numbers is not a long term prospect.
The only problem is that Volkswagen’s new reliance on a Ford platform has me concerned that that the T7 dual cab chassis 4motion doesn’t actually exist.
There are now 2 different VW vehicles with the codename T7 :
The Multivan (T7), a van strictly for passengers and built on the MQB Evo platform. built since late 2021.the Transporter (commercial van)/Caravelle (passenger version) T7, unveiled now, which replace the previous T6.1 Transporter/Caravelle and are based on the 2nd generation Ford Transit Custom.
You pictured the “long nose” version of the T4, which I don’t really does that great design any justice. It’s soo good looking in the original “short nose” version, which is why I bought one recently: https://www.instagram.com/p/C8SYDi6iYtK/?img_index=3
I didn’t even know this difference! You learn something new every day.
To me, it’s like the difference between a Jaguar E-Type and a Jaguar E-Type 2+2 LWB: There’s the good looking one and the other one 😉
But to “mugglers” (non-classic-car-people, thanks Harry Potter…), they look identical.
Let’s talk about the chicken tax.
I am sick and tired of hearing Americans complaining bitterly about the chicken tax and about being denied of more choices due to the FMVSS and EPA. Look at Australia, a tiny market by international standard: the Australians have so many more vehicles to choose from.
United States had “promised” to harmonise its FMVSS with ECE WP.29 in the 1990s as to reduce the trade barriers, but it hasn’t done anything ever since.
GM, Ford & the actor fka Chrysler. You really needed that spelled out for you?
At some point the non-USA makes that have already set up profitable truck production in the USA (read: Toyota) also have a vested interest in keeping competitors out.
You don’t need to spell it out for me! I am asking why hasn’t anyone bring it up at the Congress or in the court to have it repealed or declared unlawful.
For more than fifty fucking years!
You don’t understand how Ford managed to circumvent the “chicken tax” when importing the first and second generations Transit Connect vans from Turkey then Spain. There’s a section in the Wikipedia article about it. Once the vans arrived in the US, Ford discarded the rear passenger seats, seat belts, and windows rather than ship them back to the manufacturing origins or repacked them as OEM parts until 2019.
Don’t get me started with Mercedes-Benz Sprinter that was fully assembled in Germany then partially disassembled and shipped separately. Once in the US, they were reassembled. This was to avoid paying the “chicken tax”.
Need I go on, Josh?
Y’all have never lived until you’ve driven a T2 gas automatic, or a T3 diesel manual (thankfully no automatic was ever offered), both with the horizontal bus steering.
If you think your ride is slow, it’s not. These were glacial.
And as an added bonus, you and your shotgun passenger *were* the front airbags.
A friend of mine had a T3 camper. Can’t remember if it was diesel or not, but either way, the thing made my 1.2 3-cyl VW Polo seem like a Bugatti. He would frequently have to pull over on some roads to let people pass. He’d get passed by large trucks on the motorway, which had 56 mph (90 km/h) speed limiters.
It had so much character though it didn’t matter.
This is not an update of the previous generation – it’s a “new” van based on the Transit Custom / Tourneo.
It’s a shame Ford doesn’t and won’t offer that in the US – I think it would do well here, particularly as an electric and hybrid passenger van, but it would take being built in the US or Mexico to make the business case work, and that’s not happening.
Might make it here yet- The Ford UAW contract lists an electric van being added to the product line coming from Ford’s Ohio Assembly Plant. Kansas City Assembly already builds the big Transit EV, so Transit Custom sounds likely for OHP.
That’s encouraging to hear, and I’d agree with you (I didn’t know that detail about the contract) – I can’t think of another electric van that would be more likely.
The character line on the T1 is classic. Sadly none of the other generations carried it over.
On the outside, the new PanAmericana is recognisable by its robust all-terrain trims on the side sills and wheel arches, grained bumpers designed for tough conditions and a painted radiator grille. Film wraps also protect the boot lid or rear wing doors in the lower area. Inside, this van welcomes the driver and passengers with illuminated stainless steel inlays for the steps, high-gloss black applications in the dash panel and interior door handles in chrome. Other distinctive features include exclusive seat fabrics with PanAmericana lettering incorporated into the backrests as well as colour-coordinated contrasting seams. The Caravelle PanAmericana is equipped as standard with the new 19-inch Indianapolis alloy wheels (in black with a diamond-cut finish), which are also available as an option for the PanAmericana Transporter. The optional 4MOTION all-wheel drive perfectly complements the character and range of applications of both PanAmericana versions.
What bollocks is this, does it do van stuff? Vans do van things, stuff goes in, stuff goes out van goes to next place and repeat. High gloss black applications? Wtf? it’s a van.A nice van but really?
Illuminated fucking stainless steel steps?
Can’t say shit about the illuminated steps, but I was literally driving in and out of a quarry today in a rental Malibu.
Not all work zones are paved, and lots of contractors use vans. So body protection and off-road/AT considerations can have practical use
Of course, !9 inch Indianapolis alloy wheels (diamond finished black ones no less) and exclusive fabrics are high on the list of useful stuff? It is still a van. See also ‘colour-coordinated contrasting seams’ , Really? in a quarry? Everything is going to be quarry coloured in a week. The 4MOTION bit might be useful. Van load of explosives, delivery done. Leaving at speed before the Big Kaboom, across quarry stuff? Whilst admiring the chrome interior door handles.
A lot of these are bought as lifestyle vehicles. They’ll be clogging up Cornwall soon enough.
This looks suspiciously like a Ford Transit Custom…
Which I presume this will be the basis for in a couple of years…
Nah, that is based on the actual ford.
I meant the next generation of Transit Custom, though it seems to be implied that VW will be the one doing the rebadging. Have they given that up already?
The custom has been out for a bit now, starting to see plenty about.
Man, that is a huge container of Seventh Generation detergent. That quarry really hit cleaning paydirt.
I know that the US government is barely competent and already has many more important things to accomplish. But it’s time to get the Chicken Tax repealed.
The Transporter Kombi as a plug-in hybrid? That would be a yes. I suppose I’ll get to drive in one next time a family member in Europe upgrades. How I wish they had this in the US. Sigh.
You get a car! You get a car! And you get a car! You … wait. Is that America? No, sorry, you don’t get a car.
Fuck you, VW. I want my (halfway) reasonably priced 4wd plug-in hybrid camper van, but noooo…. You give me the stupid idBuzz.
And fuck you, Kia, for not bringing your Staria camper to the US.
Save your Fuck You’s for the US Congress which keeps protectionist tariffs in place to protect US industry’s market for oversized, overpriced, wasteful garbage.
I hate tariffs so much. at least the protectionist ones that are obviously designed to protect the domestically produced garbage. If the tariffs weren’t so high the domestic companies would be forced to lower prices.
If tariffs weren’t so high, the domestic companies would be forced to decrease the size of their gender-affirming, urban assault vehicles.
That green is nice! First the Maverick and now this! Is this the year of green?
You know, I swear I saw one of these running around France a few weeks ago, and it registered as ‘huh, I guess the new Transporter is out.’ I think it was lurking around the Tour de France.
I had no idea it hadn’t been released yet.