Volkswagen TranSporter Van Range
Through a miraculous feat of engineering, Volkswagen have contrived to make their T5 Transporter Van substantially bigger, more powerful and better equipped yet somehow it still looks nigh-on identical to its T4 predecessor. Theyre a clever bunch those Germans. Clever when it comes to creating a vehicular model of flawless Teutonic efficiency but apparently clueless when it comes to styling a striking van that will encourage your work colleagues to turn and exclaim "Oooooh, that looks nice." Perhaps this is a good thing.
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People liked the look of the T4 model, which arrived in 1990, and the T5 builds on that popularity. The vans do share a similar shape but the T5 offers significant improvements over the T4 in virtually every other area.
"Theres a solidity about the T5 Transporter suggesting that, like its predecessor, this model will run and run."
At 4,890mm long, 1,904mm wide and 1,969mm high, in short-wheelbase/low-roof form, the T5 Transporter is 183mm longer, 64mm wider and 29mm higher than the equivalent T4. Maximum benefit is extracted from this increased size by improved packaging, so that theres a general feeling of added roominess to emphasise the physical reality of the current models extended dimensions. Volkswagen are offering the T5 Transporter with three roof heights and two wheelbases producing a Range of load cubes spanning from 5.9 to 8.
4 cubic meters. Payloads of between 795 and 1,245kg will be possible depending on your choice of bodystyle and engine. Which brings us neatly on to the mysterious examples of mechanical sorcery that can lurk in the gloom beneath the Transporters bonnet. To obtain any sort of credibility in todays marketplace any commercial vehicle Range must be based around solid, reliable diesel engines and the Transporter line-up certainly has some.
Volkswagen have chosen to shun the growing trend for common-rail injection technology in diesel powerplants, opting instead to persevere with the existing direct injection configuration and the result is the TDI Pump Duse units that power the Transporter. With Pump Duse, individual unit injectors pump fuel at high pressure directly into the cylinders whereas with common-rail systems diesel is fed into all the cylinders via a single pressurised rail. Whatever the make-up of these Volkswagen engines, theyre certainly amongst the very best in the business and its T5 Transporter buyers who will reap the benefits. These lucky people can make a selection from two TDI powerplants, each available with two different power outputs.
The 1.9-litre engine is offered in 85PS or 104PS form while the 2.5-litre TDI is available with a 130PS output or as a barnstorming 174PS monster! With this most powerful engine (boasting 400Nm maximum torque) plumbed-in, the Transporter is endowed with tonnes of get-up and indecent amounts of go. Offered with either a slick six-speed manual gearbox or a smooth Tiptronic-style semi-automatic, it should be enough to put a smile on anyones face (the 1.
9-litre engines get a five-speed box as standard). The individual Transporter models are named According to their engine and gross vehicle weight, so its easy for prospective buyers to understand whats on offer. For instance, the T28 130 TDI PD van is a 2,800kg panel van with the 130PS 2.5-litre engine.
In addition to the panel vans there are chassis cabs, double cabs and the Transporter Shuttle. This minibus will serve as a budget alternative to the Plush Caravelle people carrier, which is also based on a T5 Transporter chassis. On every model, theres standard equipment including remote central locking, a height and reach adjustable steering wheel, a height, and lumbar adjustable drivers seat, drivers airbag and ABS brakes. Naturally, theres a host of other extras you can specify at additional cost, including a full bulkhead with or without a window, but that basic spec is very generous with all the key features for comfort, safety and security present and correct.
Weve touched on the Transporters less than inspiring outward appearance but inside theres a real touch of class about the place. Drivers will be pleased to find a raft of storage options for odds or ends, including a lockable glovebox, and the whole ambience has that distinct air of Volkswagen quality. The gearstick sprouts from the centre console, as is the fashion at the moment and it falls nicely to hand. As do the controls on the gently sloping facia which are simple to pick out and manipulate without diverting attention from the road ahead.
You could easily be in a people carrier from the top of the Volkswagen passenger car Range, such is the refinement and simplicity of the cabin. Good though the Volkswagen Transporters interior is, the crowning glory in this vans make-up has to be its performance on the road. Even without a load onboard to appease the heavy-duty suspension, the ride is exemplary and the steering is perfectly weighted. The squeaks, creaks, rattles or hums that seem to creep into commercial vehicles have been successfully banished and the engine noise is noticeably well suppressed.
Theres a solidity about the T5 Transporter suggesting that, like its predecessor, this model will run and run. There was never really any doubt that Volkswagen would come up trumps when the time came for the T5 Transporter to hit the streets. The VW badge has long stood for stout, reliable virtues, leaving the gimmicky marketing ploys for competitions to indulge themselves with. The styling might not be groundbreaking or adventurous but it is balanced, uncontroversial and pleasing in the best Volkswagen traditions.
Heres a van that possesses all the attributes to do a fine job without feeling the need to shout about it.
Facts At A Glance VAN: Volkswagen Transporter Range ENGINES: 1.9-litre TDI PD (85 or 104PS) 2.5-litre TDI PD (130 or 174PS) PAY
LOAD CAPACITY: 795kg 1,245kg
