Our Vans: Volkswagen T5 Transporter Kombi Sportline
4 July 2014: A bit of all white - the Transporter joins our fleet
The Details
| Current mileage | 31 |
|---|---|
| Claimed economy | 37.2mpg |
| Actual economy | - |
Of all the cars I've run for HonestJohn, including the likes of the Jaguar XF and Audi A6, I have a confession to make. I'm most excited about our newest addition - the Volkswagen Transporter. I've always liked a quality van. In fact before I got a job as a journalist I worked in a variety of van driving jobs in the late 1990s doing everything from delivering baths in London to hauling tins of paint around Hampshire. And I loved every minute of it, getting to drive things like the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and my favourite at the time - an Iveco Daily.
Now things have come full circle and I'm back in a white van. Only without the seemingly obligatory copy of The Sun and that McDonalds wrapper on the dash (other fast food chains are available). That's more likely to be The Guardian and some organic hummus these days. Oh how times have changes. And getting behind the wheel of the current Transporter T5 shows how much vans have changed since I drove them for a living when a tape player was a luxury and air conditioning was merely the stuff of dreams.
This van is slightly above the ordinary though - it's a (take a deep breath) top of the range Volkswagen Transporter Kombi Sportline. Volkswagen is clearly keen to point out that it's a Sportline with no less than 14 Sportline badges adorning it including on the seats and rather bizzarely, the wing mirrors. But it's more than just badges as the Sportline model gets a rear spoiler, a bespoke front bumper, stainless steel sidebars, darkened rear lights plus some great looking 18-inch five-spoke alloys. With Sportline badges on the centre caps.
These alloys are actually new to the Sportline. They were previously completely black but this design has a silver trim on the wheel rim and across the spoke. I thing it looks better than all black wheels which I'm never a fan of as they always look dirty to me. The Sportline version of the Transporter is only available in three colours, silver, black and Candy White with a black roof. It's the latter I've chosen and although it is very, very white, I still think it looks the business.
Our Transporter Kombi Sportline gets these good looking black alloys with a silver trim
Inside the Sportline gets air conditioning (hurray!), a trip computer, full leather seats, a leather steering wheel and gear lever plus special Sportline floor mats. It all adds up to a very comfortable and special feeling interior. There's also an upgraded stereo although rather strangely it's a Kenwood aftermarket unit rather than one of the familiar Volkswagen in-house systems as you'd find in an Amarok.
I'm sure it won't take me too long to get familiar with it. It's a system I've used in other commercial vehicles like the Mitsubishi Outlander Commercial and does come with DAB, something I've become very used to and appreciate as a big BBC 6Music listener, plus there's an iPod connection that so far seems to work well. It also has a Garmin sat nav integrated into it.
The Transporter will take on a dual role during its time with me. One as my daily transport but secondly as transport for my mountain bike. So I've gone for a tow bar mounted two-bike rack from the Volkswagen accessories range and a removable tow bar. You can get a rear mounted bicycle rack but the rear spoiler on the Sportline means it won't fit.
Aside from that there's also the small matter of a family holiday in August where the Transporter Kombi will come into its own plus a few music festivals including Kendall Calling in the Lake District. Several cycling trips to Wales are in the offing too. And strangely, since I've taken delivery of KY14 YNC I have also become very popular with friends who are moving house this year...
