Volkswagen Transporter Review 2025

The 2025 Volkswagen Transporter marks a new direction for Volkswagen. Previously a standalone competitor, the seventh generation Volkswagen Transporter is the first van to come from an alliance with Ford. You won't be surprised to discover it shares much with the latest Ford Transit Custom.

That’s no bad thing in our opinion. The Ford Transit Custom is arguably the very best van in its class. But the question is, does the latest Volkswagen Transporter have what it takes to equal its popularity? Read our full Volkswagen Transporter review to find out.

There are four main versions - the standard panel van, Kombi, Shuttle and a Dropside. The panel van comes in two body lengths, as does the Kombi, which is essentially a double cab. The Volkswagen Shuttle is an eight or nine-seater luxury minibus designed for professional transport businesses, while the Transporter Dropside is a double cab with a bespoke pick-up body.

Volkswagen is not officially calling this the T7 - apparently that's only for the VW Multivan - but we imagine most people will still refer to it as the T7 Transporter...

Styling-wise, Volkswagen claims that the latest model has styling that harks back to the original VW Type 2. But from the door backwards, it’s the same shape as the Ford Transit Custom – unsurprising, as the models were co-developed. That means it's marginally bigger than rivals such as the Vauxhall Vivaro and Renault Trafic, both of which feel dated by comparison.

There are three diesel choices and two electric models from launch, with a plug-in hybrid model arriving later. The familiar 2.0-litre TDI diesel is carried over from the T6 and is available with either 110PS, 150PS or 170PS.

The 2.0 TDI 110PS punches above its weight and ploughs along quite happily, helped by 310Nm of torque. The 150PS is a great all-rounder and both get a six-speed manual transmission. Opt for the 2.0 TDI 170PS and it comes with an eight-speed automatic transmission as standard. 

Meanwhile, if there's the VW Transporter Electric which has a 65kWh battery giving a range of between 190 miles in a worst case scenario and 264 miles at best, according to official figures. 

Step into the cabin of the VW Transporter and you'll find a completely flat floor along with a dash moulding that gives the middle seat passenger better legroom than in previous VW Transporters. Much of it is familiar from the Ford Transit Custom – notably the big door bins and dual glove boxes - but VW’s digital cockpit is bespoke and cabin comfort among the most impressive there is.

In addition, all Volkswagen Transporters have an enhanced five-year warranty and inclusive servicing plan included, up to 124,000 miles.

Overall, the Volkswagen Transporter is an appealing package – that premium Volkswagen image will no doubt appeal to small business users over the more mainstream Ford branding.

It backs this up with its smart cabin, decent tech levels and, above all, a terrific driving experience. Dynamically and comfort-wise, it's a superb van, but not at the expense of functionality. It's still as ready for work as it always was.

Is it better than the Ford Transit Custom? That's a tricky one, as separating the best from the best is impossible - they're well-matched on pricing terms, too. Based on list price, the Volkswagen looks a tiny bit cheaper until you drill down into the spec charts, but we expect Ford's pricing factors in some bigger discounts. The VW image may well edge it, though, especially for small businesses.

Either way, the Ford Transit Custom is no longer the runaway leader in the mid-size class – it now has a credible rival. The fact they're essentially the same is small fry. Both Ford an Volkswagen have a track record in producing great vans and – if anything – together they're stronger...

It’s perhaps no surprise that the Volkswagen Transporter is one of the best vans to drive. After all, the Ford Transit Custom with which it shares much, is right at the top of the class.

Like its sibling, the VW Transporter has sharp steering and pleasingly car-like handling. It also has fantastic ride quality – it may be a commercial vehicle, but the Volkswagen Transporter deals with rough road surfaces like a well-engineered family car.

With a load on board, the Volkswagen Transporter feels even more assured, with impressive composure and minimal body-roll. This is helped by a damper system that adapts to the van's payload and load distribution.

It feels stable and secure, even at high speeds or on broken road surfaces. It's refined and civilised when cruising, easy to manoeuvre around town and surprisingly entertaining when the roads get a bit more interesting.

Even in its least powerful 2.0 TDI 110PS form, the strong mid-range torque means the VW Transporter pulls well through all the gears. The 2.0 TDI 150PS is expected to be the best-seller and it's easy to see why. It's a brilliant all-rounder, with a slick manual transmission and eager performance proving a good match for the chassis.

The top of the range 2.0 TDI 170PS eight-speed automatic feels, if anything, a little too eager and snatchy, albeit refined and civilised at speed. All of the diesels are front-wheel drive.

Official fuel economy is decent for all variants – the 2.0 TDI 110 and 150 both average a claimed 39.2mpg with a manual gearbox. The 2.0 TDI 150 and 170 with the 8-speed automatic see this drop to 36.7mpg.

The VW Transporter Electric is lively with decent performance. The more powerful 218PS version can cover 0-62mph in 8.6 seconds, which is as quick as a Volkswagen Golf GTI was just a decade ago. You’ll need to drive in Eco mode and stick to urban routes to get anywhere near the maximum WLTP range of 264 miles, though.

It’s not the quietest electric van we’ve driven either. The motor is nowhere near as noisy as you’ll find on a Maxus e Deliver 3 but it’s certainly more intrusive than it is on vans such as the Vauxhall Vivaro Electric and Peugeot e-Expert when driving around town.

Usefully, the charging port is located at the front, so it doesn’t get in the way of access to the load area. Peak DC rapid charging capacity is 125kW, which means a 10-80% charge should take just under 40 minutes. A full charge from a 7.4kW home wall box charger will be around eight and a half hours.

Visibility is great. The mirrors are bigger than before, with usefully larger secondary blind-spot mirrors that give a much-improved view of the areas where you may encounter a cyclist or vulnerable pedestrian, for example. All come with rear parking sensors and those with rearview cameras have a far better field of vision and sense of perspective than you’ll find on the many rival vans.

Diesel versions are capable of shifting payloads from 851kg to 1242kg, while the electric payload ranges from 767kg to 1088kg, with a maximum braked trailer weight of up to 2800kg (depending on model) for both diesel and electric versions.

The Volkswagen Transporter’s cab is well thought-out, neatly styled and spacious. There are plenty of storage areas along with chunky controls. The climate control settings are fiddly when operated via the touchscreen, but everything else is simple and functional.

It also has a walk-through cab, meaning drivers don’t have to step out into traffic.

The 12-inch digital cockpit is impressive with clearly laid-out dials plus there's a smart and simple-to-navigate 13-inch touchscreen. The USB-C, USB-A and 12v power sockets are welcome, as is the optional 230v three-pin plug socket for power items such as laptops and low voltage power tools.

Furthermore, the driver assistance systems can be controlled – and lane-keeping function switched off quickly – via steering wheel buttons that are designed to be operated with gloves. 

It's a smart and ergonomically impressive layout and the overall quality feels quite premium, but there are one or two areas where some of the plastics feel a bit cheap – notably, the lower door trims and cubby below the door pull handle don't feel especially sturdy. 

It's very comfortable, though, with six-way seat adjustment making it easy to find a good driving position. There's no electrically adjustable seat option, though. 

This VW Transporter is longer than the previous VW T6 Transporter at 5050mm in length, with a 3100mm wheelbase, or 3500mm in LWB format. 

The load bay is more capacious than before, with the maximum width between the wheel housings increased by 148 mm to 1392 mm. The length of the load compartment in short wheelbase versions is 2602mm, increasing to 3002mm in the LWB. There's also a load-through bulkhead option if you need a little more than that. 

With the standard wheelbase and low roof the total load volume is 5.8 cubic metres, expanding to 9.0 cubic metres with a high roof and long wheel base.

It's a functional load bay, with good access (wide enough for a 1 metre Euro pallet) through the passenger side sliding door. A second sliding door is an option. There are eight tie-down points and LED lighting in the roof edges - two lights in the Commerce and Six in the Commerce Plus and Commerce Pro.

A painted load floor is standard, but a rubberised, high-grip surface can be specified. The LWB model can also comfortably accommodate three Euro pallets instead of the two that SWB models can swallow.

At the back, there's a choice of twin barn doors that open to 90, 180 and 270 degrees, or a lift-up tailgate.

Diesel versions are capable of shifting payloads from 851kg to 1242kg depending on model, while the electric payload ranges from 767kg to 1088kg, with a maximum braked trailer weight of up to 2800kg (depending on model) for both diesel and electric versions.

It is also wider, allowing for more passenger space. Overall height is slightly taller than most competitors at 1984mm, but still below the 2.0m restriction of many garages and car park height barriers. A high roof model, measuring 2500mm in height, is offered as an option.

Three trims are offered – Commerce, Commerce Plus and Commerce Pro, with even the entry level model getting a keyless start, reverse parking sensors and electric, heated mirrors.

Commerce Plus models add body-coloured bumpers, mirror housings and a rear-view camera, while the Commerce Pro gets alloy wheels, automatic air conditioning, wireless smartphone charging and a heated windscreen. Electric models also get heated seats and an auxiliary heat pump.