The ride is perfectly acceptable, even when it's lightly loaded. The Transporter settles down nicely the faster you go, so the ride is at its best on a motorway. If you're interested in going electric, see our ABT e-Transporter 6.
What Car? Share review. Open Gallery 7 Images. Up next:. The available array of model combinations is almost dazzling, but with such variety there is almost certainly a Transporter to suit your needs. As well as the standard panel van, it comes as a Kombi with two rows of seats but no bulkhead on T6 models; T6.
At launch, the T6 was available in two bodylengths, three roof heights and four nominal gross vehicle weights 2. However, in early , the Medium roof height was dropped from the UK range due to lack of interest from buyers ; this means only Low and High roof Transporters were available to buy new from this point on. As for trim levels, the T6 initially launched with three: Startline, Trendline and Highline.
The high-spec, high-cost T6 Sportline was added in late pictured above , with an Edition model following in featuring snazzy graphics, LED headlights and sat-nav as standard. For the T6. This reflects the way the UK market is divided between buyers who want a basic van and those typically owner-operators who want something as luxurious and car-like as possible.
Manual and automatic gearboxes are available, plus both front-wheel drive and 4Motion four-wheel drive. VW's well-respected 2. In mid, VW added a choice of two new 2. A unique offering in the medium van sector in the UK, these were aimed at buyers concerned about diesel emissions, those who do shorter journeys, or those who simply prefer smooth petrol performance.
We ran a top-spec hp TSI turbo petrol as a long-term test van here at Parkers, and it left everyone who drove it gobsmacked by its performance - if not its fuel economy.
However, the petrol Transporters were shortlived, and not only were they discontinued from the UK pricelist in autumn , VW has chosen not to continue with any petrol-engined models in the revised 6. With its appealing combination of image, practicality and choice, the VW Transporter is a van that should always be in the running for your money, and the Transporter 6. No, it isn't cheap.
But if you're planning to use finance this may actually work in your favour - since it also holds its value really well, monthly payments can prove surprisingly affordable. VW claims that total life costs are among the best in the medium van marketplace. The Transporter is a great all-rounder - perhaps only bettered in this respect by the Ford Transit Custom, and even then many buyers may prefer the VW's design, driving experience and safety credentials. Though the Transporter has never been a bad van to drive, the 6.
We've sampled every engine available in the latest range, and driven the updated van around town and on the motorway at home in the UK and abroad. If you're trying to find out what the electric version is like to drive, however, you'll need to check out our separate VW e-Transporter review. Revised versions of the motor fitted in the pre-facelift T6 models, these now meet the latest Euro 6D-Temp emissions regulations, and offer the following choice of power outputs:.
The 90hp and hp motors are combined with a five-speed manual gearbox and front-wheel drive FWD ; the hp engine comes with a six-speed manual gearbox and front wheel drive, with the option to upgrade to a seven-speed DSG automatic or 4Motion four-wheel drive 4WD.
The range-topping hp later hp version comes with the seven-speed DSG auto and FWD as standard, with the option to go 4WD if you want the most expensive set-up possible. The 90hp van feels adequately powerful when driven around a city centre, even when loaded, but strains much more severely than the rest of the range once you throw in a few hills and faster roads.
Given the choice, we'd spend the extra on the hp model to ensure enough performance in these situations. The jump to hp makes a far bigger difference, though, especially as you get an extra gear in the transmission, helping to keep the engine quieter at higher speeds.
The hp model is revving at around 2,rpm at 70mph, and this does make it noisier, though not unbearably so. The range-topping twin-turbo is fantastically fast for a van, and retains the Transporter's crown as the most powerful mid-size van around.
The DSG automatic transmission suits its performance and its likely use as a lifestyle vehicle - this transmission is streets ahead of the conventional automatic available in the Transit Custom, for example. Even if it can be a bit abrupt at lower speeds. In addition to the engines, the facelifted Transporter benefits from a completely revised steering system, which switches from traditional hydraulic power assistance to the newer electromechanical assistance - already deployed in the VW Crafter.
This new system makes the steering feel both effortless and accurate, being light and lazy at low speeds without compromising stability when going faster. It also enables some clever safety features and saves a bit of fuel, helping to reduce running costs. The suspension does a great job of soaking up bumps - certainly more so than the Transit Custom's - but T6.
These vans just don't seem to have much sound insulation, with engine, road and wind noise all being quite apparent inside. Even so, as with its Crafter big brother, this is a very car-like van to drive now, proving to be comfortable on bumpy roads and over longer distances. Both manual gearboxes have a positive and robust action, so no complaints there. It does seem a little tight that VW doesn't fit a six-speed transmission as standard, but presumably this helps to keep purchase costs down while making the less powerful models feel punchier at motorway speeds.
Though the 4Motion four-wheel drive system is very unobtrusive on the road, unless you regularly find yourself on slippery work sites or damp grass, the normal front-wheel drive models will do the job, and drink less fuel in the process.
Prior to the T6. We were disappointed when we drove the 84hp engine, which is sluggish off the mark and struggles on even modest ascents. Step up to the hp model and there is a world of difference. You're much better off going for more power if you can afford it, though. Even early hp models make light work of cruising on the motorway thanks to the addition of that sixth gear, and the hp version is obviously even better although it does appear to have some long-term reliability concerns.
With the arrival of Euro 6 in , the hp and hp engines were swapped for hp and hp units, giving greater performance still. The hp models are more powerful than any contemporary medium van rival. Transporters with hp and hp will do mph in less than 10 seconds, which is very good going.
In VW added a choice of two 2. These are intriguing power units - while they can't match the fuel economy of their diesel equivalents, they are quieter, super-smooth and urgently enjoyable to drive. Even the hp model feels very fast, while the hp is practically a load-carrying GTI. Both petrol engines suffer from a surprising amount of vibration around 1,rpm, however - something that the optional DSG transmission available on the more powerful model ably manages to drive around. Not for everyone, but if you're - say - a lifestyle buyer who places a greater emphasis on the driving experience than fuel economy, they are worth seeking out.
Sadly, if you do want a petrol-powered T6, you'll now have to search for a secondhand example as they were dropped from the UK pricelist in autumn The previous generation T5 Transporter had become quite utilitarian by rival standards. But the T6 has always been a smooth performer on the road, if not quite as sharp as the Transit Custom or Renault Trafic family, and not quite matching the assured comfort and luxury of the fanciest Mercedes Vito models. The steering is light, which makes it feel nimble.
But you soon learn that the Transporter isn't overly keen on turning into corners quickly, feeling almost as if it is going to trip over its outside front wheel. And despite a firm-ish ride, there is quite a bit of bodyroll, too, although the lowered suspension of the Sportline models successfully reduces this rolling around.
Regardless of version, once you're in the corner, clever XDS electronics deliver plenty of grip, and the more powerful engines can propel you away from roundabouts with enough speed to surprise all but the most enthusiastically driven cars. These earlier T6 Transporters are noisy inside - especially on models without a bulkhead such as the kombi, which has a second row of seats. While the T6 Transporter's cab has always been cleanly designed and very functional, and a welcome change from the dated and rather drab interior of the previous generation, some buyers felt it lacked the design flair of the best rivals.
Safe to say the T6. Available with a choice of two infotainment systems in the UK - Composition Colour and Discover Media - the way the central screen is now integrated into the dashboard looks super slick.
However, it's not the fastest system to come to life when first starting the van which is frustrating, and sometimes means the reversing camera doesn't work , and isn't always the most intuitive.
Going back after you've selected the wrong menu item can be confusing, for example. The good news is that the basic Composition Colour system now fitted as standard features a 6.
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Vans Near You. Top 10 Vans Top Cheapest pick-ups to insure. Top Small Vans. From the outside, the two look very similar, which often leaves people confused about what the difference is. Since September , all new vehicles must meet EU emissions standards. It also recirculates exhaust gases to reduce nitrogen oxide and has a Diesel Particle Filter to capture soot. The VW T6 is still available with a 2. T6s can also come with regenerative brakes, which store energy normally lost during braking and reuse it to accelerate or to start, meaning you need less fuel to get going.
With the T6, VW made significant measures to reduce noise when compared to the T5. They also improved the gear transition on the T6 vs. T5, meaning you get a smoother, more comfortable driving experience. First of all, the T6 benefits from Front Assist which uses a radar system to monitor the distance and relative speed of the traffic ahead, warning you when you get too close.
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