New Volkswagen Transporter: why it’s a great place to spend the working day

For many businesses, choosing the right van is one of the most important decisions you can make. Get it right, and you’ll be rewarded with a reliable and hard-working partner ready for anything your trade or industry can throw at it. Get it wrong, and you could be stuck with an underachieving vehicle that’s not up to the task.

But in today’s non-stop, always-online world, picking the right van is about more than simply having lots of space, a big payload and a few cupholders. Indeed, the perfect modern van needs to double up as a mobile office with all the comfort, convenience and connectivity to keep businesses fully operational whether on site or on the go.

And that’s exactly where the new Volkswagen Transporter is changing the game. Open the driver’s door and you could be forgiven for thinking you’d just stepped inside the latest Golf or Passat. That’s because the new Transporter’s interior has been carefully crafted to be more comfortable and car-like than ever before.

Packed with all the latest connected tech, a wealth of cozy creature comforts and a healthy dose of clever storage solutions, the new Transporter puts the age of basic, uncomfortable van interiors firmly in the rear view mirror. Let’s find out more.

Experience the new Volkswagen Transporter for yourself

Keep in touch with everything at all times

The new Volkswagen Transporter allows you to stay in touch with colleagues, customers and everything that’s going on around you, through its enormous central 13.0in touchscreen display system.

Through its DAB+ radio, the system can keep you updated with news, current affairs, and of course, keep you entertained with high-quality audio.

It also seamlessly and wirelessly connects to your phone through Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so the Transporter instantly becomes an extension of your phone. You need never miss a call, an appointment or even an address, because the system has everything covered for you. And your phone will never run out of charge because there are numerous charging sockets around the cabin. Plus, if you opt for Commerce Pro trim, wireless charging is fitted as standard. You can also use the VW Connect app to lock and unlock your van using your phone, or even get a reminder of where you’ve parked.

Meanwhile, directly ahead of you lies a 12.0in digital instrument cluster, which you can configure to show exactly the information you need at any given moment. Better still, many of these functions can be controlled using the switchgear mounted on the steering wheel – switchgear that has been designed with workers in mind, because it can be easily operated by someone wearing gloves.

Making manoeuvres easy

With its extensive powertrain options and plush cabin, the new Volkswagen Transporter is a vehicle that makes the journey to and from each job as stress-free and comfortable as possible, but what about when you get there?

Often, when you get to a job, or when you reach your storage yard at the end of the day, space can be at a premium. And many a perfectly happy working day has been spoiled by a parking manoeuvre gone wrong.

Not with the new Transporter though, because it’s got your back. And front. All versions have rear parking sensors as standard, plus electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors, which takes all the guesswork and tension out of any parking manoeuvre. Move up to Commerce Plus trim, and the Transporter features parking sensors at the front as well as the rear, plus a rearview camera, so you can perfectly judge how close you are to anything behind.

Keeping your cool

Nobody wants to be melting before work has even begun. Thankfully, the new Volkswagen Transporter has air-conditioning as standard on all models. Better still, Commerce Pro trim (Commerce Plus for electric) benefits from heated front seats as standard, so you’ll be warmed up before you know it after a spell working outside in winter. Taking things even further are the all-electric e-Transporter and forthcoming plug-in hybrid models, both of which have the option of a powerful electric auxiliary heater.

In summer, the glass that’s ahead of you and in each door is heat-reflecting, which means the air-conditioning doesn’t have to work as hard to get the cab down to the right temperature on a sunny day.

Safety first, last and always

When someone does something for you, without being asked and just out of the goodness of their heart, that makes you feel a bit special. In which case, the new Volkswagen Transporter should make you feel very special indeed, because it is always active behind the scenes, keeping you safe and protected from harm.

How does it manage this? Well, it has a comprehensive array of features that are permanently on the lookout for trouble, including front collision warning with emergency braking, blindspot warning (on Commerce Pro), a system designed to help you stay in your lane, and another that reads road signs and tells you what the speed limit is, plus tells you if you’re in danger of turning the wrong way onto a road, such as a dual carriageway. Not only that, but there are numerous hidden gizmos aimed at avoiding any mishap in the first place, such as the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) – helping you avoid unnecessary downtime.

There are also other features that are designed to protect you when an incident is unavoidable, for example when another road user makes a catastrophic error of judgement. To help you out in this scenario, there are more airbags than the average hot air balloon race, seatbelt pretensioners, and an eCall emergency call system.

Take five

The new Volkswagen Transporter undeniably has the talent to make every day with it enjoyable and safe, but that’s not all. It also has comprehensive back-up from Volkswagen itself in the shape of the 5+ Promise*.

Under this, your Transporter comes with a five-year warranty package, plus five years’ roadside assistance – so should anything happen, you’ll be picked up, and your van will be repaired. Volkswagen knows that uptime is crucial for any van owner, so you’ll be back on the road before you know it.

The package also includes no fewer than the five consecutive services for diesel models – three for electric models owing to their less frequent need for servicing – and three MoT tests.

All work and no play…

One of the great things about the new Volkswagen Transporter is that while it’s more than willing to work hard, it’s also more than capable of playing hard.

To that end, it makes a tremendous leisure machine, because you can add a roof-rack system with three foldable cross bars, ready for a roofbox, roof tent, or a bicycle carrier.

But that’s not all, because if you and a few friends want to go mountain biking, you can add a four-bike tailgate carrier on Transporter models fitted with a tailgate. And of course, the 4MOTION four-wheel-drive model makes getting all your outdoors kit deeper into the wilds all the easier. To add further flexibility for lifestyle-focused outings, the incoming Kombi version gives you greater passenger carrying potential, while still offering impressive cargo space.

Better still, the optional 230V power hub and converter lets you turn your Transporter into a self-contained power source, which allows you to use power tools on the job, or a vacuum to clear up after a sandy beach trip.

By thinking in depth about what people really need from their vans, Volkswagen has created a working vehicle that won’t just do the job, but which will also make everything about the daily work routine a pleasure. It’s the staff member you’d always choose to be on your team, because it’s got all the practicality you need, it’s comfortable and quiet, it’s a mobile office as well as a mobile workplace, and it has all the luxury and safety equipment you could wish for.

Add in the peace of mind provided by the Volkswagen 5+ Promise, and your new Transporter might just be the perfect travel companion.

Experience the new Volkswagen Transporter for yourself

*For diesel and eHybrid models, covers first 5 consecutive services, limited to 5 x Oil & Inspection Service, 5 x Pollen filters, 3 x MOTs. For electric models, covers first 3 consecutive services, 3 x Pollen filters, 3 x MOTs. Additional work, including wear and tear, is excluded.  Warranty: earlier of 5 years or 124,000 miles.  Servicing must be carried out in line with the requirements of the service schedule and all servicing and warranty work must be carried out at a Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle Authorised Repairer. Warranty exclusions apply (including shorter warranty period for components subject to wear and tear, mechanical adjustments (6 months/6,500 miles) and windscreen (1 month/600 miles).  Roadside assistance: excludes costs of parts, garage, labour or other costs in excess of specified limits.  Other limitations & exclusions apply. See Roadside Assistance Handbook for full details: https://www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk/idhub/content/dam/onehub_nfz/importers/gb/downloads/roadside_assistance_handbook.pdf. Servicing & MOTs administered by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle Financial Services. Warranty administered by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles UK. Roadside assistance administered by AA.