Volkswagen Transporter long-term test: report 1
The VW Transporter has long been a staple of the medium van market, so now we're living with one to see if it can be the perfect photographer's apprentice...
The car Volkswagen Transporter panel van T32 Commerce Pro 2.0 TDI | Run by Max Edleston, photographer
Why we’re running it To see how well Volkswagen’s latest medium-sized van stacks up as a photographer’s apprentice
Needs to Offer more than enough space for all of our kit, long-distance comfort and connectivity to keep in touch with the office
Mileage 3157 Price £48,720 (inc. VAT) Best Price £48,720 (inc. VAT) Price as tested £51,102 (inc. VAT) Official economy 36.7mpg Test economy 38.0mpg Options Heated and laminated safety glass (£342), LED main headlamps (£318), ‘Life’ interior trim (£228), Sliding door on passenger side (£228), Roof rails (£150), LED rear lights (£108)
30 July 2025 – Introducing the SnapperVan
In the mid-1800s, photographer Roger Fenton gained notoriety for capturing the daily lives of soldiers in Crimea using a horse-drawn photography studio and darkroom. This was reportedly converted from a wagon used by a wine merchant, but it set a precedent. Fast forward to today, and both amateur and professional photographers use vans as workhorses to help them capture the perfect image – and for the next few months, I’ll be among them.
But which van to choose? I could opt for our reigning champion in the medium van market, the Ford Transit Custom, or perhaps the bigger brother to the Renault Kangoo small van I ran previously, the Renault Trafic – but no, instead, I’ve chosen a van from my childhood, the Volkswagen Transporter.
You see, before moving to London I live with my parents, who loved the outdoors, and we spent many family holidays travelling around in our own Volkswagen California – a camper van which was based on, you guessed it, the Volkswagen Transporter. Ours was a 2016 example, badged as the T6, whereas the example sitting proudly outside my home right now is the all-new Transporter.
Strangely, this latest Transporter has more than a whiff of the Ford Transit Custom about it. And that’s no coincidence, because the two models were co-developed together, and the Transporter borrows its underpinnings, technology and engines from the Blue Oval. So, has Volkswagen done enough to make this Transporter feel, well, different enough from its Ford sibling? That’s what I want to find out.
There’s a wide range of diesel engines to choose from in the Transporter, as well as the option of electric power if you can charge at home or at work, but because of the huge miles I cover I’d opted for the former. Indeed, with 168bhp available, my version of the 2.0-litre diesel engine is the most powerful in the range. The official figures suggest it’s capable of hauling me and my camera gear up to 62mph in 14 seconds, and return up to 36.7mpg.
I’m glad that having read our review of the Transporter, and noted that the six-speed manual gearbox can feel a little vague, that I’ve opted for the eight-speed automatic instead. This should save my left knee when I’m crawling through town traffic.
I’ve opted for what I suspect will be the biggest-selling Transporter body – a short-wheelbase model in the shortest height. This gives me up to 1280kg of carrying capacity, and 5.8m3 of volume. In short, that should be more than enough for my needs as one of What Car?’s roving photographers. I’m going to be putting that space to the test not only with my own kit, but having heard that I’m now running a van as my company car, several friends have decided that they’re ready to de-clutter their houses and take tonnes to the tip.
My Commerce Pro van comes with every piece of kit I could want, from a 12in digital driver’s display to a 13in touchscreen infotainment system, and from adaptive cruise control to a rear-view camera to help me park.
Despite that extensive list, I’ve still raided the available options list to make my van even more comfortable. I’ve added laminated glass for the windscreen, which should make my motorway journeys as serene as midnight mass, as well as roof rails so I can attach a roof box should I run out of space inside. I’ve also added LED lighting at the front and rear, plus a sliding door on the passenger’s side for easy access. And then there’s the colour, a bright blue metallic hue which, I’m hoping, means I won’t lose my van in the office car park.
My early miles in the Transporter have been a step-change to the Volkswagen Passat I ran previously, not least because I sit so much higher up in the van. This gives me an excellent view over the road ahead, and means I can nod at fellow van drivers – something I remember from running the Kangoo a few years ago.
I’m also finding the Transporter very, well, un-van like to drive. Its steering is lighter than I’d expected, yet every bit as accurate as I’d hoped. And the suspension does a fine job of soaking up the lumps and bumps of country roads. Whether that’s a surprise given the Transporter’s Ford roots, I’m not sure, but having a van which feels more like a car on the road is very welcome.
Indeed, if this Transporter can offer all of the space I need while also being engaging to drive, it might well be the perfect mobile photographer’s studio. And unlike Mr. Fenton’s early efforts, my studio doesn’t leave droppings in the street.
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