Your guide to Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ passenger carrier range
Vans aren’t just for moving goods and tools. Sometimes you need to carry crew, colleagues or passengers. Here’s how Volkswagen blends seats and space in one package...
When it comes to hard-working vans, Britain’s best budding businesses aren’t just builders, plumbers and delivery drivers. Across the UK there are hundreds of taxi firms, VIP chauffeurs and airport shuttle firms, as well as schools, charities and youth clubs – all of whom need vehicles that marry space and practicality with versatile and comfortable seating.
That’s where Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ range of highly adaptable passenger vans comes in. Kicking off the range is the compact and versatile Volkswagen Caddy, sporting up to seven seats and What Car? Award-winning levels of safety and in-car tech.
Then there’s the midsize Volkswagen Transporter, which is available from new as either a six-seater Kombi or a passenger-friendly Transporter Shuttle, or the luxury executive Volkswagen Caravelle – which makes a fantastic cost-effective Approved Used purchase.
Finally, there’s the all-new game-changing Volkswagen Multivan – the all-new successor to the Caravelle, which goes on-sale in early 2022. It boasts head-turning modern-retro looks and innovative passenger-friendly seating that takes the game to another level when it comes to carrying passengers in stylish comfort.
So, whether you want a van that blends space and seating for your business, or a passenger carrier that can double as a work van in the day and a family vehicle at weekends, you’re in the right place. Let’s get into it.
All-new Volkswagen Caddy; the compact carrier
Compact in size, but compellingly spacious and versatile inside, the all-new Volkswagen Caddy is a multi-faceted vehicle that blends seats, space and What Car? Award-winning levels of technology.
Fitted with five comfortable seats as standard – with seven in the larger Caddy Maxi – the Volkswagen Caddy’s versatile interior gives you the ability to fold or even remove the rear rows entirely, revealing up to 1913mm of load length in the standard model and up to 2265mm in the Maxi with the rear benches removed – plenty of room for blending people or heaps of goods, tools or luggage.
Up front, the Volkswagen Caddy’s What Car? Award-winning infotainment and safety tech help make daily driving safer, easier and far more relaxing. The optional Digital Cockpit provides a crisp and clear display for all your essential driving information, while an optional 10-inch infotainment touchscreen allows for class-leading connectivity and entertainment.
Bluetooth comes as standard, too, making calls on-the-go easy and safe, while We Connect packages[1] allow you to control vital functions of the new Volkswagen Caddy from your phone – including receiving live traffic information and the ability to hotspot Wi-Fi. Voice control lets you answer calls and change the radio without lifting a finger, while door-to-door navigation through your mobile means you can plan journeys with ease.
The Volkswagen Caddy is also a class leader when it comes to safety, with over 19 driver assistance systems keeping you and your passengers safe. Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Assist take the stress out of the occasional long-distance drive too, while Front Assist with City Emergency braking (fitted as standard to all models), Rear Cross Traffic Alert lend a second pair of eyes in town.
Volkswagen Transporter 6.1: a jack of all trades
Versatile, practical and cost-effective to run, the What Car? Award-winning Volkswagen Transporter 6.1 comes in two flexible guises from new as a passenger carrier: the Kombi and the Shuttle. And, for those businesses looking for a different path to a passenger van, the outgoing Volkswagen Caravelle makes for a fantastic Approved Used buy.
Each comes laden with similar levels of in-cab and safety technology to the Volkswagen Caddy, helping to keep you and your passengers comfortable, entertained and safe. And, thanks to a wide range of economical Euro-6-compliant diesel engines, the Transporter is cost-effective too. In fact, the panel version scooped our Best Value for Ownership Costs award at the 2021 What Car? Van Awards.
The Volkswagen Kombi: the best of both worlds
The Volkswagen Transporter Kombi is a comfortable and practical people-mover that is perfect for carrying crew and cargo – boasting flexible double-row seating for up to six, while still leaving space for two Euro pallets behind the rear bench and a vast 4.4m3 of load volume.
In the cab, a flexible workstation with plenty of practical cubby holes, bright LED lights, a lockable glovebox and a fold-out writing surface acts as the ideal mobile office.
Available with a choice of two wheelbases and two roof heights, the Volkswagen Kombi can be specced to suit any business. Its clever seating solutions even allow the rear bench to be removed entirely, revealing a vast 6.7m3 – or 9.3m3 in the high roof model – of load space.
The Volkswagen Shuttle: for the big jobs
The Volkswagen Shuttle 6.1 is perhaps Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ most capable and versatile people carrier. Available with five, eight or nine seats – including clever Easy Entry seating that allows the rear benches to be tipped, folded or completely removed – the Volkswagen Shuttle is perfect as a taxi, airport-connector, group transporter or for any business that requires moving large groups of people.
Alongside passenger space, there’s an abundance of load space. An upper glovebox and folding ruler tray help keep the cab clutter-free, while the five-seater long wheelbase model boasts a mammoth 1967mm of load length – giving you plenty of room for luggage.
The Volkswagen Caravelle: the luxury one
Despite not being available to buy from new, the Volkswagen Caravelle 6.1 is a classy, comfortable and luxurious passenger hauler that makes a fantastic used buy thanks to its plush interior, heaps of technology and oodles of space.
Buying a Caravelle through Volkswagen’s Approved Used scheme gives you the confidence that your vehicle is in top working condition. As standard, each Approved Used Caravelle will receive a 112-point mechanical, electric and visual check, along with a six- or 12-month warranty which includes Volkswagen’s comprehensive 24/7 breakdown and recovery service.
Available in two lengths, all Volkswagen Caravelles come with seven plush seats as standard, while long wheelbase versions can carry up to eight passengers in ultimate comfort. Bright LED lights and versatile seats that swivel 360 degrees create an executive lounge area in the rear – perfect for meetings on the go, or a family lunch if you use your passenger carrier at the weekend. A clever multi-functional fold-away table can be used by passengers for business papers, notes and laptops.
Sliding doors make access a breeze, while the electric tailgate on the Executive trim makes loading and unloading hassle-free.
The all-new Volkswagen Multivan: changing the game
“The minds behind the new Volkswagen Multivan appear to have taken the expression ‘go big or go home’ to heart, because the people carrier they’ve ended up making is absolutely huge.” says our What Car? editorial team of the all-new upcoming Volkswagen Multivan.
The successor to the Caravelle, the all-new Volkswagen Multivan combines captivating modern-retro styling with mould-breaking interior design, and innovative passenger space with an advanced efficient hybrid powertrain.
Inside, the new Volkswagen Multivan is more flexible and spacious than any previous model thanks to its new modular seating system. With space for up to seven, the rear five seats can be moved and removed to reveal a cavernous load compartment, while the second row of seats can be fixed in a rear-facing position to create a conference-style seating configuration. The completely flat floor adds to the feeling of space.
An innovative multi-function table can be moved between any of the seating rows, and (for the first time) can be used as a centre console between the front seats. Height adjustable, featuring three cup holders and a storage compartment, the multi-function table is perfect for working on-the-go or keeping the kids occupied during longer journeys.
Finally, the innovative plug-in eHybrid powertrain is the first to feature in a Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle. The Multivan combines a 1.4-litre petrol engine with an 85kW electric motor to give you silent, zero-emissions driving on shorter trips while giving you the flexibility of the petrol engine on longer journeys. And with up to 218PS available, you’ll have plenty of power too.
So, however you need to help people get around, there’s a Volkswagen passenger van to suit you.
Discover Volkswagen’s passenger carriers
[1] To use the We Connect services, you need a Volkswagen ID user account and to log in to We Connect with your username and password. A separate We Connect or We Connect Plus contract must also be concluded online with Volkswagen AG.
