Item: Volkswagen Transporter T6.1
Rating: 4
Author: What Car? Team

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Volkswagen Transporter T6.1

Introduction

Performance & drive

Interior

Passenger & boot space

Costs & verdict

Most of the Volkswagen Transporter T6.1 range is priced slightly above the equivalent <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/transit-custom/van/review/n18288">Ford Transit Custom</a>, but the differences aren’t vast and the Transporter&nbsp;tends to hold its value comparatively well over three years. Top-spec Transporters, such as those in Sportline trim,&nbsp;are&nbsp;very pricey, though, and are among the&nbsp;most expensive medium-sized vans on the market.

Our pick of the engines, the 2.0 TDI 150, officially averages up to 40mpg. From our experience, you should see around 35-40mpg, depending on where and how you drive. 

The entry-level Startline trim is a bit sparse, with steel wheels and black bumpers. You do get some creature comforts, including electrically operated door mirrors, a front-seat armrest and a leather steering wheel.

Highline trim is our pick and adds air-conditioning, 16in or 17in alloy wheels, body-colour bumpers, power-folding door mirrors, auto lights and wipers, a heated front windscreen and adaptive cruise control. The Kombi model also has privacy glass. 

Sportline models benefit from more muscular&nbsp;looks, and come with creature comforts including heated front seats, a carpet flooring on Kombi versions and the digital instruments we mentioned earlier on in this review. Trouble is, it's also an expensive choice, so we think most buyers would be better off with a Highline model.

The Transporter's safety features&nbsp;include City Emergency Braking (Volkswagen's name for <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/what-is-aeb-and-how-does-it-work/n3283">AEB</a>), lane assistance, crosswind assistance, a driver fatigue alert and eCall emergency response. Blind-spot monitoring is an option you might want to think about adding.

For all the latest van reviews, news, advice, and videos visit our dedicated van section&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/class/vans">here</a>

The Volkswagen&nbsp;Transporter 6.1's 2.0-litre diesel engine is available in a range of outputs. The entry-level TDI 90 has 89bhp and will get from 0-62mph in a tepid 17.5sec, so the minimum we’d suggest buying –&nbsp;if you fancy getting anywhere in good time –&nbsp;is the TDI 110. That’ll hit 62mph from rest in 14.3sec. Both engines come with a five-speed manual gearbox.

The 148bhp TDI 150 is paired with&nbsp;a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, along with the option of 4Motion four-wheel drive. It’s our recommendation, because even though its 0-62mph time of 11.1sec still sounds a bit limp, it has so much low-down shove that it feels much faster than that. It’ll hit motorway speeds briskly and easily lug a fully loaded van without too many gear changes. It also moves the maximum towing weight up from 2200kg to 2500kg.&nbsp;

The 201bhp twin-turbocharged TDI 204 comes as standard with the automatic gearbox and the option of four-wheel drive. It’s quick (0-62mph takes 8.9sec) but too pricey to recommend,&nbsp;especially in the range-topping Sportline trim. 

One of the key strengths of&nbsp;the Transporter T6.1 is its composed handling. The steering is relatively precise through corners and offers excellent straight-line stability when you’re on the motorway.

Like its bigger relative, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/crafter/van/review/n18277">Volkswagen&nbsp;Crafter</a>, the&nbsp;Transporter T6.1 manages to disguise its size admirably by keep body lean well contained for such a tall vehicle. It feels pretty agile and grippy&nbsp;too, but versions with front-wheel drive – especially those with the more powerful engines – are prone to spinning their front tyres if the surface is slippery, and especially so if they're not loaded down with weight.

All the diesels are vocal, but not coarse sounding, and the manual gear change is precise. The clutch bite is quite aggressive, though, so it’s an easy van to stall until you’re used to that. Road and wind noise are certainly apparent at 70mph, but less so than rivals such as the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/transit/van/review/n18188">Ford Transit Custom</a>. That helps to make the Transporter T6.1 an accomplished long-distance vehicle. 

The ride is perfectly acceptable, even when it's lightly loaded.&nbsp;It’s still firmer than rivals such as the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/vauxhall/vivaro/van/review/n18281">Vauxhall Vivaro</a>, so you feel the effect of sharp ridges and potholes more, but it’s never jarring. The Transporter&nbsp;settles down nicely the faster you go, so the ride is at its best on a motorway. And while lowered Sportline models are firmer still, they're never uncomfortable.

If you're interested in going electric, see our separate&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/abt-etransporter-61/van/review/n22641">ABT e-Transporter 6.1 review</a>.

It’s not uncommon in the tech world to add a '.1'&nbsp;to the end of something to declare an update to an existing version, but&nbsp;in the van world, it’s never been a thing. The Volkswagen Transporter T6.1&nbsp;changed that.

The ‘.1’ was added to the Transporter T6 name when the model was facelifted. On&nbsp;the&nbsp;styling front, that means the current Transporter T6.1 has a different front grille&nbsp;and bumper to the previous T6,&nbsp;and narrower headlights that merge distinctively with the crossbar running through the front grille.

<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZPxgQDey5-A"></iframe>

Among the Transporter T6.1’s other notable upgrades was the switch to electric power steering. It’s a similar system to the one used in the larger <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/crafter/van/review/n18277">Volkswagen&nbsp;Crafter</a>&nbsp;and allows the mid-size Transporter to be fitted with modern safety features, such as&nbsp;lane-keeping assistance and crosswind assist.&nbsp;

You can still buy the Transporter in short and long wheelbases, with&nbsp;standard, medium and high roof heights. Body layouts include the panel van, crew (Kombi) van, minibus and executive shuttle bus. If you're looking for a camper van, have a look at our separate&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/california/mpv/review/n19868">Volkswagen&nbsp;California review</a>.

There are two main trim&nbsp;levels: Startline and Highline, plus a lowered, sporty model called the&nbsp;Sportline. All those come with a 2.0-litre diesel engine and either front&nbsp;or four-wheel drive with a manual or automatic gearbox. If you want an electric van, there's the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/abt-etransporter-61/van/review/n22641">ABT e-Transporter 6.1</a>.

Read on to find out more about the VW Transporter T6.1 and&nbsp;don't forget to visit the free&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals">What Car? New Car Buying service</a> for a great deal on your next vehicle. Or, if you're interested in leasing a&nbsp;new van – regardless of make and model – don't forget that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/car-leasing/">What Car? Leasing</a>&nbsp;could&nbsp;help you find the cheapest deals available.

As you’d expect in a van, the Volkswagen Transporter T6.1’s interior plastics are hard, rugged and well screwed together. There are hints of luxury, though, such as its smooth-to-the-touch, leather-wrapped steering wheel and, overall, it feels classier than the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/transit-custom/van/review/n18288">Ford Transit Custom</a>. 

There’s plenty of driver’s seat adjustment –&nbsp;all models come with variable height adjustment and lumbar support –&nbsp;so you shouldn’t have any trouble with backache after a few hours at the wheel. The steering wheel is also fully adjustable for reach and height, which means there’s every opportunity to get things just so. 

Behind the steering wheel sit the analogue instruments and a small screen, which together show all the information you need clearly. Sportline trim upgrades those to a 10.3in digital instrument screen, which is good to have but not essential, though it can put a lot of useful information, including the sat-nav map, right in front of you.&nbsp;

Everything is well laid out, making the Transporter a breeze to use whether it’s your regular van or one you’ve just jumped into for the day. The lights, wipers and heating controls, for example, are exactly where you’d expect to find them and the large, physical buttons are easy to operate while you’re on the move. 

The standard infotainment screen is 6.5in and has some physical shortcut buttons around the outside to help you navigate through the menus. The software is slick and easy to fathom and comes with USB-C sockets, Bluetooth and a DAB radio, plus Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, which lets you&nbsp;hook up your phone easily and use your selected apps from the touchscreen. 

You can upgrade to an 8.0in screen, but the shortcut buttons become touch-sensitive buttons that are harder to find without diverting your gaze from the road. Otherwise, it’s one of the best infotainment systems in the van market, with clear graphics and built-in sat-nav. Seeing out is easy, because the high-set seating position and slim(ish) windscreen pillars give you a good view ahead and to the sides. You can’t see much out the back when reversing, even with a rear window fitted, but the large door mirrors help you out.

The VW Group famously spends more money on research and development than any rival – and as a result, perhaps it should be no surprise that our testers rate its cars so consistently highly.

The fact that many of those cars use the same underpinnings also helps, because it means that if they get it right once, they have the foundations to keep on getting it right.

However, the Volkswagen brand faces plenty of tough competition, often from within, because the rapidly rising Seat and Skoda brands that are also part of the group have access to the same technology.

VOLKSWAGEN

TRANSPORTER

Improved connectivity, bigger displays and more safety advancements than ever before make the Transporter&nbsp;an excellent prospect

Front passenger head and leg room is generous in the outside two seats of the Volkswagen Transporter T6.1. If you have the front middle bench seat fitted, the middle passenger will have less space to stretch into. 

There are loads of useful storage spaces dotted around. These include recesses in the top of the dashboard, large door bins and a roomy glovebox. Above that, you’ll find a narrow, rubberised shelf that’s&nbsp;ideal for keys or mobile phones. You also have several cup holders, including two at the base of the windscreen pillars.&nbsp;The Kombi model adds a rear bench that folds up out of the way to minimise the impact on load space. 

If you’re upgrading from a T5 or T6, the internal load bay dimensions are broadly the same as the T6.1, so all your racking and other modular systems should transfer over easily. There’s room for up to three Euro pallets in the load bay, and the standard load-bay height is 1410mm. That increases to 1626mm for the medium-height roof version and 1940mm&nbsp;for the high roof model.

Maximum interior length ranges from 2572mm for the short models (that’s 50mm longer than the equivalent <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/transit-custom/van/review/n18288">Ford Transit Custom</a>) to&nbsp;2975mm for the long-wheelbase vans (50mm shorter than you'll find in the long-wheelbase Transit Custom). The T6.1 also includes a load-through bulkhead hatch, so you can slot in an additional 400mm extra-long load straight under the van’s passenger seat.

In terms of load bay volumes, the range goes from 5.8m3 to 9.3m3 and the payload ranges from 685kg to a maximum of 1217kg.&nbsp;

The Volkswagen Transporter T6.1 is a formidable mid-size van. It's practical for passengers and cargo, good to drive, comfortable and includes much of the latest tech and safety aids you might need. It's not the cheapest van on sale but should hold its value well and be cost-effective to run. 

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Volkswagen Transporter T6.1 review

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Read review covering Volkswagen Transporter T6.1 boot space, size and dimensions, front and rear seat comfort by the expert What Car? test team.

Front passenger head and leg room is generous in the outside two seats of the Volkswagen Transporter T6.1. If you have the front middle bench seat fitted, the middle passenger will have less space to stretch into. ,There are loads of useful storage spaces dotted around. These include recesses in the top of the dashboard, large door bins and a roomy glovebox. Above that, you’ll find a narrow, rubberised shelf that’s ideal for keys or mobile phones. You also have several cup holders, including two at the base of the windscreen pillars. The Kombi model adds a rear bench that folds up out of the way to minimise the impact on load space. ,If you’re upgrading from a T5 or T6, the internal load bay dimensions are broadly the same as the T6.1, so all your racking and other modular systems should transfer over easily. There’s room for up to three Euro pallets in the load bay, and the standard load-bay height is 1410mm. That increases to 1626mm for the medium-height roof version and 1940mm for the high roof model.,Maximum interior length ranges from 2572mm for the short models (that’s 50mm longer than the equivalent Ford Transit Custom) to 2975mm for the long-wheelbase vans (50mm shorter than you'll find in the long-wheelbase Transit Custom). The T6.1 also includes a load-through bulkhead hatch, so you can slot in an additional 400mm extra-long load straight under the van’s passenger seat.,In terms of load bay volumes, the range goes from 5.8m3 to 9.3m3 and the payload ranges from 685kg to a maximum of 1217kg. 

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