It maybe in its eighth decade but the Volkswagen Transporter can still give the opposition more than a run for its money, especially on sports day!
The end of the pandemic as we know it? Well let’s just say there’s more than a sporting chance if the Professional Builder car park is anything to go by these past couple of weeks. Starved of van testing opportunities for obvious reasons since March 2020, we are right back in the game, with Volkswagen loaning us not one but three of its top-of-the-range light commercial vehicle offerings.
First up, the distinctly eye catching – and, in terms of price, some may say eye watering – new Transporter 6.1 Sportline version. Volkswagen Audi Group (VAG) has been making the Transporter for more than seven decades, and we have driven a fair few incarnations over the years, but nothing has come close to the latest offering in terms of technical sophistication, on the road driver assistance, all round style and comfort.
But, then again, at an on the road price of £55,000 including VAT you have a right to expect an awful lot for your hard-earned cash. That’s as much as £20,000 on top of what you would expect to pay for a basic new 6.1 Transporter so what exactly are you getting to make it stand out from the crowd?
Well for starters, 0-62mph in a fraction under nine seconds, and a projected top speed of 126 miles per hour from a 2litre TDI bi turbo common rail, direct injection power train will clearly capture the imagination of those who like to revel in the ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’ approach to traffic lights. And, talking of running gear, there is a seven speed dual clutch gearbox, front wheel drive McPherson type strut front suspension and independent rear suspension, with coil springs and load sensitive shock absorbers linked to 18in Sportline gloss black alloy wheels. The full on Sportline body kit features an enhanced front bumper, including lower front diffuser, illuminated side chrome side bars and Nappa leather and Alcantara with red contrast stitching front seats. Our particular test vehicle came in an attractive Ravenna Blue metallic titanium black colour and trim with a go faster front-end red stripe.
As the show-pony of its award-winning workhorse line up, VAG has obviously thrown everything at the Sportline in terms of technical features and enhancements to make the driving experience as superior as possible. There’s an anti-theft alarm system, 8in. navigation touchscreen, foldable door mirrors, heated seats, fog lights, parking sensors and rear-view cameras to name but a few. Payload is a healthy 1,165kg accessed through a rear tailgate and you can expect around 37mpg. There’s also a three-year warranty and 12 years for body protection, plus three-year breakdown assistance.
All that clearly takes it well beyond the budget of most tradespeople, but you can enter the market for a new Transporter 6.1 for considerably less and add bits to it which you think you will need on a daily basis. These can quickly add up, but such is the highly competitive nature of the commercial vehicle van market these days the standard equipment supplied on a new Transporter 6.1 Sportline is more than adequate for most businesses and will come in at around £32,0000. Expect to pay around £35,000 for the bigger proportioned Highline version.
Top of the range vehicles like the Sportline are all about aspirations and play to the popular lifestyle image of combing work with play. Most builders we know would probably baulk at taking on such a vehicle simply because of the anxiety levels implicit in keeping it in pristine condition. The temptation to cram it full of heavy-duty materials and equipment during the working week would prove too much of a temptation and weekends would invariably be spent washing it down.
Some, of course, simply don’t want to appear over flash to their potential customer base and prefer to fit the stereotype of most builders’ vans. For these reasons, Sales of the Sportline version are likely to be relatively modest but as we all know the playing field is never level and there will always be winners and losers when it comes to sport.
