Called T6 internally, the next Transporter will borrow styling cues from the retro-inspired Tristar concept (pictured) that was presented last fall at the annual Commercial Vehicles Show held in Frankfurt, Germany. More of an evolution than a revolution, the T6 will get a sharper look all around but its overall dimensions are not expected to drastically change.
The Transporter will follow the van industry’s shift towards more car-like interiors and adopt a touch-screen based infotainment system similar to the unit found in the Golf and the Passat. Called Multivan in Germany, the Transporter’s passenger-carrying sibling will be offered with premium features like real wood trim on the dashboard and full leather upholstery.
The EuroNCAP, Europe’s rough equivalent to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), recently urged auto manufacturers to build safer commercial vans. Accordingly, Volkswagen’s next-gen Transporter will pack numerous airbags and a wide array of standard and optional electronic driving aids.
Volkswagen will fit its mid-size van with more efficient gasoline- and diesel-burning engines, and rumors claim that a range-topping version powered by a plug-in hybrid drivetrain will be offered several years into the production run. Both front- and all-wheel drive models will be available.
The Volkswagen T6 Transporter will be introduced at a major trade show this spring and go on sale across Europe and in a number of other global markets shortly after. Whether or not Volkswagen will take on rival Mercedes-Benz on North America’s burgeoning midsize van market is up in the air.
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