When it comes to commercial vehicle underpinnings Ford and Volkswagen believe that sharing is caring. And all that sensible stuff about efficiencies of scale, of course.
The partnership between the two brands has already birthed the SA-built second-generation Volkswagen Amarok, based on the Ford Ranger, and a new Ford Tourneo Connect with VW Caddy genes.
Now Volkswagen is getting ready to replace its T6 Transporter range, which includes the Kombi and Caravelle, and this fresh family of vans and people haulers will reportedly be based on the new Ford Transit Custom, which is also coming to South Africa in 2024.
These new Volksies are not to be confused with the latest Volkswagen Multivan, which was revealed in 2021 as a more luxurious and car-like people mover based around VW’s MQB architecture.
The Ford-based Transporter range, to be released in 2024, straddles the line between commercial haulage and people moving applications, and the German carmaker has released the first (albeit low-quality) teaser image and information ahead of launch.
For starters, Volkswagen is promising a huge range of derivatives, including Transporter panel vans in two different lengths and heights, a double cab dropside bakkie as well as the aforementioned Kombi and Caravelle models. It appears the latter is being repositioned as a model aimed at the shuttle bus market.
Although specific engine details have yet to be released, the carmaker says there will be turbodiesels (presumably Ford-based) as well as plug-in hybrid drivetrain options, while the e-Transporter and e-Caravelle will present fully electric alternatives.
The Volkswagen van family, referred to as “Bulli” by the Germans has evolved through five distinct generations since the T1 of 1949. But this is the first time that the van range is being split between three completely different platforms, these being the aforementioned Ford-based line-up, the more luxurious MQB based Multivan and the electric-only ID.Buzz and ID.Buzz cargo that spawned from the company’s MEB platform.
Pre-orders for the new commercial van range will begin in Germany before the end of 2023, but it’s likely that we’ll have to wait until 2024 to find out more information about the newcomers.