Volkswagen Transporter News

Three extra seats have invaded the Renault Trafic load area but the Crew cargo area still measures four cubic meters.

Volkswagen has (silently) rolled out a six-seat van concept dubbed the ID Buzz at the North American International Auto Show

VW has given its T6 line-up a comprehensive overhaul, from the classic Transporter work van to the Caravelle people-mover.

The sixth generation of the Volkswagen Transporter arrives in Australia in November with a range of upgrades aimed at making life easier for owners and operators.

The major brands are keen for a good start to 2015 and that means a lot of sharp deals for the first two months of the year.Low profile brand Citroen currently has a hot deal on its Berlingo compact hauler, offering the 66kW diesel manual long body version for $25,990 drive away. It has also thrown in an extended warranty, covering it for five years/200,000km.Volkswagen has two limited edition vans available now, with special drive-away pricing.They are called Runner models and are effectively entry-level models.The Caddy Runner is based on the TSI 160 petrol version of Volkswagen’s small van. It is not loaded with gear, but does have airconditioning as well as stability control, and costs $23,990 drive away.The Transporter Runner, based on the TDI 250 diesel, is not completely void of features either and has just picked up Bluetooth phone connectivity and cruise control in addition to AC and stability control.Volkswagen is currently offering it for $32,990 drive away.Renault is receiving initial stock of the new Master large van, but there are a fair few of the old one left and that means bargains are to be had.The company hasn’t locked in incentives with the dealers, instead asking them to check in when someone is interested, so it might well be worth asking.The company does have an extended warranty offer in place at the moment to help its Kangoo compact van, which covers it for five years or 200,000km.Ford is offering two special deals with price cuts and extended warranty deals for its front-drive Transit Custom vans.The first is a short wheelbase model at $38,990 drive away and the second is the long wheelbase version for $40,990 drive away.These are keen prices, especially as Ford has now introduced an extended warranty that lasts for five years/200,000km.Both models are standard, but the Transit is very well specified and each van has a five-star crash safety rating, stability control, cruise control, Bluetooth connectivity, a bulkhead and even heated seats.There is only one transmission, a six-speed manual, as an automatic is still being developed, and only one engine, a 2.2-litre turbodiesel.Fiat is not doing any special deals on its just-introduced Doblo and Ducato vans, maintaining the strong pricing structure from the launch, including the well specified Doblo compact van from $22,000 for the petrol 1.4 and the larger Ducato with a 3.0-litre diesel from $38,000, but neither price includes drive-away costs.

Volkswagen TRISTAR concept hints at T6 Transporter design and new extended cab body.Volkswagen has given us our first taste of the next-generation T6 Transporter light commercial lineup with the first images of the new TRISTAR concept, due to appear at the Paris motor show next month.Riding on the same platform as the existing T5-generation Transporter, the TRISTAR showcases a new extended cab ute body that could point to a new variant for the T6 to sit between the single and dual-cab chassis models.The concept also showcases several design updates over the current T5, that likely preview the next-generation T6’s look ahead of its expected debut at next year’s Geneva motor show.The concept features an altogether sharper front end design than current Transporter models, with a more aggressive grille and greater integration of LED day-time running lights.At the rear the TRISTAR adopts a horizontal taillight design that harks back to that used by the T3 generation of the 1980s.Inside, the concept features a versatile interior design that appears to be production ready - including rotating seats and a 20-inch display that doubles as a table that likely preview new features headed for the T6.Beneath the metal the TRISTAR adopts a modified version of the T5 Transporter’s chassis, with a permanent four-wheel drive system and mechanical rear axle lock.Measuring 4,788mm long, 2,320mm wide and 2,066mm tall the Paris-bound show car is slightly smaller in length than current short wheelbase T5 Transporter models, but is significantly wider thanks partly to the show-spec 245-section off-road tyres.With a healthy 30mm of extra ground clearance, the versatile new concept is also slightly taller than existing Transporter models.The TRISTAR is powered by a 150kW/400Nm version of the 2.0-litre diesel engine found in existing Transporter TDI400 production models, while a 7-speed DSG gearbox drives all four wheels.

An unconventional take on the traditional large luxury sedan sums up Volvo's Concept You. The car is a celebration of all things Scandanavian, from the polished timber floors to the Kasthall carpets, seat back fabrics designed by Oscar Jacobson to look like business suits, to the Georg Jensen-inspired wheel and grille details and Hasselblad camera on the back seat. "Concept You gives a good indication of what you can expect from our next large sedan. The blend of contemporary Scandinavian design, exquisite craftsmanship and intuitive technology will appeal to luxury car buyers all over the world," Volvo CEO Stefan Jacoby says. The You is also a symbol of Volvo's renaissance: the takeover by Geely last year gave the company cash and conviction that is translating into a 21 per cent sales rise so far this year. The concept car is the successor to the Concept Universe sedan shown at this year's Shanghai Motor Show. The fastback design is a popular look with all carmakers right now and the size and shape will have the Volvo lining up against Audi's A7 and the XJ Jaguar. Volvo's vice-president of design, Peter Horbury says the Concept You's design language is indicative of future Volvo models says customer reaction will ultimately determine which of the two cars will make it into production. "The fastback profile mirrors a strong trend among European buyers. With growing signs that Chinese "taste buds" are moving rapidly in the same direction, our main aim is to explore how daring our next large sedan should be in order to be a global success," he says. Volvo has dared to be different on the inside, too. The hi-tech cockpit uses hand gestures, facial recognition and voice commands to navigate through the car's functions. "We use a number of touch-screens to replace buttons and controls in order to make the driver totally connected. The technology also helps us to create a refreshingly uncluttered interior," Horbury says. The sound system was developed in association with Alpine and uses a "Fresh Air" subwoofer that weighs 1.4kg but has the performance of a conventional 15kg unit. The system also helps to contain the sound within the car.

The opening day of the Australian International Motor Show will see an unprecedented battle between two of the heavyweights of world motoring. Mercedes-Benz and Porsche are each going all-out with a p

Volvo Cars Australia has given its refreshed S80 a visual edge by making the company's R-Design package a specific model in the refreshed S80 lineup. The sassy look is just cosmetic at this stage with no engine tuning part of the enhancements.  However, full-blown factory-fitted R-Design engine performance improvements are destined for the S80 and other Volvos and are likely to replace the Heico Sportiv-inspired cars here. Initially the more driver-focused R-Design S80s will get 18-inch wheels, lowered, sports-tuned suspension, colour-matched rear spoiler, matt silver grille and exterior mirrors, and chrome exhausts.  VCA spokesperson, Laurissa Mirabelli, says R-Design is aimed at enthusiasts who now have families. "The luxury sedan segment is also so competitive the S80 needed some differentiation," she says.  C30, V70 and XC90 buyers can already specify the cosmetic R-Design enhancements, which are optional.  Prices for the 2010 S80 remain unchanged, starting at $79,950 for the D5 and twin-turbo T6, topping out at $98,950 for the V8. Adding R-Design to a D5 or T6 costs $1500 extra over the standard car and $2500 more in the V8.  Visually the 2010 changes bring the big sedan inline with the XC60 and new S60, with a new grille and larger Volvo insignia. The D5 gains a new 151kW twin-turbo diesel and adds all-wheel drive as standard, the same as the T6 and V8.  The range-topping V8 adds lane departure warning with driver alert control, blind spot information system, adaptive cruise control with collision warning and auto brake function as standard. Inside there is a new four-spoke steering wheel with deco inlay, more ergonomic switchgear and alloy cabin trim.  Like the XC models, the S80's all-wheel drive system employs a Haldex clutch to distribute power between front and rear wheels according to road and driving conditions. The system can automatically move a small amount of torque to the rear wheels when starting on slippery surfaces.  As with all Volvo's the S80 has a comprehensive active and passive safety features. The car's navigation system is now more user friendly.  Volvo is hoping for a better year with the revised S80 and expects the D5 to be popular.  Last year it sold less than 100 S80s.  The company is hoping that the R-Design will make up 50 per cent of S80 sales this year.

...and could even be dangerous to other drivers — a Volkswagen expert says. But Mercedes-Benz responds that such statements are ‘rubbish’.Prof Horst Oehlschlaeger, head of concept development for Volkwagen’s popular Transporter van, says getting a five-star crash rating for the upgraded model due here next year is ‘not so important’. “I think if you look at the question of injuries, there is very little difference between five-star to four-star,” Prof Oehlschlaeger says. “It’s not a big difference at all.”He says that while it may be a little safer for the occupants, a five-star van can be more dangerous to passenger vehicles it crashes into. “In reality, if you make the van stiffer and stronger for five-star, you will do more damage to the smaller passenger cars they come into contact with in an accident,” he says. “You have to look at crash compatibility with small cars, so as well as crashing Transporter with another Transporter, we crashed it with a Golf and a Polo.”Prof Oehlschlaeger says the Transporter, the current model of which has four stars in Europe’s NCAP ratings, is expected to be ‘borderline’ between four and five stars – but not reach five — when the new model is tested, although there have been no structural changes.He says any extra points will come mainly from the addition of side curtain airbags, while the inclusion of ESP and ABS as standard features — rather than options – will also be attractive safety points for the market.However, Mercedes-Benz, which gets a five-star rating on its Viano and Vito vans in a segment where most get just three, says the highest crash rating is just as crucial for the light commercial segment as for passenger vehicles. “To say it’s not important is – quite frankly – wrong. And you would only say that if you can’t get them,” Mercedes-Benz spokesman David McCarthy says. “The difference between four stars and five stars is significant. “Safety in these vehicles needs to be lifted, not reduced or kept the same. Vehicle crash safety is just as important for people who drive commercial vehicles. “To say otherwise is very regrettable, and it’s a generalisation that does not do credit to a brand such as Volkswagen with a very good tradition of safety – a company that makes predominantly five-star passenger vehicles.”McCarthy says the same logic about impact between larger and smaller cars is not applied to Volkswagen’s passenger vehicle ranges. “If Volkswagen is concerned about the damage large, five-star rated vehicles do to smaller ones, can we assume they are going to stop making Touareg, Phaeton and Bentleys, and just stick to making Polos,” he says. “To anybody – anybody — saying that safety is not important in that segment, I would prescribe a couple of reality pills. “And I’m sure Worksafe and the Transport Accident Commission would be happy to supply a glass of water to swallow them with.”