8 months ago
74
| |
You might have forgotten that Volkswagen and Ford are bedfellows where certain commercial vehicle ranges are concerned.
The most famous tie-up involves the Ranger and Amarok, with the latter using the ingredients of the former model, both built alongside each other at the Blue Oval brand's Silverton production plant in Tshwane.
It was a controversial synergy by most accounts. But the German-badged twin of the Ford seems to have achieved fair market acceptance.
We should probably expect to see the same reactions of controversy surrounding the new Volkswagen Transporter (T7); which is based entirely on the Ford equivalent, sold in Transit and Tourneo iterations.
The latest Transporter made its world premiere over the weekend at the IAA Transportation show in Hanover, Germany. Coincidentally, Ford launched the passenger version of its bus, the Tourneo, in Mzansi last week.
In case you forgot, the Volkswagen Transporter series traces its lineage back to 1949, with the T1.
In Mzansi we need no introduction to the product line. From a jaunty David Kramer and his veldskoen to the distinctive timbre of K.O rapping about a “Caracara” – South Africans from all walks could share countless songs, stories and memories about the Volkswagen minibus family.
The German firm has opted to place its latest range of people and cargo-movers under one Bulli banner: Transporter, Multivan and the electric I.D Buzz options, which boast a visual design that reminisces the T1.
Three versions will make up the T7 range: panel van, crew bus and Caravelle.
The crew bus and panel van versions are optionally available with a high roof and an extended wheelbase.
Caravelle variants will include a nine-seater option, in addition to a long wheelbase format, with model grades mirroring the Volkswagen passenger cars range: Life and Style (but no R-Line).
Both the Transporter as a panel van and the Caravelle are also available in the Panamericana all-terrain version, like the Amarok bakkie.
Inside, the Transporter is sufficiently distinguished from its Ford counterpart.
The fascia design, layout, and steering wheel are familiar from contemporary Volkswagen products.
But they have not gone too radical with the digitisation of things.
According to the brand, the new T7 interior blends “the digital world of displays and controls with robust hard keys, ensuring that the vehicle’s control centre is easy and safe for professionals to use in any situation”.
Expert more cabin space, a larger payload (up to 1.3 tonnes) and an increased maximum trailer weight from the new model.
A wider range of powertrains is also a big point, although exact derivatives for our market are yet to be confirmed.