The new Volkswagen Transporter T6

Volkswagen has announced pricing for the latest version of its most popular van, the Transporter T6.

List prices for the sixth-generation van will start from £17,745 +VAT, with Kombi models priced from £19,840 +VAT.

Order books open on 6 July, with the first UK deliveries expected in September.

More choices than ever

VW says that the new Transporter range will contain the broadest range of engines, trims and transmissions ever offered. This includes a choice of Euro 5 and Euro 6 engines, while buyers of 140PS and 180PS models can also choose between a six-speed manual transmission and VW’s seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox.

As I expected, BlueMotion fuel-saving technology, which was previously an option, is now standard across the range. This includes low rolling resistance tyres, regenerative braking and Start/Stop systems.

As with the new Caddy, the Transporter T6 will be available in three trim levels, Startline, Trendline and Highline. Here’s what you’ll get and what it will cost.

Startline

The entry-level Startline range is priced from £17,745 +VAT. The standard specification includes BlueMotion Technology, DAB+ digital radio, 5-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth phone connectivity and USB connection.

Trendline

Next up is Trendline, which starts from £19,755 +VAT and adds new wheel trims, a full-height steel bulkhead (panel van), body-coloured bumpers and rear parking sensors to the Startline’s standard spec. Other standard features include a multi-function display and a new cloth upholstery design.

A Comfort pack consisting of foldable grab handles on A-pillars, additional storage compartments, dimmable cabin lights and additional noise suppression is also fitted as standard.

Highline

Moving on up, the Highline range starts from £21,315. This is aimed at owner-drivers and perhaps the campervan market, and the standard spec includes feel-good features such as a new leather multifunction steering wheel, heated windscreen, automatic driving light control, daytime running lights and 16-inch Clayton alloy wheels (17” Richmond alloys on T32 and/or 180PS engine).

Highline models also come with front fog lights with cornering function and a Thatcham Category 1-approved alarm as standard.

Lengths, heights and weights

As with previous models, the new Transporter will be available in a range of sizes. Three roof height options, four gross vehicle weights (2,600kg – 3,200kg) and short and long wheelbase versions will be available.

The new Volkswagen Caddy Maxi goes on sale later in June in the UK.

Volkswagen has announced pricing for the latest version of the firm’s Caddy panel van range, which goes on sale in the UK later in June (first deliveries expected in September).

The new range has three trim levels, Startline, Trendline and Highline, with short or Maxi (long) wheelbases. The Maxi version adds 469mm to the short wheelbase and has a load capacity of 4.2 cubic metres, versus 3.2 cubic metres for SWB.

Here’s an overview of the price and specification for each trim level.

Startline

Prices for the range start at £13,500 +VAT for the base C20 Startline short wheelbase model with 2.0-litre TDI diesel engine.

Standard equipment on Startline includes electric windows and heated and electrically adjustable wing mirrors, a five-inch touchscreen Composition Colour radio system with DAB+ and Bluetooth capability, a lockable glovebox, plus safety features such as driver and front passenger front, side and curtain airbags, a new post-collision braking system and a seatbelt reminder.

Trendline

Trendline prices start from £15,670 +VAT.

In addition to the Startline spec, standard equipment for Trendline models includes full wheel covers, body coloured bumpers, handles and wing mirrors, rear parking sensors, cruise control, multi-function display, driver’s lumbar support, under-seat storage and sun visors with vanity mirrors.

Highline

The range-topping Highline model starts from £16,650.

Additional standard equipment includes  alloy wheels, front fog lights and daytime running lights, Climatic air conditioning, heated front windscreen, automatic dimming rear-view mirror, Thatcham category 1 alarm and windscreen wipers with intermittent control and rain sensor. A seriously well-specified van, in other words.

Engines

As I’ve written before, the new Caddy will initially be offered with two engine ranges, Euro 5 and Euro 6.

The Euro 5 engine range is built aounrd a 2.0-litre diesel with a choice of three power outputs, 75PS, 105PS and 150PS.

The Euro 6 engine range will be limited to a 102PS 2.0-litre diesel at launch. Clearly VW does not expect anyone to buy a Euro 6 Caddy until the law forces them to.

All models can be specified with a five or six-speed manual gearbox, while some higher-powered versions are available with VW’s DSG automated gearbox.

All Caddy models can be specified as ‘BMT’, meaning BlueMotion Technology modifications (start/stop system and battery regeneration) are fitted to reduce fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions.  A standalone BlueMotion variant also joins the range: with a 2.0-litre EU6 102 PS engine and five-speed manual gearbox it can return 65.7 mpg and CO₂ emissions of 114 g/km.

Customers will also be able to specify Adaptive Cruise Control with Front Assist and City Emergency Braking.  This system monitors the space to the vehicle ahead and maintains a specified speed and distance to ensure safe stopping.  This technology has been used in Volkswagen Passenger Cars and is proven to reduce third party injury claims by 45 per cent.

James Davis, head of commercial vehicles at Manheim

When we are faced with an abundant choice of similar options, we tend to become choosy, dismissing good examples in favour of perfection.

So it is in the used van market, where auctioneers Manheim report that used vans with little or no MOT can fetch as much as £400 less than their freshly-tested counterparts.

Of course, there’s another reason for this too.

The lack of a fresh MOT on a used vehicle is sometimes a classic warning that there’s something wrong with it. Perhaps an MOT won’t be possible without major expenditure. Or perhaps the previous owner has a lazy and inadequate approach to maintenance.

You don’t know — but if you’ve got any sense, you buy another used vehicle, which does have a new MOT.

Commenting on this issue, James Davis, Manheim Director of Commercial Vehicles, said:

In recent years, our buyers have increasingly scrutinised van provenance, including detail of service history and number of spare keys. Now, length of MOT can be added to that list.

Mr Davis also confirmed my belief in the importance of a fresh MOT when buying used, observing that some vendors may have an ulterior motive for omitting to test newly de-fleeted vehicles:

I would add a further note of caution. Vendors who de-fleet based on an uneconomical mechanical repair or a pre-MOT test failure must pass this detailed knowledge onto their remarketing provider so it can be declared transparently at the time of sale.

Price action?

Manheim’s latest market analysis says that average used van sale prices rose by £19 to £4,109 in May. But this is a statistical smokescreen.

Average mileage fell by 2,670 miles, while average age fell a whopping seven months to 66 months. In other words, the average price, adjusted for age and mileage, fell in May. Possibly significantly.

If you’re wondering, Manheim says that the big fall in average mileage was due to lots of ex-fleet utility and distribution vans falling out of the numbers. Utilities, in particular, tend to keep their vans for longer than some users. Mileage is often modest and the vans are usually heavily-kitted out in the back, so longer ownership makes more financial sense.

Although Manheim is reporting that demand for used vans remains healthy, prices are clearly under sustained pressure. It will be interesting to see how the market copes over the summer season.