Volkswagen Nutzfahrzeuge has expanded the offering spectrum of the new Transporter generation, developed in cooperation with Ford. After the classic panel van (freight transport) and the combi (passenger transport), three more variants are entering the market: exclusive for the Hanover region the Transporter flatbed with double cab and large loading area (from €41,158) and, as with Ford, the Transporter Panel Van Plus for the combined goods- and passenger-transport (from €38,525) and the Panel Van based on the Panel Van Plus with the so-called L-divider in the cargo area (from €39,990). These models can also be configured with turbodiesel or electric drive, the panel van also with plug-in hybrid drive. The manufacturer also promotes in Germany a five-year warranty.
For the Hanover region, the double-cab pickup, traditionally called the “Pritsche DoKa,” is standard. It is especially in demand in the construction industry including road construction, as well as in forestry and in horticultural businesses. In the front-wheel-drive variants, either an 81 kW /
110 hp or 110 kW / 150 hp turbo-diesel engine is used. Because of its often specialized use off paved roads, the manufacturer also offers the Pritsche Doka optionally with the all-wheel drive 4MOTION, always with a 110 kW-TDI and with an 8-speed automatic. For the 110 kW variant, the automatic is optional. For the first time, the pickup also arrives with an electric drive in the power outputs of 100 kW / 136 hp, 160 kW / 218 hp or 210 kW / 286 hp. The high-voltage battery of the rear-wheel-drive e-Transporters has a capacity of 64 kWh (net). By design, a single-gear automatic transmission is used here.
Pritsche always with long wheelbase
As a double-cab pickup, the version with a long wheelbase features a two-person front passenger bench and a three-seat bench in the second row. Behind the four-door double cab lies the 2,169 mm long and 1,945 mm wide flatbed with 4.2 m² of loading area. Its loading sill
is between 956 and 980 mm high and equipped with fold-down aluminum side boards. The payload is up to 1,073 kg and the tow rating up to 2,500 kg. For special applications, the flatbed can be removed and replaced with a bespoke body mounted on the chassis.
Panel Van Plus: More space for people & cargo
Back on offer is the Panel Van Plus for the combined goods- and passenger-transport. This version features a three-seat bench in the second row, the first row with one or two passenger seats, so a total of six seats are available. Between the passenger area and the cargo space is a plastic wall with a window. The Plus features a sliding door on the passenger side; the second sliding door is optional, and windows in the doors are standard.
As with the technical sibling Transit Custom, the Transporter for the combined goods- and passenger-transport also uses a panel van with an L-divider made of metal. It
separates the front seats as well as the two single seats of the second row from the cargo area. On the driver’s side, the cargo space extends up to the first row; thus, especially long items can be transported on the driver’s side. Optional here as well are two front passenger seats in the first row, with always two sliding doors, the passenger side being standard with a window.
As an extra, the panel vans can be configured with the All-Terrain equipment “PanAmericana.” In addition to interior refinements, the “PanAmericana” versions are characterized by particularly rugged exterior cladding. The Panel Van Plus is also offered in a premium “Edition” version, which among other things is personalized with 17-inch alloy wheels and a black-painted roof. There is also variety in the drivetrains: The panel vans are offered as turbodiesel and electric models (analogous to the Pritsche DoKa) and more recently also with a plug-in hybrid front-drive (171 kW / 232 PS system output)
