Volkswagen Transporter 2025 UK Review: New Era of Practicality and Choice
What is it?
The 2025 Volkswagen Transporter is the next step for one of the UK’s best-known vans. It’s been developed alongside the Ford Transit Custom, but VW’s design still shines through clearly. This fresh version brings a whole bunch of engine choices—diesel and electric—and plenty of practical tweaks. Plus, there are several trim levels aimed at folks who use these vans for work.
Whether you’re after something tough and basic or something a bit smarter for day-to-day jobs, there’s now a Transporter to suit you. It’s more flexible than ever, which is handy if your van doubles as an office or needs to handle all sorts of jobs around town.
Exterior Design
VW hasn’t messed with the basic shape too much, but this new Transporter is about 5% bigger all round. It comes in two lengths—5,050mm for the short wheelbase and 5,450mm for the long—with a choice of roof heights too. Depending on what you need, it can be specced as a panel van, kombi, shuttle for passengers, or even a chassis cab.
Starting from the Commerce Plus trim, the bumpers are body-coloured, which gives it a bit more polish. Practical stuff like the large mirrors, easy-sliding side doors, and standard LED headlights (with automatic main beam) help make the van work better for real everyday use. It looks decent, too.
Performance & Range
The 2025 Transporter gives us a bit of everything—so whether you’re a diesel die-hard or thinking about going electric, you’re covered.
Diesel Options:
You’ve got three versions of the 2.0-litre TDI:
– 110PS (109bhp) with 310Nm of torque
– 150PS (147bhp) with 360Nm
– 170PS (168bhp) with 390Nm
They all meet Euro 6e standards and come with variable-geometry turbos. The 150PS manual does up to 40.4mpg, while even the 170PS with an auto box manages about 37.7mpg. If you opt for 4MOTION all-wheel drive, expect between 31.4 and 33.2mpg.
Electric Version:
The e-Transporter uses a 63.8kWh battery and powers the rear wheels. Most UK buyers will likely see the 218PS (215bhp) version, which has a healthy 415Nm pull and should manage about 201 miles on a charge (WLTP). Charging’s quick enough too—125kW DC or 11kW AC.
Plug-in Hybrid:
This one’s due in 2026. It’ll pair a 2.5-litre petrol engine with an electric motor, putting out 229bhp in total. You’ll also get about 35 miles on electricity alone, which should be spot-on for short runs in town but still offers flexibility for longer drives.
So, whether you’re sticking with diesel or eyeing up electric options, there’s something here to tick the right boxes—including an eight-speed auto and solid towing numbers.
Comfort & Interior Features
Inside, it’s clear VW’s gone all-in with digital tech. Every model gets a pair of screens: a 13-inch touchscreen in the middle and a 12-inch display in front of the driver. Most of the buttons have been replaced with touchscreen controls, which not everyone will love, but it does give the dash a fresher look.
Starting with the Commerce trim, you already get air con, LED lights, a full metal bulkhead, cruise control, and rear parking sensors. Step up to Commerce Plus, and you add front sensors, an alarm, a reversing cam, and painted bumpers. Top of the pile is Commerce Pro, which throws in 16-inch alloys, heated seats, adaptive cruise, lane assist, and powered door mirrors. USB-C charging and a 230V socket (up to 2,300W) in the back mean you can power tools or equipment straight from the van.
There’s no overhead storage like before, and the cab feels a bit tighter in places, but at least the driver’s seat now has lumbar support and six-way adjustment, which is great for longer stints behind the wheel.
Practicality
The 2025 Transporter still knows its job is to get work done, and there are loads of clever updates that help with that.
Load length on the SWB version is 2,602mm, stretched to 3,002mm on the LWB. Between the rear wheelarches you now get 1,392mm—148mm more than before—so you can slot in two Euro pallets in the SWB, or three in the LWB.
Depending on the body and roof combo you pick, the load bay offers between 5.8 and 9.0 cubic metres of volume. Payloads range from 851kg to 1,242kg for diesels and 767kg to 1,088kg for electric versions. As for towing, diesel models top out at 2,800kg (braked), and the e-Transporter can handle up to 2,300kg. All versions can carry 170kg on the roof.
So whether you’re hauling gear, passengers, or kit, there’s a combo here that should suit pretty much any trade or job.
Verdict
Volkswagen’s taken a solid approach with the new 2025 Transporter—mixing modern tech with the kind of old-fashioned reliability you want in a van. With both diesel and electric choices, some thoughtful trim levels like the smartly equipped Commerce Pro, and practical touches like wider wheelarch spacing and strong towing capacity, it’s clearly been built with UK drivers in mind.
Put it up against rivals like the Transit Custom or Peugeot Expert, and the Volkswagen Transporter 2025 stands out thanks to its digital dashboard, broad engine lineup, and comfortable driving feel. If your business needs something versatile or you’re starting to look at EVs for the fleet, this one’s definitely worth considering.
