Last year was the 75th anniversary of the Volkswagen Transporter & we drove the latest Gen 7 version last year. It’s based on the Transit Custom & Volkswagen have been working hard to differentiate it from the Ford. Fast-forward to 2026 & Volkswagen has a new range-topper in the form of the Transporter Sportline & we headed to deepest Northamptonshire to try out the panel van.
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Sportline is offered as a panel van or Kombi with SWB & LWB versions. And as a diesel or electric model with an eHybrid version following later in 2026.
Sportline specifics
Volkswagen have spruced the Sportline up & outside it features black roof rails, gloss black mirror caps, 19” diamond-cut alloys, 29 mm Eibach performance springs, a gloss black front grille with Sportline signature red accent & IQ Matrix headlights. At the rear, there’s a sport-profile spoiler, Sportline badging, full LED lights & a sculpted rear bumper, with a gloss black side skirt.
Inside finishes include a high gloss black edging to the 13” display, Sportline floor mats, wireless charging, front sport seats with contrast red stitching, 6-way adjustment, black eco leather upholstery, Sportline embossing, chrome dash insets & bullet styling on the wing mirror. Footwell lighting in the cab & illuminated metal scuff plates brighten things up whilst in the load space 3 super-bright LED lights are fitted.
Measurements SWB LWB
Length mm 5,070 5,470
Wheelbase mm 3,100 3,500
Side sliding door mm 1,030 x 1,301
Rear doors mm 1,316
Load height
Load length 2,622 3,022
Load width mm 1,777
Volume m cubed 5.9m 6.6m
Roof load 170kg
Diesel panel van
All versions are powered by a 2.0 TDI 170PS engine & use an 8-speed automatic gearbox. Panel van payloads are 1,168 kg SWB & 1,122 kg LWB. Fuel tank capacity is 55 litres with maximum torque of 390 Nm.
Economy & CO2’s
WLTP consumption is 34-34.9mpg, with CO2 emissions of 216-220.
Performance
All versions will go from 0-62mph in 14 seconds & onto a top speed of 109mph
Electric panel van
One 70kWh battery with a 1-speed automatic gearbox. With two outputs. 218PS or 286PS.
Panel van payloads are 911 kg SWB & 990kg LWB with the smaller battery & 724kg SWB & 693kg LWB fitted with the larger battery.
Driving range
All versions come with combined energy consumption of 2.5miles/kWh with the range running from 199-203 miles.
Power & performance
Fitted with the 218kW battery, 0-62mph takes 8.6 seconds while the larger 286kW battery does this in 7.4 seconds. Top speed for all models is 93mph.
Warranty
Customers benefit from an enhanced warranty & service plan at no extra cost. Called the Volkswagen 5+ Promise. It comprises five services, three MOTs, a five-year Warranty & five years’ Roadside Assistance.
Driving
We tested a diesel Sportline.
Climb aboard & from the drivers seat everything is easy to reach including the touchscreen. Visibility is also good, with the handy built in reversing camera with parking lines makes reversing simple.
All Transporters are just so easy to drive as well as so pleasant to be in & the Sportline is no different. In effect it handles more like a large SUV than a panel van. On some winding & undulating roads the van comes with exemplary handling with light, precise steering.
I headed out onto the M1 & engaged adaptive cruise control & comfortably overtook some slow moving traffic. Cabin insulation’s very good & conversations can be had without shouting even at higher speeds. Perhaps the suspension set-up’s a touch harder than in standard Transporter but that’s our only criticism.
Cabin comfort
The Sportline interior is lovely & has now become our favourite of any panel van with the contrast red stitching & eco-leather upholstery finishes things off nicely. You also get two fold down armrests one on the right & the left of the driver so the middle passenger can use one of these. It’s very easy to connect your smart phone to CarPlay so if you prefer to utilise your own Apps such as Waze that’s simple too. The onboard safety is impressive & can be tweaked via the touchscreen menu & steering wheel controls. Sportline adds Adaptive Cruise Control & Blind Spot Monitoring.
ProsLooks the business, with classy user-friendly interior. Plenty of model choice. Better warranty than with Ford.
Cons
Verdict
Prices Panel Van + vat