Ford Transit Custom Based VW Transporter Officially Revealed

Ford and Volkswagen’s partnership agreement has thus far led to multiple new models, many of which utilize parts from both manufacturers, while others are even built by one company for the other. The concept here is to pool resources together in an effort to cut costs, and thus far, that plan seems to be working out nicely for both automakers. The latest fruit of that partnership is the all-new VW Transporter, which is based on the Ford Transit Custom and has just been revealed in its entirety.

Interestingly, the new VW Transporter will be built by The Blue Oval alongside the Transit Custom at the joint-venture Ford Otosan Assembly plant in Turkey, even though the two vans are also direct rivals. In this case, FoMoCo took the lead on terms of developing the new Transporter, which makes sense given its dominance of the van market in Europe, in general. Regardless, like most every vehicle that stems from this partnership, the Transporter does feature its own unique styling cues, inside and out.

The VW Transporter will be sold as a panel van, panel van plus (with second row seating), Kombi (full-blown passenger van), and as a double cab variant with a long wheelbase, while the Kombi and panel van can be had with a high roof and an extended wheelbase. Trim levels consist of the base Caravelle, Life, Style, and the more rugged PanAmericana. Engine options include three different turbo-diesels with varying outputs of 110, 150, and 170 horsepower, or a plug-in hybrid with 232 horsepower, while an all-electric version is in the works as well, with 136, 218, or 286 horsepower.

Inside the cabin, one will find a 12-inch digital instrument cluster and 13-inch infotainment display, all wrapped up in a package that’s longer and wider than its predecessor, giving it more room inside the cabin. As far as pricing and availability goes, VW hasn’t yet revealed that information, but we should know more in the coming weeks, regardless.

We’ll have more on Ford and Volkswagen’s partnership soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford business news and non-stop Ford news coverage.