VW Transporter proves the perfect family road trip companion

It had been many, many years since three siblings and their parents had been in the same car going away together for a few days.

With my sister living in England for the past 35 years and my brother on the North Coast of KZN, it’s understandable that these gatherings don’t take place too often.

So when my sister arranged a visit just before the festive season, the three of us thought it would be a good idea to take my parents away for a couple of days, just like all those years ago when they did the same for us as kids. 

We had arranged a lovely thatched house in Mabalingwe, and to get the five of us with luggage, food, drinks and my parents’ walkers comfortably to our destination was my responsibility.

There aren’t many options on the market that can do something like that without the slightest packing or seating issues, unless of course, it’s a van.

My theory that when it comes to space, comfort and practicality, a van trumps an SUV every time, was again on the money.

I was fortunate enough for Volkswagen to provide me with their recently released Transporter, and there could not have been a better option.

With both my parents being rather frail, they needed space, easy access and comfort while the three of us are taller than average and required similar criteria.

My dad immediately recognised it as a Kombi, a far cry from the 1.6-litre air-cooled one he drove in the seventies, but it is an indication of how the Volksie Bus has become part of South African folklore.

He wasn’t aware that the Transporter is built on the Ford Tourneo platform with similar underpinnings as a result of the joint venture between the two powerhouses, and I’m sure that most people don’t know either and so it’s simply a Kombi.

Interior

For those of us that have driven both, the interior is a mixture of Ford and Volkswagen with a 12-inch digital instrument cluster and 13-inch touchscreen infotainment screen that’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible. The seats, although manually adjustable, provide decent comfort and support.

The multi-function steering wheel is very much VW and there's tons of storage spaces, cup holders and USB charging points spread throughout. 

The two sliding doors are not automated but they open and close easily.

Everything except a cooler box fitted behind the third row of seats, leaving an aircraft hanger’s space for the human cargo to sit comfortably. 

Engine

The VW Transporter’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel engine with 125kW and 390Nm mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox with buttery smooth gear changes driving the front wheels proved a gem on the long haul.

Driving

With its commanding driving position and comfortable seats the VW Transporter is easy to pilot on the highway, through the congested streets of Bela-Bela and some of the smaller towns we passed.

At a 30 minute stop and go wait the advantages of a bus were again evident with those sitting in the back able to sit with their legs fully stretched with the airconditioning keeping things cool on a hot day.

Even with no passengers, the Transporter was never intended to get you between points at an alarming pace, its intention is exactly what we used it for.

It will easily cruise all day at the national speed limit and accelerate past slower traffic with ease and in town it has a pleasant turn of speed when needed. 

When we returned to the retirement village, consumption stood at 8.9l/100km, which is really good considering its size and that it was well loaded.

Verdict

I still maintain that for families there’s no better way to get around than in a van. Unlike an SUV there’s oodles of space for five or more people to sit or even lounge around comfortably, it swallows luggage without jenga-type packing and they have enough power and decent consumption.

The Volkswagen Transporter does all of that and then some.