Upgraded Volkswagen T6.1 range priced

Australian pricing and specs have been announced for the upgraded ‘T6.1’ Volkswagen Transporter range, which will bring extra standard equipment and more safety gear when first local deliveries finally begin in November.

First revealed in Europe in mid-2019, the midlife makeover for the sixth-generation Transporter line-up released in 2015 – including commercial van and ute, Caravelle and Multivan people-mover and California Beach camper variants – were held up for Australia by coronavirus-related production delays.

As we’ve reported, special-edition Multivan and California models will be the only ‘lifestyle’ versions of the T6.1 line-up to arrive here before 2021 and are already sold out.

The full-time T6.1 line-up, excluding regular California camper models due here early next year, remains on target for local release by year’s end, but the all-new T7 Transporter could be revealed in Europe before then.

In total there will be six variants across the 2020 T.61 Transporter range, with the short- and long-wheelbase commercial vans backed up by the Transporter Crewvan and Transporter Chassis utility models in both single- and dual-cab form.

Then there’s the Multivan people-mover in both short and long wheelbases, the LWB-only Caravelle people-mover and the SWB-only California Beach camper derivatives.

Prices for the entire T6.1 range – 32 model grades in total – are listed below in full and begin at $38,990 for the five-speed manual short-wheelbase van and top out at $92,990 for the all-wheel-drive California Beach van.

Volkswagen’s long-running Transporter line-up, which dates back to 1950, is offered exclusively with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine in three states of tune – 81kW (TDI250), 110kW (TDI340) and 146kW (TDI450).

Transmission options include five- and six-speed manuals along with a seven-speed dual-clutch (DSG) automatic, and driveline layouts include 2WD and 4WD.

Equipment levels across the Transporter van range have been improved, with standard features such as leather-wrapped steering wheel, LED interior lights, cruise control, twin USB-C ports, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, rain-sensing windscreen wipers, automatic headlights, power-folding and heated side mirrors and more safety equipment.

We’re talking autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind spot monitoring and rear traffic alert, which warns of approaching vehicles when backing out of tight spots, augmenting rear parking sensors and a reversing camera.

All models also get a driver fatigue detection system (drowsiness alert), multi-collision brake (post-crash braking), hill start assist and crosswind assist, while up-spec vehicles get a digital instrument display.

The Transporter has been the German brand’s strongest seller in Australia in recent times, followed by the Multivan and Caravelle.

So far in 2020, limited supplies have seen Volkswagen Transporter sales plunge by 50 per cent to account for less than five per cent of the mid-size van market, which is dominated by the Toyota HiAce with a 36 per cent share, followed by the Hyundai iLoad (18%), Ford Transit Custom (14%) and Renault Trafic (9%).

Transporter Van Short Wheelbase
TDI250 5Man – $38,990
TDI340 6Man – $41,990
TDI340 7DSG – $44,990
TDI340 7DSG 4MOTION – $47,990
TDI450 7DSG – $50,990
TDI450 7DSG 4MOTION – $53,990

Transporter Van Long Wheelbase
TDI340 6Man – $44,990
TDI340 7DSG – $47,990
TDI340 7DSG 4MOTION – $50,990
TDI450 7DSG – $53,990
TDI450 7DSG 4MOTION – $56,990

Transporter Crewvan Short Wheelbase
TDI340 7DSG – $51,490
TDI340 7DSG 4MOTION – $54,490

Transporter Crewvan Long Wheelbase
TDI340 7DSG – $54,490
TDI340 7DSG 4MOTION – $57,490

Transporter Chassis with factory tray
Single Cab with tray LWB TDI450 7DSG – $55,490
Single Cab with tray LWB TDI450 7DSG 4MOTION – $58,490
Dual Cab with tray LWB TDI450 7DSG – $57,490
Dual Cab with tray LWB TDI450 7DSG 4MOTION – $60,490

Multivan Short Wheelbase
Comfortline Premium TDI340 7DSG – $61,990
Comfortline Premium TDI340 7DSG 4MOTION – $64,990
Cruise Edition TDI340 7DSG – $73,990
Highline TDI450 7DSG – $84,990
Highline TDI450 7DSG 4MOTION – $87,990

Multivan Long Wheelbase
Comfortline Premium TDI340 7DSG – $64,990
Comfortline Premium TDI340 7DSG 4MOTION – $67,990
Comfortline EXEC TDI450 7DSG – $87,990

Caravelle Long Wheelbase
Trendline TDI340 DSG – $58,990

California Beach Short Wheelbase
TDI340 7DSG – $82,990
TDI340 7DSG 4MOTION – $86,990
TDI450 7DSG 4MOTION – $92,990