VOLKSWAGEN T5 RANGE GETS NEW FACE, ENGINES, FEATURES

Volkswagen South Africa introduced the refreshed the fabulously successful T5 range using a number of neat tricks. It’s made up of the Caravelle, Kombi and Transporter versions. I had the pleasure of taking a couple of these people-movers on a 300km long jol along the south coast. High expectations I harboured, having driven the pre-facelift model, made it clear in my head that this vehicle would have to be something special. And it is.

Inheriting VW’s new face, the T5 features a new front end with a new front grille, headlights, bonnet, new side mirrors, different rear lights and a choice of between 16 and 18-inch wheels. There are 11 available exterior colours, giving customers a very wide range to choose from. Apparently most T5s sold go to private buyers and these folks would be much more interested in colour than commercial entities like hotels and game lodges.

Inside we see a fresh new instrument cluster with a gear-shift indicator to help drivers identify shifting spots, automatic climate control and Bluetooth connectivity (in selected models), better seating comfort through individual seats where available, an optional mid-section table for outdoor dining, and an infotainment system echoing what current VW cars have. A plain oversight on the Caravelle was the omission of cup holders for rear passengers. Not a clever thing to do, considering this model is geared towards families and large passenger uptakes. On a hot sunny day, as we experienced upon taking off from Port Elizabeth, liquid refreshments are most sought after and keeping them upright and cool is paramount. Nevertheless a separate package can be purchased which includes more cup holders, but I don’t see why that should be the case for something that should be standard.

While the T5 passenger vehicles are quite large (4.9 metres long, 1.97m high, 1,9m wide and a wheelbase of 3m), under normal driving conditions the breath of the tonnes at hand does not overwhelm. In fact I would venture to say anyone with a Code B licence would be able to drive a VW T5 relatively easy.

This is made possible partly by this welcoming interior with small-car features like the compact steering wheel (three types available, including a multifunction model), park distance control in certain models, and Servotronic steering (speed-dependent power steering which makes for great comfort when driving at speed as well as when manoeuvring).

Admittedly I had my reservations concerning the engines too. See, the last T5 featured engines like the 2.5 TDI with its long lead times thanks to turbo lag. The new motors don’t seem to suffer as much, especially the top-of-the-range one.

All the engines are based on the 2.0TDI motor which at its lowest produces 75kW and 250Nm of torque. A higher output model makes 103kW and 340Nm, while the best (and most expensive) of the lot does its duties with 132kW and 400Nm. The last one is a bi-turbo entity using two turbos of different sizes which spool up one after the other, depending on the revs and other factors. The standard gearbox is a 6-speed manual which changes gears just like a normal car. An optional 7-speed DSG is available on certain models for the first time and provides smooth, calculated shifts, accompanied by very good fuel consumption. I can’t list all the figures here since the model range is so vast, but for the two-wheel-drive Carevelle for example, average fuel consumption is said to be 8.1 litres per 100km, quite exceptional for a car that weighs at least three tonnes (GVM).

Safety cannot be forgotten and is covered by items like ESP, which is available on all T5 models as standard, ABS with EBD and TCS. General handling has been improved and one can push the vehicles quite high on the curve-tolerance scale without feeling like lives are at stake. All vehicles with passenger seats are supplied with seatbelts, while the driver airbag is standard in all models.

Kombi and Caravelle models come standard with a 3 year/120 000km manufacturer warranty and 5 year/60 000km AutoMotion Maintenance Plan. Transporter models are offered with a standard 2 year/unlimited km warranty and AutoMotion Maintenance Plan is optional.

All models have a 12 year anti-corrosion warranty and 15 000km service intervals.

The price list is quite long, covering over 20 models. Therefore listing it here would take up too much space. I suggest you go over to vw.co.za to see it in full. Suffice to say prices start at R227 500 for the cheapest Transporter, R408 400 for a baseline Kombi and R537 800 for the Caravelle.