Check out VW's new Transporter Sportline
People love buying sporty vans, so VW will keep making 'em - this one is 'distinctive and emotionally charged'
Britain’s love affair with hotted up commercial vehicles is a long-standing one. We all know that old Astra vans are the fastest things on four wheels, nothing draws a crowd at Goodwood like Ford Supervans, and it often seems like there are as many MS-RT Rangers out there as standard pick ups. We absolutely can’t get enough of lower, wider, meaner vans and trucks. So here, more than 20 years after the first, is a new VW Transporter Sportline. As if they’d ever go without one.
Indeed Volkswagen goes as far to suggest that this new van is ‘the most distinctive and emotionally charged expression of the Transporter range, continuing a legacy that has made Sportline an icon among performance-led vans.’ Certainly it’s a popular variant; even using the PH classifieds as a very unscientific method of measurement, put ‘sportline’ in as a keyword search in the Transporter category and there are more than 120 vans to choose from. Some really smart ones, too - Starlight Blue works a treat.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, then, the new Sportline very much follows the template laid out by previous versions: it sits 29mm lower thanks to Eibach lowering springs, with a new set of 19-inch wheels that look to have just about enough sidewall protection for bumping up the odd kerb. It also gets model-specific side skirts, mirror caps, rear bumper/spoiler combo and an ‘aggressive dogbone-style front bumper design’. Safe to say everyone will know this is a Sportline, even if you don’t go for red. As has become the models’ trademark, there’s red accenting on a black grille, like it’s a van GTI. You won’t forget the special status inside, either, with more red - and ‘Sportline’ embossed - on the seats, plus illuminated metal scuff plates and Sportline mats. It isn’t just the cosmetic stuff, either; as a £60k top-of-the range van, there are also Matrix LED lights, a heated leather steering wheel and Keyless Access, among many other things.
This being a van, moreover, choosing Sportline spec is just one of a multitude of choices when getting a Transporter. VW has confirmed that Sportline will be offered with hybrid, diesel, and electric power, with prices from £62,752 for the short wheelbase panel van - that includes the VAT, before you spit any more tea out. To make that panel van into a long wheelbase pushes the price to £63,796. The SWB and LWB five-seat Kombi Sportlines are £65,128 and £66,172 respectively.
But hold on, because there’s more Sportline to consider. To mark 75 years in 2026 since the VW Bus went into production, there’s going to be something called a Transporter Sportline 75 Special Edition. You don’t need us to tell you how many will be available, but they’ll be distinguished by Moss Green paint (like a Golf Edition 50), green contrast stitching, and Sportline 75 badges. We’d make some gag here about being the envy of the Screwfix car park, but probably those getting a Sportline 75 are to be found somewhere more… bougie. Not least as it costs £65k just for the panel van, or £67k for the Kombi. Still, if regular Transporter residuals are anything to go by, it should be a safe investment…
And even that’s not the end of the Transporter news for 2026, because a new Commerce Pro S model is joining the range. It’ll be less overt than the Sportline, on smaller 17-inch wheels and with additional black detailing, but it promises to be a cut above the average VW van - the new splitters and spoilers will see to that. It aims to offer up ‘a sharper, design-led option for customers seeking professional presence with added visual distinction.’ Orders for that Transport open later this month, with deliveries on a 26 plate in April. The Commerce Pro S costs from £53,086 for a SWB panel van, rising to £55,786 for a LWB Combi. But we’re all Team Sportline here, right? Those vans can be ordered in April, with deliveries the month after. Expect to see a swarm (that’s the collective noun) of Sportlines on your nearest dual carriageway soon after.
Be interesting to see if the cult following for these continues and keeps values up.
It’s a very rare occasion to see one of the MSRT transits equivalents knocking around the compound or pitches
I’m sure the VW one will sell slightly better with its cult following as they scream its praises and shun the “inferior and worse built” transits
It was working out not much more than swapping our 18 plate manual SWB Kombi for an 18 plate auto kombi, what we get for our current will cover the first few years of the lease.
This will "sell" like hotcakes to the "self employed" who run one as their car as well, even with the new tax rules. Expect to see one hanging on your bumper on a motorway near you soon.
Looking forward to getting our VW Transit
It was working out not much more than swapping our 18 plate manual SWB Kombi for an 18 plate auto kombi, what we get for our current will cover the first few years of the lease.
This will "sell" like hotcakes to the "self employed" who run one as their car as well, even with the new tax rules. Expect to see one hanging on your bumper on a motorway near you soon.
Looking forward to getting our VW Transit
The price comes out at much the same for the "Sport" trim level of Transit with a few options to match what the VW branded version has.
That was surprising, I thought they would have put a VW "Scene" premium on the higher spec versions. The market for a slightly faster van with fancy alloys must be mostly limited to the "Van Life" types rather than those who use a van for work where cost and how much you can get in the back is more important.
Wet belt is irrevelent for us as they all come with a servicing/warranty/recovery package for 4 years
A: "stick a front bumper on it that makes it look like the T6.1"
I won't be buying one as I'm totally happy with my 5.1 which is ticking toward 110k miles and in that time has been hugely reliable and its been the longest I've ever owned a vehicle 4x over. The "ergh, its a wet belt Ford Transit" mouth frothers wouldn't stop me from buying one if I was in the market though...
A: "stick a front bumper on it that makes it look like the T6.1"
I won't be buying one as I'm totally happy with my 5.1 which is ticking toward 110k miles and in that time has been hugely reliable and its been the longest I've ever owned a vehicle 4x over. The "ergh, its a wet belt Ford Transit" mouth frothers wouldn't stop me from buying one if I was in the market though...
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