Usually, when we bring you spy shots from Germany, our spy photographers have caught some manner of sports car playing on the Nurburgring. Today, we're mixing it up a bit with spy photos of the refreshed Volkswagen Transporter commercial van.
As you can see, this tester is sporting little camouflage, hiding only its new nose job. Indeed, the fifth-generation T5 Transporter has received little in the way of cosmetic updates since its debut in 2003, and its latest trip under the knife appears to have garnered only minor enhancements as well.
The most obvious change is in the headlights, which appear to be a bit smaller than those found on the current model and have had their bulbs and reflectors moved around a bit. In fact, the whole nose looks a bit shorter, with the grille losing a horizontal slat and the Volkswagen badge shrinking to cover two larger slats instead of the three smaller slats on the current model. It also no longer appears to intrude on the leading edge of the hood. Some work may also have been done on the shape and slope of the hood, as well as on the lower fascia, though it's difficult to tell through the camouflage. The lower radiator opening also appears to have lost its body-color horizontal stripe across the center. Our spies tell us that the final effect will be to update the Transporter to better resemble the new corporate look found on the new Golf.
We've also picked up some interesting tips about mechanical changes to accompany the new look. Our sources say that the popular 2.5L turbocharged inline-five-cylinder turbodiesel that powers the top-level Transporter models is on its way out, as it can't meet stricter Euro V emissions standards. Replacing it is a new commonrail twin-turbo diesel mill putting out an impressive 220 hp, a healthy improvement over the old engine's maximum of 174 hp. Word has it that the less-powerful 1.9L turbodiesel is also out and will be replaced by a 1.6L commonrail turbodiesel and a 2.0L commonrail turbodiesel as well as the first gasoline engine the Transport has had in years, a 1.4L turbocharged unit. There's also talk of a DSG gearbox being offered as an option on some models, but no specific plans have been made yet.
Along with the fresh nose and new powerplants, the Transporter is expected to pick up some minor interior changes as well as an optional touchscreen navigation system, available for the first time. The refreshed Transporter is also expected to be lighter than the current model, even as much as 220 lbs to 330 lbs lighter for the Multivan model.