Now spearheading the German automaker’s Transporter lineup, VW has unveiled the Transporter Sportline.
Celebrating 75 years of Transporter and over two decades of sports vans, VW has whipped the covers off the Transporter Sportline, a brand-new model sporting, ahem, sporty exterior and interior touches.
“The new Transporter Sportline represents the most distinctive and emotionally charged expression of the Transporter range, continuing a legacy that has made Sportline an icon among performance-led vans,” said Volkswagen.
So, what sets this model apart from its standard stablemates? Well, available in Kombi and Panel Van flavours, the Sportline is distinguished via a gloss black front grille, replete with GTI-inspired red line accent, a ‘dogbone-style’ front bumper, gloss black side mirror caps with ‘Sportline’ badging, gloss black side skirts, a “sculpted” rear bumper, a roof-mounted rear spoiler, and ‘Sportline’ badging on the tailgate.
Rolling on bespoke 19-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, which feature model-specific etched spoke detailing and centre caps, contributing to the Transporter Sportline’s purposeful stance is its lowered (by 29 mm) suspension setup.
The sporty touches continue to the interior. Accessed via keyless entry, the cabin plays host to illuminated scuff plates, Sportline-specific floor mats, and sports seats — the latter with ‘Sportline’ embossed on the headrests. Red contrast stitching is also present.
However, for Transporter customers, not to mention fans of sports vans, seeking exclusivity, the Wolfburg brand has also announced the introduction of a limited-edition model. Named Transporter Sportline 75 — the latter number signifying the number of years the Transporter has been in production — the special edition gains Moss Green body paint, ‘Sportline 75’ branding on the side mirror caps, and, inside, green contrast stitching replaces the standard model’s red. The Transporter Sportline 75 will, as its name would suggest, be limited to only 75 examples.
Whether the Transporter Sportline will make its way to Mzansi remains to be seen, with the local arm of the German marque not yet having confirmed this model for our shores. As a reminder, the South African Transporter Kombi line-up is available with the choice of three trim grades: Life, Edition and Style.