Next-generation Volkswagen Transporter is the ID. Buzz's alter-ego

Volkswagen will once again sell a van on our shores when the ID. Buzz reaches showrooms for 2025, but its European division has never gone van-less. The spirit of the original Bus lives on in the Transporter, and the brand previewed the upcoming seventh-generation model.

Colloquially called T7, the next-generation Transporter will be marketed as a heavier-duty alternative to the ID. Buzz, which is electric, and the Multivan, which became more car-like in 2021. We'll need to be patient to find out what it looks like, but a preview sketch released by Volkswagen confirms that its overall proportions haven't significantly changed. It will be instantly recognizable as a Transporter. It's not full-on retro like the Buzz, but we're told that some of the styling cues are inspired by past models. The shape of the grille notably echoes the T5.

Volkswagen will again offer the Transporter in numerous configurations, including at least two wheelbase lengths. The shortest T7 will stretch about 199 inches long; the longest version will measure around 216 inches from bumper to bumper. Buyers will have several wheel designs ranging from 16 to 19 inches to choose from, and the van will be offered with either a huge hatch or a pair of side-hinged rear doors.