Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ new Transporter has been named ‘Medium Van of the Year’ thanks to its everyday practicality and reliability, as well as taking home the ‘Safety Award’ at the What Van? Awards 2026.

Impressing judges with its 1.28-tonne payload1 and up to 6.8m3 load volume, the new Transporter came out on top at yesterday’s awards ceremony.

Judged by an independent panel of experts on factors including driver experience, running costs, functionality and desirability, the new Transporter was recognised for its practicality as an everyday workhorse and its excellent safety rating.

The new Transporter also took home the ‘Safety Award’, sponsored by Euro NCAP. Fitted as standard with a range of safety and driver assistance systems such as intelligent cruise control system and lane assist, the new Transporter is available with autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system and radar-camera fusion technology.

The previous generation Transporter was also Highly Commended in the Used Van category, receiving praise for its high residual values, enduring quality and reliability. 

The annual What Van? Awards celebrate the very best of the UK’s light commercial vehicle industry.

Commenting on the award, James Dallas, Editor at What Van?, said: “The Volkswagen Transporter is the most accomplished and best to drive medium van on the market in both ICE and electric modes. Commendably, it has also gained top marks for safety.”

John Ricardo-Neto, Head of Product Planning at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, added: “We’re thrilled to see the Transporter win both ‘Medium Van of the Year’ and the ‘Safety Award’. This year we’re celebrating 75 years of the VW Bus, and the Transporter's continued success demonstrates its unmatched performance and practicality as the perfect companion for van drivers.”

For more details on Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ new Transporter, visit www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk.

Article source: www.vwpress.co.uk

With the ‘Goldene Lenkrad’ (The Golden Steering Wheel) award, the trade magazine AUTO BILD and the BILD am SONNTAG newspaper recognise outstanding new models every year. This year, the Volkswagen brand has achieved exceptional success and is the first manufacturer in the 49-year history of the Golden Steering Wheel to win in as many as four categories. 

The Golf GTI EDITION 50 prevails in the compact class against two electrically powered competitors, while the ID.7 GTX Tourer wins in the upper mid-size class against two models from German premium manufacturers. The new Tayron wins as the best family car against two SUVs from the Czech Republic and Sweden, and the new T-Roc, which will be available at dealerships from this week, receives the editorial prize as "Best car under 40,000 euros”.

Thomas Schäfer, CEO of Volkswagen Passenger Cars: “Four Golden Steering Wheels at once – we are the first brand to achieve this. I am incredibly proud of the entire Volkswagen team. These awards are an important sign that we are on the right track with our Volkswagen BOOST 2030 strategy. Our goal is clear: we want to become the leading volume manufacturer for technology. Next year, we’ll be launching six new models – one fantastic car after the other. With strong design, top quality, premium technologies and the right name. 100 per cent Volkswagen!”

AUTO BILD and BILD am SONNTAG have awarded the Golden Steering Wheel each year since 1976, and it is considered one of Europe’s most prestigious automotive awards. A total of 72 new models were available for selection for the Golden Steering Wheel 2025. The readers of AUTO BILD, its European partner magazines and the BILD am SONNTAG newspaper were able to determine the best vehicles of the year in a preliminary poll. The top three vehicles in each category were then tested by a jury at the Lausitzring circuit (Germany). In addition to trade journalists from the BILD Group, this included racing drivers and celebrity car enthusiasts. Ratings were awarded in 17 categories in the areas of drive, chassis, design, quality, sustainability, price-performance ratio, safety and consumption.

Overview of the four winning models:

• Volkswagen is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the GTI next year and is launching the most powerful production model in the history of the GTI in time for the anniversary year: the Golf GTI EDITION 50. The exclusive model with 239 kW (325 PS) and a torque of 420 Nm offers outstanding driving dynamics and numerous design highlights.
• The highly dynamic ID.7 GTX Tourer has enriched the product range since summer 2024 and is the first fully electric estate car from Volkswagen – with generous space, high travel comfort and a 250 kW (340 PS) dual-motor all-wheel drive.
• The new Tayron is a spacious all-round SUV that is positioned between the Tiguan and the Touareg. The Tayron combines comfort, versatility and modern technologies. It is optionally available with seven seats and offers a towing capacity of up to 2.5 tonnes.
• The new T-Roc is high-quality and innovative, and has been improved in all areas compared to the predecessor model: with a sporty, elegant design, more space and comfort, innovative hybrid technology and assistance systems from higher classes.

Article source: www.volkswagen-newsroom.com

01. Golf GTI EDITION 50 - Combined energy consumption: 7.9-7.6 l/100 km; CO₂ emissions: combined 179-173 g/km; CO₂ class: G-F. ID.7 GTX Tourer - Combined energy consumption 18.8-16.6 kWh/100 km; combined CO₂ emissions 0 g/km; CO₂ class A

02. Golf GTI EDITION 50 - Combined energy consumption: 7.9-7.6 l/100 km; CO₂ emissions: combined 179-173 g/km; CO₂ class: G-F

03. ID.7 GTX Tourer - Combined energy consumption 18.8-16.6 kWh/100 km; combined CO₂ emissions 0 g/km; CO₂ class A

04. ID.7 GTX Tourer - Combined power consumption 18.8-16.6 kWh/100 km; combined CO₂ emissions 0 g/km; CO₂ class: A

05. T-Roc 1.5 eTSI (110 kW/150 PS) - Energy consumption: combined 6.0-5.6 l/100 km; CO₂ emissions: combined 136-128 g/km, CO₂ class: E-D

With the opening of its first Test Workshops in Hefei, Volkswagen Group China Technology Company (VCTC) has accomplished its final expansion stage, now bringing end-to-end development capabilities directly to the Chinese market. The new facilities significantly expand the Group’s local R&D strength and integrate software, hardware, and whole-vehicle validation under one roof — enabling faster decision-making, closer customer alignment, and accelerated rollout of next-generation technologies.

With the completion of the new Test Workshops, VCTC has become the Group’s most comprehensive R&D hub beyond its home market. For the first time in Volkswagen’s history, it can support the development and validation of new vehicle platforms from very early phases outside Germany. The new Test Workshops feature over 100 state-of-the-art laboratories across around 100,000 square metres, delivering powerful testing capabilities. These include software–hardware integration, battery and powertrain testing, and full vehicle-level validation.

Oliver Blume, CEO Volkswagen Group: “Our ‘In China for China’ strategy continues to gain momentum. At our development centre in Hefei, China, we have now created all the conditions necessary to develop, test and locally manufacture the next generation of intelligent connected vehicles. This milestone makes us even faster and more efficient – and brings us even closer to our customers. This will enable us, as the Volkswagen Group, to consolidate our position in the world's largest automotive market with the clear goal of becoming the global technology driver of the automotive industry."

Ralf Brandstätter, Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG responsible for China, and Chairman and CEO of Volkswagen Group China: “China is the world’s most competitive automotive market, and our customers here expect rapid innovation and flawless quality. This is why we are taking our development capabilities in China for China to the next level. By expanding our footprint in Hefei, we are strengthening our ability to respond quickly to local needs and to shape technologies directly where they will be used. This step deepens our commitment to China and ensures that our future products reflect the preferences and expectations of Chinese customers from the very beginning.”

VCTC plays a pivotal role in Volkswagen Group’s “In China for China” strategy. As the Group’s most comprehensive R&D hub beyond its home market, it is also the only Group R&D centre dedicated exclusively to electric, intelligent and connected vehicles. VCTC is integrating core development units and decision-making processes for local vehicle and technology projects, while coordinating developmental processes with the R&D units of joint ventures. By deepening integration into the local technology ecosystem, VCTC can proactively address China’s market-defining trends — such as digitalisation and autonomous driving — at an early stage, allowing the company to fully harness the growth momentum and innovative vitality of the Chinese market.

Delivering CEA at China Speed
Right in Hefei Software-hardware test workshop, VCTC and CARIAD China are launching the first delivery of the China Electronic Architecture (CEA) – the Group’s first zonal E/E architecture specifically tailored to the needs of Chinese customers, within 18 months. Enabled by the all-new Software-Defined-Vehicle development process, the overall vehicle development cycle can be shortened by 30%. Leveraging local development and early supplier integration during the concept phase of new cars and technologies, the cost of a new model can be reduced by up to 50% in specific key projects. CEA also ensures seamless integration of digital cockpit functions, Advanced Driving Assistance System functions, and whole-vehicle level over-the-air upgrades.

Thomas Ulbrich, CTO of Volkswagen Group China and CEO of VCTC: “The new workshops give our engineering teams an entirely new level of integration. We can now run software, hardware, and full-vehicle validation processes in parallel, shorten decision loops, and bring innovations to maturity much faster. This environment enables us to push forward next-generation intelligent- vehicle technologies with high precision and efficiency.”

Volkswagen DNA, Engineered in China
Safety, durability and reliability have long defined the Volkswagen DNA. The new Test Workshops in Hefei further strengthen the Group’s commitment in China by enabling earlier and more comprehensive validation of core vehicle systems, while also validating products and technology for export to regions like ASEAN and the Middle East.

At the Battery & Powertrain Integration Testing Centre, engineers can test up to 500 battery systems per year. Tests cover performance, lifetime, safety and environmental robustness, as well as E-Drive, thermal management, electronics and battery cell components.

The Platform & Module Testing Centre follows the same philosophy. Its advanced Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) laboratory safeguards the reliability of vehicle electronics, while a full-vehicle durability test bench could simulate all global driving road conditions within the workshops.

Together with the City Test Track, Volkswagen Group has established a full design–build–test– validate cycle in Hefei, in close collaboration with its global R&D network.

More capabilities at the gate
Volkswagen Group continues to expand the capabilities of Hefei. The Functions Integration Test (FIT) Laboratory comes online in mid-2026 — one of only two in the Group — to simulate extreme environment conditions. These efforts establish a future-ready foundation for Volkswagen’s next chapter in intelligent and connected mobility.

Article source: www.vwpress.co.uk

Volkswagen is making an ID. Promise, by giving its retail electric car customers between 80 and 100 days after collection to ‘drive and decide’.

The ID. Promise drive and decide offer provides complete peace of mind for anyone uncertain about switching to electric. It means people can return their cars if for any reason they change their minds or find an electric vehicle (EV) doesn’t suit their lifestyle needs – although the latest Road to 2030 Report by Autotrader reveals that EV buyers love their cars, and four in five will likely purchase another EV for their next car.

The ID. Promise offer starts 3 November and lasts until 31 March 2026. Any retail customer purchasing a new Volkswagen ID.3, ID.4, ID.5, ID.7 or ID.7 Tourer can take advantage of the offer, whether they are cash buyers or using a personal contract plan (PCP) from Volkswagen Financial Services to fund their purchases.

The window of time in which people can return vehicles is 80 to 100 days from the point that they take delivery of their new cars. They just need to inform their Retailer, who will then arrange a refund minus a three-per-cent fixed usage charge and the cost to repair any damage or modifications to the cars since they were handed over.

Motability, contract hire, fleet and ex-demonstrator purchases are excluded from the offer. Full terms and conditions are on the Volkswagen.co.uk website.

“Official figures show more than 1.3 million UK motorists have already converted to electric, and time and time again our customers tell us they would never go back to petrol or diesel having made the move,” said Rod McLeod, Director of Volkswagen UK. “But there are many more people who want to go electric but feel unsure. This straightforward initiative gives them the perfect opportunity to ‘drive and decide’ with no strings attached.”

Euro NCAP ratings place all Volkswagen ID. models among the top-performing electric vehicles in terms of safety, and they have secured an impressive list of awards including Best Family Car at the GQ Car Awards (for the ID.3), Best Saloon at the Autocar Awards (ID.7) and World Car of the Year (ID.4).

Article source: www.vwpress.co.uk