T7

[Chestnutscott]

Reading some posts on forums that the order book is closing on the t6.1?
admit no mention of the California,is this just other t6.1s in the range,people mentioning the T7,just wondered if there’s any input from people on here,
We are just configuring a factory order,making sure we have all bases an options covered.
Many thanks

 

[WelshGas]

Reading some posts on forums that the order book is closing on the t6.1?
admit no mention of the California,is this just other t6.1s in the range,people mentioning the T7,just wondered if there’s any input from people on here,
We are just configuring a factory order,making sure we have all bases an options covered.
Many thanks

Some rumours that the T7 due end of 2020 but the California not mentioned.

 

[Eber123]

Good evening,

I watched some videos on Youtube about the VW T7. It seems that the VW California T7 with the latest technology might be available at some stage in 2021.

Because the T7 is based on a MQB it is different, maybe a wee bit smaller and won't be a part of the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle anymore.

The T6.1 will be still build in Hannover until 2023, so maybe 2 years parallel to the T7.

Let's see how the T7 turns out.

Regards,
Eberhard

 

[oliver100]

I could be wrong but it would seem a colossal waste of money for Vw to close the order book on a product that has been shipping for less than a year. Although its called the t6.1 which would suggest it’s a minor refresh a lot of R&D must have been invested in redesigning the steering to replace the old hydraulic setup allowing a lot of the new tech packed into the 6.1.

 

[WelshGas]

I could be wrong but it would seem a colossal waste of money for Vw to close the order book on a product that has been shipping for less than a year. Although its called the t6.1 which would suggest it’s a minor refresh a lot of R&D must have been invested in redesigning the steering to replace the old hydraulic setup allowing a lot of the new tech packed into the 6.1.

Or it could be the other way round. All the new stuff is from the T7 and in order to boost sales temporarily they put it into a T6 body's shell. After all an electric vehicle will have electric steering and a digital dashboard etc:.

 

[Loz]

Why not ask @Michael Breeze for his take on the closing of the order book, I would class him as the nearest to the actual situation

 

[oliver100]

Or it could be the other way round. All the new stuff is from the T7 and in order to boost sales temporarily they put it into a T6 body's shell. After all an electric vehicle will have electric steering and a digital dashboard etc:.

Possibly, I know they are in development with the t7 but everything I have seen have discussed it being more of a car based people carrier than a van based camper... who knows though ‍

https://www.facebook.com/280571515718355/posts/769745870134248

 

[HectaTheSpecta]

Out of interest, how long was the 5.1 out for before the 6 debuted?

 

[2into1]

Out of interest, how long was the 5.1 out for before the 6 debuted?

5.1 arrived in 2010, T6 arrived 2016.

 

[Borris]

I could be wrong but it would seem a colossal waste of money for Vw to close the order book on a product that has been shipping for less than a year. Although its called the t6.1 which would suggest it’s a minor refresh a lot of R&D must have been invested in redesigning the steering to replace the old hydraulic setup allowing a lot of the new tech packed into the 6.1.

Vw may have introduced the T6-1 partly with with the intention of getting their customers to road test the new technology prior to it's intro in the T7. Add on a cheap to produce front bumper/grill and the T6-1 is born. That might sound far fetched but that's what car manufacturers often do. They do a lot of testing on new car designs but there's nothing like getting the customer to continue the R&D work. If they wanted to pick a vehicle from their fleet to do this on then the Transporter range probably gets the hardest and most widespread use. And that's why I always like to buy end of production vehicles. By that time most of the problems in design and manufacture should have been well ironed out and they are better value for money as well.

The question remains, if T7 production does commence in 2020/21, as suggested, then will VW continue to produce the T6-1 platform along side the T7 partly to feed the California production line or axe the T6-1?

 

[2haw]

Where have the rumours regarding the T6.1 order book closing come from?

A lot seems to be developing with the VW van segment at the moment
T6.1 recently released
T7 looks like its not too far away
ID Buzz due 2023
Partnership with Ford on going..

 

[oliver100]

I would tend to agree if they had added on a cheap to produce front bumper as suggested, probably also with the new external lighting re-design, but an entirely new electro-mechanical steering system with all associated aids that come with it (lane assist, self park etc.), euro 6 engines, brand new dash with digital dash Instrument option, mib3 infotainment, new camper control unit, completely different trim, new bed design top and bottom, redesigned cupboards and latches, new interior LED lighting system etc etc I’m just not sure they would bother bringing it to market for less than a year. Did the t5.1 which ran for 6 years have more significant changes or was that a front bumper job?

Agree on the buying the end of a run though I have a Porsche 993 which is the last air cooled 911 and all the were pretty much ironed out after 30 odd years

 

[Borris]

I would tend to agree if they had added on a cheap to produce front bumper as suggested, probably also with the new external lighting re-design, but an entirely new electro-mechanical steering system with all associated aids that come with it (lane assist, self park etc.), euro 6 engines, brand new dash with digital dash Instrument option, mib3 infotainment, new camper control unit, completely different trim, new bed design top and bottom, redesigned cupboards and latches, new interior LED lighting system etc etc I’m just not sure they would bother bringing it to market for less than a year. Did the t5.1 which ran for 6 years have more significant changes or was that a front bumper job?

Agree on the buying the end of a run though I have a Porsche 993 which is the last air cooled 911 and all the were pretty much ironed out after 30 odd years

As I recall the T5-1 wasn't that much different to it's predecessor. The T6-1 has some quite major changes by comparison. VW are clearly havng to move with the times by updating their design thinking to meet the current and future environmental pressures. I may be totally wrong but it seems to me that the T6-1 gives VW at least two opportunities:
1. With Cali sales dropping year on year for the last two years, the T6-1 may give a boost to their order books.
2. It gives them a chance to do a large scale road test of said radical changes, changes that will almost certainly feature on the T7.

 

[oliver100]

Yeh it’s possible they are using the t6.1 as a test platform but most of the t6.1 upgrades are lifted from other vehicles within the VAG group anyway other than the habitation enhancements and the as the t7 is going to be on a mqb platform I’m not sure any of the mechanical changes will yield any useful chassis data.

This article suggest the t6.1 and t7 will co-exists, for what it’s worth I think they will make a short wheelbase version with no camper option initially (Caravelle?) then release a t7 long wheel base (with greater weight capacity) later in the production run that will replace the t6.1. That’s a complete guess though and only from looking at the side profile in that article...

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/vw-t7-spied-testing-multivan-140000323.html

 

[WelshGas]

As I recall the T5-1 wasn't that much different to it's predecessor. The T6-1 has some quite major changes by comparison. VW are clearly havng to move with the times by updating their design thinking to meet the current and furture environmental pressures. I may be totally wrong but it seems to me that the T6-1 gives VW at least two opportunities:
1. With Cali sales dropping year on year for the last two years, the T6-1 may give a boost to their order books.
2. It gives them a chance to do a large scale road test of said radical changes, changes that will almost certainly feature on the T7.

Slightly incorrect. Big difference in engines and other mechanicals between the T5 and T5. 1.
T5 2003-2010
T5. 1 2010-2016

 

[Borris]

Slightly incorrect. Big difference in engines and other mechanicals between the T5 and T5. 1.
T5 2003-2010
T5. 1 2010-2016

Yes you're right there were. I'd forgotten.

 

[2haw]

Could the T7 be the last Transporter sized van developed by VW??

Further details released today have confirmed that Ford is to take the lead in developing the 1 ton sIze, Transporter / Transit size van.

With the cult following the VW Transporter gets, I’m very surprised that VW didn’t take the lead in this model with a Ford badged version then being released.

 

[Perfectos]

Reading some posts on forums that the order book is closing on the t6.1?
admit no mention of the California,is this just other t6.1s in the range,people mentioning the T7,just wondered if there’s any input from people on here,
We are just configuring a factory order,making sure we have all bases an options covered.
Many thanks

Could be a rumour to prompt people to act now to buy !

“ when there gone, there gone” type scenario, works a treat for retailers ! Crap flies off the shelves if you tell people they may miss out !
Edit: this comment is not aimed at the 6.1, I’m merely stating a strategy employed to make people act now

I may be completely off target though, but my sceptical alarm is ringing.

Production lines are very very expensive to set up and maintain, that’s why face lifts are preferred to major changes / new launches

 

[TripleBee]

The T7 can't be a full Transporter/California.
That MPV is just too small.

https://www.autoweek.nl/autonieuws/artikel/nieuwe-volkswagen-transporter-vrijwel-ongecamoufleerd/

They can't make the California smaller than what it is now.

 

[rod_vw]

That's not a replacement for the T range, it's a replacement for the Sharan!

At least that is what it looks like to me.

Sharan..

So called new T7...

 

[TripleBee]

I know, and I really hope so, but everywhere this "thing" is called T7.
This is less space effective than the current T5 model (2003 - 2020).

 

[Camperfamily]

That's not a replacement for the T range, it's a replacement for the Sharan!

At least that is what it looks like to me.

Sharan..

So called new T7...

I’m not so sure. The roof grooves sure look distinctly like those on Transporters.

Also the wheel arch seems similar to that in the VW factory pics above which include the Bulli, i.e. Transporter, badge...

 

[rod_vw]

I’m not so sure. The roof grooves sure look distinctly like those on Transporters.

Also the wheel arch seems similar to that in the VW factory pics above which include the Bulli, i.e. Transporter, badge...

I was going by the similarity in the vehicle size, frontal treatment, additional front quarter windows in front of the door and the swage lines down the side. I would guess that the roof pressings are to provide strengthening in thinner metal thus reducing weight. Front wheel arches are very similar whilst the rears on the new vehicle give slightly more upper body width whilst retaining a narrow track.
The badge is camouflaged by the way.

 

[Alform]

A couple of other pictures, same van as previously posted I think.

 

[reggie59]

A couple of other pictures, same van I think.

View attachment 63730
View attachment 63731

Hum.... it does look smaller. I agree with previous comment , more a sharan replacement than a t6 replacement. What we do not know, is will calli based
on that one or from the joint model with Ford