Volkswagen hopes the just-launched single cab version of its Transporter cab chassis will arrest a sales slide in 2010. The German cab chassis has lost market share to the Kia K2900 and Ford Transit.

Volkswagen has also lost a major portion of the business to supply vehicles for Ambulance services – Mercedes-Benz taking the lions’ share with its excellent Vito van. 

However hopes are high for the new single cab Volkswagen Transporter which can carry three people (single drivers’ seat plus two-person bench seat) but is only available in long wheelbase configuration.

Power comes from Volkswagen’s 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine which delivers 103kW and fuel consumption as low as 8.1l/100kms.

Transmission choice is a six-speed manual or Volkswagen’s seven-speed direct-shift automatic.

As usual for Volkswagen, technology is plentiful – including Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP), ABS anti-lock brakes, ASR (Anti Slip Regulation), MSR (Engine Drag Torque Control), Electronic Differential Lock (EDL) and Hill Holder

Volkswagen’s Transporter Single Cab is priced at $40,990 (manual) or $43,990 (automatic).