The Volkswagen Transporter has been an icon of the ages, defining the medium van sector and spawning a whole cult around its campervans but if you want to use one it's important to know the Volkswagen Transporter dimensions, which is where this guide will come in handy.
We'll look at the various Volkswagen Transporter sizes and measurements to give you a detailed breakdown of the important dimensions, whether that's the height, the length, the width or the internal storage capabilities of this cult van.
This is the dimensions guide for the the seventh generation VW Transporter, which although not officially called a T7 will likely end up being called it.
So if you want to know the VW Transporter T7 dimensions, read on.
Volkswagen Transporter dimensions overview
The VW Transporter has been a success right from the very beginning when the Bulli van was launched in 1954. In that time it's changed shape a few times and has even undergone some pretty dramatic makeovers, but more recently for the Transporter T5, Transporter T6 and the Transporter T6.1 dimensions have largely remained unchanged.
Now, though, there's another monumental shift in the design and the size of the van. That's because as the VW Transporter T7 comes to life it is no longer being built in Hannover, Germany, but is being produced by Ford in Turkey. That means that this latest generation Transporter shares its platform with the Transit Custom and because of that the Ford Transit Custom dimensions are almost identical - particularly in the important area of loadspace.
In this guide we'll look at the Volkswagen Transporter sizes available and cover all the important measurements.
One additional note, if you're looking for the VW Transporter van weights, there's an article dedicated to the payload and other weights for the van.
The VW Transporter is available in two sizes, with short and long body lengths.
The Transporter's overall length in metres is up to 5.5m, with a 1.98m height and a width (excluding mirrors) of 2m.
Maybe you've come to find one of the most frequently asked questions about the Transporter, in which case, here are a handful of the most common things people want to know about the VW Transporter.
The VW Transporter comes in two possible sizes with a short wheel base version measuring 5.18m long and a long wheel base version that is 5.5m in length.
The VW Transporter has an overall height of just over 1.98m, making it ideal for entry into most underground car parks where height restrictions can often be as low as 2m. Remember though, to always check your van will actually fit.
OK, so this one isn't related to the Transporter's dimensions, but as we've already mentioned it, we thought we'd throw it into the FAQs.
Yes, Volkswagen has stopped making the Transporter and the medium-sized van is now being built by Ford on VW's behalf. Production ended in 2024 when the last editions of the Transporter were produced.
Volkswagen Transporter height
The overall height of the VW Transporter depends on which model you have, but it ranges from 1,978mm to 1984mm.
The long wheelbase Transporter is slightly heavier and therefore sits a little lower on its springs giving it a total height of 1978mm
The short wheelbase version of the Transporter van has the opposite affect and as a result sits roughtly 6mm higher at 1984mm.
These are the official heights of the vans according to the technical data sheets from the manufacturer.
The VW Transporter height in metres is 1.98m but there are small variations depending on the exact model you own.
Volkswagen Transporter width
The width of the Transporter is pretty simple, unlike the lenght which has different sizes, there is only one standard width for all Transporter vans.
That means that the 2032mm width is the same for all versions. This is the measurement of the Transporter at its widest point on the body.
The overall width including the mirrors is 2275mm which is the point from tip to tip on the mirror housing - and that's probably the measurement you want to know if you have a garage or you're trying to board a ferry.
Volkswagen Transporter length
Transporters come in two lengths - as we've already mentioned - with a short wheelbase and a long wheelbase version (more on those shortly).
The short wheelbase vans have a total length of 5050mm, although Volkswagen rather strangley also gives a maximum length (no, they don't extend or get bigger) which is list as 5184mm. This we can only assume could be when you account for body kits and other bits on the special models.
The overall length that you're looking for though is that it's just over 5m in length.
Then comes the long wheelbase version.
The VW Transporter LWB model has an overall length of 5450mm. Once again, looking at the technical specification for the documents from Volkswagen it lists the maximum length as 5584mm.
So, in conclusion, we'll make that nice and clear for anyone who is skim reading this...
The overall length of the Transporter is 5.05m for the SWB van, while the long wheelbase van measures 5.45m.
Volkswagen Transporter short wheelbase dimensions
It feels like we've been talking a lot about the length of the Transporter already, but this will be the last bit (until we talk about the internal space), but let's talk about those two different wheelbase lengths.
The Transporter comes as a short wheelbase van which is built on a 3100mm wheelbase - that's essentially the distance between the two axles.
The shortwheelbase van then has a standard size L1 body on top which give it its total overall length of 5050mm.
| Volkwagen Transporter | SWB Dimensions |
|---|---|
| Length max. | 5,184 mm |
| Length min. | 5,050 mm |
| Width - Including Mirrors | 2,275 mm |
| Height min/max.in relation to wheel size (according to EU-norm) | 1,983.9 mm |
| Approach angle front | 16.4 ° |
| Overhang at the front | 958 mm |
| Departure angle rear | 16.5 ° |
| Overhang at the back | 992 mm |
| Vehicle height with open tailgate | 2,062 mm |
| Width between wheelhouses | 1,392 mm |
| Side cargo sliding door opening width | 1,030 mm |
| Side cargo sliding door opening height | 1,301 mm |
| Cargo rear opening height | 1,316 mm |
| Ramp angle | 13.1 ° |
| Luggage compartment base length behind 1. seating row | 2,902 mm |
| Turning circle | 12.5 m |
Volkswagen Transporter long wheelbase dimensions
The long wheelbase Transporter adds an additional 400mm to the wheelbase length of the van.
That means that the distance between the axles is now 3500mm rather than 3100mm.
As a result the whole van increases by 400mm.
The overall length is therefore 5450mm for the LWB Transporter.
See, it's simple when it's explained.
| Volkswagen Transporter | LWB Dimensions |
|---|---|
| Length max. | 5,584 mm |
| Length min. | 5,450 mm |
| Width - Including Mirrors | 2,275 mm |
| Height min/max.in relation to wheel size (according to EU-norm) | 1,978.3 mm |
| Approach angle front | 16.4 ° |
| Overhang at the front | 958 mm |
| Departure angle rear | 17.2 ° |
| Overhang at the back | 992 mm |
| Vehicle height with open tailgate | 2,062 mm |
| Width between wheelhouses | 1,392 mm |
| Side cargo sliding door opening width | 1,030 mm |
| Side cargo sliding door opening height | 1,301 mm |
| Cargo rear opening height | 1,316 mm |
| Ramp angle | 11.7 ° |
| Luggage compartment base length behind 1. seating row | 3,002 mm |
| Turning circle | 13.8 m |
Volkswagen Transporter internal dimensions overview
As you'll have seen it's only really the length of the Transporter that changes much, but that's a really important factor when it comes ot the VW Transporter load dimensions.
The Volkswagen Transporter cargo dimensions are already pretty decent, but if you're looking for length over volume or width then you'll have to think about the wheelbase of the van you want.
In the next section we'll look to tackle the VW Transporter load dimensions, with a breakdown of the cargo space length and the width and the width between the wheel arches.
For now, as a quick look the important Volkswagen Transporter interior dimensions are the overall length is up to 3m, while the wdith is as much as 1.77m at the widest point.
There's also a trick up the Transporter's sleeve when it comes to the internal dimensions length.
Yes. The Transporter has a load-through bulkhead that sees the overall cargo capacity length of the van increase by nearly 450mm.
VW Transporter load length
The maximum loadspace length for the Transporter is 3002mm. This is the internal cargo area length for the T7 van for the LWB Transporter.
If you have the SWB version the load length is slightly smaller with a maximum of 2602mm.
Of course, if you need to put in something slightly longer it is possible to use the load through bulkhead which will gain you an additional 448mm for both the SWB and LWB versions.
Transporter internal width
When it comes to the width of the Transporter's load area, there are just two important numbers to know.
The internal width between the wheelarches is 1392mm, while the maximum possible width at the widest point in the van is said to be 1777mm.
Internal height
The internal height of the loadspace is 1.3m or 1,316mm - so not quite enough to stand up in - unless you are particularly short.
Below you'll see a breakdown of all the most important measurements of the Volkswagen Transporter T7 panel van.
Load volume
Overall Volkswagen Transporter T7 load volumes vary depending on the wheelbase length of the van.
The SWB Transporter has a load volume of 5.8m3.
The LWB Transporter has a total maximum load volume of 6.8m3.
Sliding doors size
All Transporter vans comes with a side loading door as standard. If you want an additional side loading door it is available as an option.
The size of the sliding door is fixed and doesn't vary between the short- and long-wheelbase vans.
The sliding door apeture measures 1030mm in width and has a height of 1301mm.
