Volkswagen Transporter

Sportline-spec panel van has a racier look than an actual hot hatch

- Dean Gibson

IT'S all well and good for a hot hatchback to deliver a thrilling drive, but for me, it's got to look the part as well. It's something that I've felt has been lacking from Volkswagen's most recent hot Golfs, and the arrival of a VW Transporter Sportline on our fleet has done nothing to help alter this point of view. Here's a van that, to my eyes, looks sportier than a hot hatch.

We recently had a Golf R 20 Years in to pitch against the latest Honda Civic Type R (Issue 1,770), so I saw the perfect opportunity to line up VW's hot hatch next to this sportiest of vans. Yet even with the special-edition Golf's subtle extras, I still don't think the R can hold a candle to the Transporter Sportline for racy appeal.

First, there's the colour. Even in bright sunlight, the dark blue of the Golf R here isn't nearly as vivid as the optional metallic hue of our Transporter. The red flash across the van's grille is a nod to the Golf GTI, and to my eyes is more distinctive than the blue trim on the R.

Yes, big wheels and quad exhausts do help the Golf R stand out, but it's really not that far removed from R-Line trim. At least the Transporter's lowered suspension, rear spoiler (which is just as big as the Golf's), black alloys and chunky Sportline bodykit offer some visual impact that the standard Startline and Highline vans lack.