Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle

FIRST DRIVE Transit-based Volkswagen MPV comes with a choice of diesel or electric power, and can seat up to nine

- Andy Goodwin

ESSENTIALS Volkswagen Transporter e-Shuttle LWB

Price: £50,000 (est) On sale: Now
Powertrain: 64kWh battery, 1x e-motor
Power/torque: 282bhp/415Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
0-62/top speed: 7.4 seconds/N/A
Range: 200 miles (est)
Max charging: 125kW (10-80% in 39 mins)
Size (L/W/H): 5,450/2,032/1,978mm

IF you're looking for a serious amount of space the kind that even a car-based MPV can't provide - then you should skip straight past the usual candidates and threerow SUVs, and seriously consider a van-based people carrier. It's the most cost-effective way of bagging a vehicle that can carry up to nine people - plus all their stuff - and do it with surprising levels of comfort and tech.

Vans such as the Volkswagen Transporter and Ford Transit Custom, and their Shuttle and Tourneo MPV-based offspring, have come a long way in the past decade. You'll see phrases such as 'car-like handling' bandied around, and it's not hard to see why after a day behind the wheel. Not only is the Shuttle good to drive, it's also more refined than you'd imagine.

Along with being far posher than van-based MPVs of old, there's also been a major push towards electrification. As a result, the Shuttle (and the Transporter it's based on) is powered by a choice of three diesel engines or three electric motors (badged e-Shuttle, as driven here). A plug-in hybrid (PHEV) is arriving early next year.