PODCAST: VW Caravelle’s move away from diesel a bold strategy
One of South Africa's most iconic people mover's now only offered with plug-in hybrid powertrain.
In a bold strategy, Volkswagen has replaced the diesel engine in its iconic Caravelle minivan with a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain. The new Caravelle eHybrid 4Motion Style is available exclusively as a T6.1 model, priced at R1,794,000. The eHybrid system comprises a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine, a 19.7kWh battery pack, and two electric motors.
The battery pack is situated beneath the van's floor, while one motor is integrated within the six-speed DSG gearbox and the other at the rear axle. Together, the powertrain generates 180kW of power and 350Nm of torque, enabling an electric range of up to 95km and an overall range of 700km. The van can also achieve speeds of up to 130km/h on electricity alone.
The all-wheel drive system operates primarily in front-wheel drive, with the rear-mounted electric motor engaging in Sport mode or during low traction scenarios. Once the battery is depleted, the 1.5-litre engine resumes power, though its output drops to 130kW/250Nm compared to the previous bi-turbo diesel mill's 164kW/470Nm. The Caravelle PHEV supports DC charging up to 50kW, requiring 26 minutes to charge from 10 to 80%.
Standard equipment includes a seven-kilowatt on-board charger, taking four hours to recharge from empty to full.
Written by urgent.news from The Citizen's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
