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• Volkswagen SA is celebrating the launch of the new T6.1 Kombi with a leisurely road trip across the Garden Route.
• The first T1 Transporter assembled in Uitenhage came off of the production line in 1955.
• The Kombi is the best-selling derivative of the Commercial Vehicles T Series range.
• For more stories, visit Wheels24
It's not everyday where one can say they woke up to luscious views, rain-kissed flora, and the sound of birds chirping in the distance - a significant change from MK1 Golf drivers thinking they are on a drag strip from where I'm from.
It was sad to bid farewell to the Gondwana Game Reserve and their friendly 5-star staff on the Saturday morning, but the show (or road trip) must go on as they say. It was also another day to learn more about the Kombi. Knysna is the be the next stop on the trip as the convoy of Kombi's filled up on some fuel and was ready to hit the N2 highway again.
Reliving a classic
The morning weather was a bit lenient this time around, with no immediate indication that rain would make its unruly appearance for a second consecutive day. The journey back to Knysna and the Knysna Hollow Country Estate, where everyone would be staying, was much shorter in distance as opposed to the longer first-day trek from Port Elizabeth to Mossel Bay.
Do you think the T6.1 Kombi is the most affordable and better bang-for-buck people carrier option? Email us, or please leave a comment below.
Besides the outstanding convenience features like the 6.5-inch touchscreen colour display, Type-C USB ports, and We Go connect; the Kombi drives like a typical passenger car - with the only difference being the ride height and seat position.
One would think such a big vehicle would feel somewhat heavier behind the wheel, but it's entirely the opposite. It is primarily due to the factory electromechanical power steering system that makes the entire vehicle responsive in steering movements and acceleration.
Understanding the Kombi
Road holding is further enhanced due to Cross Wind Assist, standard across the entire T6.1 range, nullifying play from the wind and maintaining the van's direction moving in a straight line. This feature is automatically activated at 80km/h.
Because the Kombi's purpose is to be a people carrier, it simply has to be safe. The side and curtain airbags for the driver and front passengers also feature a post-collision braking system that brakes automatically after a collision to prevent a second impact. Thankfully, none of those features had to be used throughout the road trip.
Even though the entry-level Trendline model is cheaper, it makes less power at 81kW and uses a five-speed manual gearbox. In a vehicle of its size, the 'chore' of having to change gears can be an influencing factor. The 110kW mated to a 7-speed DSG transmission is only R30 000 more but immediately changes driving dynamics. Manual's are slowly becoming a dying breed - soon, everything will be DSG.
A popular fixture
The Kombi is birthed from a rich lineage of earlier models since it was introduced to the world in 1950, spawning six generations to date. It was the favourite ride of many an icon that includes the likes of Bob Dylan. The air-cooled rear-engined, rear-wheel-drive configuration was a popular fixture in earlier models like the T3 locally, but VW changed things in that department as the years went by, reverting to a more common front-engine, front-wheel drive.
As the location drew closer, some classic cars and automotive memorabilia were on show at the famous Sedgefield Classic Cars stable just off the main road. There was some pretty neat metal on show- everything from Datsun Stanza's to Mercedes-Benz 300E's all looking for new owners. If ever you find yourself travelling along the Garden Route, it is worth checking out. There even was a T2 Kombi in attendance. Were they written in the stars, maybe?
VW knows the heritage attached to the Kombi, and they've kept the DNA at the core. The two-tone paint jobs have stood the test of time, giving customers a range of seven two-tone and 13 full colours to choose from. Reflex Silver, Fortana Red, Bay Leaf Green, Starlight Blue, Ravenna Blue, Copper Bronze, Indium Grey, Mojave Beige are the options for metallic paint, while the solid options with pearl effect include Deep Black, Candy White, Ascot Grey, Cherry Red and Pure Grey.
Buyers wanting the two-tone can choose between combinations: Mojave Beige/Deep Black, Reflex Silver/Indium Grey, Reflex Silver/Starlight Blue, Reflex Silver/Fortana Red, Candy White/Copper Bronze, Candy White/Bay Leaf Green or Candy White/Ascot Grey.
In addition to the plethora of paint options, VW also offers a range of wheel options with sizes starting from the standard Clayton 16-inch to a further three 17-inch options - called the Devonport, Aracaju and Woodstock. The latter is an optional extra, which is only available on the top-specced Trendline Plus.
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Once lunch at the Sirocco Restaurant was done and dusted, the short drive to Knysna Hollow Country Estate would signify the end of the actual journey. What a picturesque place it is. The staff prides itself on friendly and prompt service, which is always a massive feather in any hospitality establishment cap.
Does it fall short somewhere?
It would have been a waste for VW to launch the Kombi in just a day. A weekend road trip was the most significant way to experience everything it has to offer. Like any other vehicle, it has its 'slip ups'.
More cargo space for items like smartphones or bottles could have been allocated for the driver and front passenger. Rear passengers often had to stretch to reach their phones because the USB ports were positioned in front. This could have been solved by having ports for rear passengers, seeing youngsters with tablets take up most of the rear space.
The handbrake could have seen a lever-operated pull and twist sequence - having to reach so low to reach the handbrake makes you think it's not there at all, blending in with the rest of the floor.
The Kombi's positives far outweigh its blemishes. The T6.1 range is more than just a facelift, and it shows with how well the latest version is put together from a mechanical perspective. You get a host of standard equipment, which you'd typically pay for extra somewhere else.
While I'm not someone for driving a 'big' vehicle, the Kombi changed my perception completely. It's going to be a case of 'here we go again' for VW with the Kombi as it will no doubt solidify its status as their commercial best-seller.
