• induce the bowel-loosening lurches that one expects of a
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lightweight van and it is possible to maintain illegal speeds as far as the engine will allow.
In fact, the drivetrain defines the van's abilities, as it is clearly geared for lightly laden running. This has benefits in careful economy drivingwitnesss the fuel consumption figures—but makes fully laden work frustrating. Is it another clue to the van's intended market?
The engine is no bast, of course. It neither revs as highly nor puts out as much power as the comparable 1.9litre PSA XUD9A fitted to the Citroen C25 100011 But it is tuned for tractability with a torque plateau, rather than a peak, stretching from 1,700 to 2,500rprn. The five-cylinder VW engine, which is apparently a modular extension of this unit, with the same bore and stroke, has a maximum torque more than 25% greater than the four-pot's, but over a narrower rev range. Unsurprisingly, the laden Special cannot match the track acceleration figures or road test hillclimb times of the five pot diesel Transporter 1000, but neither is it as good as the Citroen C25. Still, it had no trouble with pulling away on MIRA's 25% (1in-4) test hill, and the handbrake held it up and down on a 33% (1-in-3) . The service brakes are fine too, and the van remained stable even under hard braking into a corner.
Behaviour in town matches the open-road performance; the combination of a narrow beam and crisp power steering make it a doddle to manoeuvre and park, and the glazed tailgate improves rear vision, though the asymmetric mirrors could do with a wider field of view.
CAB COMFORT
Entry to and exit from the VWs cab should be a model to other manufacturers: the flat floor, wide door and low step could be enough to sway a buyer, especially if he's been looking at a forward-control ergonomic nightmare like the Vauxhall Midi.
The Special has a single passenger seat, which makes sense; we have found dual seats less than comfortable in the Transporter, which is clearly narrower than, say, a Transit. The driver and passenger seats are both fitted with adjustable folding armrests, evidently borrowed from the Caravelle minibus variant, and are of VW's typical hard-but-comfortable school. They don't match up to the Transit's plush perches but suffice for a day's journey.