The VW Transporter T6.1 Startline is a great, basic trim, but if you want your Transporter panel van or Transporter kombi with more features and extra comfort, consider the Transporter Highline trim. It’s got plenty of extras over the Startline, but it isn’t quite as expensive, sporty, or packed as the Sportline. For a lot of our customers, it’s the perfect set-up. (And if it’s almost-but-not-quite there, you could consider one of our amazing Transporter WASPs and Hornets, as they almost all start out as Highline kombi or panel vans!)
Whether you’re a business owner looking for a company vehicle, something for the company fleet, something for the week-end, or you’re looking to convert a privately owned van, look no further. Deciding between the Startline and Highline trim is one of the first considerations you’ll need to make for your Transporter purchase, and while VW Transporters are solid, versatile, and dependable, there are a lot of possible variations, so you need to know what’s what. To give you a hand, we’ll go through the main features of the VW Transporter Startline vs. Highline for both panel vans and kombis.
And just to refresh your memory, a panel van is a great option if you’ll mainly be carrying cargo; Transporter panel vans seat three (driver and two passengers) with a big load area behind. A kombi, however, is the perfect option if you need to carry people and stuff. It has five or six seats — there’s an extra 3-seater bench behind the first row or two or three seats — and a slightly smaller (but still decently sized) load area at the back. If you’re not sure what would be best for you, give us a call! We’re always happy to help.
Basic VW Transporter Startline
Startline features:
- Composition Colour DAB+ radio with 6.5” touchscreen, Bluetooth, SD-card slot, 2x USB-C ports
- Electric and heated door mirrors
- Twin halogen headlights (H7)
- Heat-insulating windows in the cab
- 4-way-adjustable lumbar support for the driver’s seat
- Driver’s seat armrest and height adjustment
- 12v socket
- Electric windows in the cab
- Cruise control with speed limiter
- Multi-function steering wheel (leather trimmed) with adjustments for height and longitude
- Rubber flooring in the cab
- Multiple storage options including drink holders
- VW App Connect
- Load-lashing rings (foldable) in the cargo area
- Left-side sliding door
- Full-height steel bulkhead
The Startline kombi also includes:
- Dimmable rear-view mirror
- Illuminated steps in the cargo / passenger compartment
- Heated rear window in the tailgate with wiper / washer system
- Rubber flooring in the passenger compartment
- Side sliding windows for the second row of seats
- Tyre-pressure-loss indicator
- ISOFIX and top-tether anchors for the outer bench seats
- The possibility to open the tailgate from the inside
- Side trim panels in the load compartment (full height)
Startline Business Pack
If you just want a basic Transporter panel van, you can absolutely get that with the Startline trim. You can also upgrade to VW’s Business Pack, which adds climatic air-conditioning, rear parking sensors, and an anti-theft alarm with cab-interior monitoring, backup horn and towing protection to the Transporter for a small extra fee.
Startline Comfort Pack
There’s also the Comfort Pack upgrade. The Comfort Pack is standard on Highline and which offers an additional 12v socket, a waste bin, features to deaden and suppress sound, sun visors with mirrors, and grab handles on the A and B pillars. However! While this does (maybe?) offer a little more comfort, by just going with the Startline and the Business and/or Comfort Packs, you’ll miss out on the Highline’s great extras like alloys, body-colour bumpers and mirror housings, adaptive cruise control, and some additional interior features. So read on to find out the extra (and worthwhile) benefits of choosing the Highline trim for your new Transporter.
VW Transporter Highline Features
The VW Transporter Highline gives you a fantastic range of features for extra comfort, practicality, and style. Given that you’ll probably be spending a lot of time in your van, it’s worth being absolutely sure you’ve got everything you need, and while we would never counsel anyone to buy over and above their requirements, we do think the Highline offers the best value for money. If you’re buying something as big and expensive as a van, best get what you want!
The superb Highline trim includes (in addition to Startline):
- Climatic air-conditioning
- Heated and laminated windscreen
- 16” alloy wheels (17” on the T32 204hp)
- Lockable wheel bolts
- Automatic headlights with separate daytime running lights plus “leaving home” and “coming home” (manual) functions
- Bumpers, door-mirror housings, and door handles in the body colour
- Electric and heated door mirrors with electric folding function
- Front fog lights with cornering function
- Intermittent windscreen-wiper function with rain sensor
- Adaptive Cruise Control with speed limiter
- Front Assist with City Emergency Braking System
- Extra 12v socket
- Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
- Sun visors with mirror
- Illuminated glovebox plus waste bin in door storage
- Front and rear parking sensors
- Anti-theft alarm with cab-interior monitoring, backup horn, towing protection, and SAFELOCK
The Highline kombi also includes:
- Armrests for both front seats
- Manual height adjustment for both front seats
- Manual lumbar adjustment for both front seats
- Heat-insulating (green) glass in the front, privacy glass from the B-pillar
And both the Startline and Highline include the following safety features:
- Brake Assist System
- Crosswind Assist
- eCall emergency system
- Driver and front passenger airbags
- Start/Stop with regenerative braking
- Automatic Post-Collision Braking System
- Electromechanical steering
Transporter Highline Panel Van versus Highline Kombi: Differences
The feature differences between the VW Transporter Highline 6.1 panel van and the Highline kombi van reflect the different van purposes: Highline panel van features are more suited to cargo carrying, and Highline kombi features are geared toward a mix of cargo and people carrying. The main listed differences are as follows (with further spec details at VW).
Whereas the panel van has a 2-seater passenger bench in the first row and no second row, the kombi has two individual seats in the first row — one for the driver and one for the passenger — and a folding 3-seater bench in the second row. (Bear in mind that it is possible to get a 2-seater bench in the first row of a kombi as a special order if you need to seat six.) And while the panel van comes with a full-height steel bulkhead behind the driver’s and passengers’ seats, the kombi doesn’t. However, it is possible to have one installed, so don’t worry if you still want to make sure that your cargo stays put.
The kombi has two sliding side doors as opposed to the one in the panel van, and it also has a rear window in the tailgate; the panel van does not.
Plus:
- Dimmable rear-view mirror
- Illuminated steps in the cargo / passenger compartment
- Heated rear window in the tailgate with wiper / washer system
- Rubber flooring in the passenger compartment
- Side sliding windows for the second row of seats
- Tyre-pressure-loss indicator
- ISOFIX and top-tether anchors for the outer bench seats
- The possibility to open the tailgate from the inside
- Armrests for both front seats
- Manual height adjustment for both front seats
- Manual lumbar adjustment for both front seats
- Side trim panels in the load compartment (full height)
- Heat-insulating (green) glass in the front, privacy glass from the B-pillar
Why buy the Highline version?
If you love comfort and extra features that make every drive a breeze, then we would definitely suggest that you go for the VW Transporter Highline over the Startline. And if your work van doubles as a family adventure vehicle or your week-end getaway van, it absolutely makes sense to get the most comfortable, luxurious, and enjoyable-to-drive model you can find.
You can even go the extra mile in terms of style by upgrading to one of our WASP, Hornet, or ABT custom mod packs for great looks as well as great comfort. Then everyone else will love your van as much as you do!
Get Your Transporter Highline
Whether you want the VW Transporter Highline for its amazing features or you’re considering an upgrade to WASP or Hornet and need the Highline to get you started, our team of sales experts is always on hand to talk you through your options on trim and accessories. Call us today to find out more and get the ball (or van!) rolling. And if you’ve decided that you don’t need the Highline, and the Startline is perfectly good enough, then we can help there too, with great deals on finance and lease agreements.
Swiss Vans only sells high-quality vans, and with our 20+ years’ experience in VW Transporter Sales, you’re in safe hands. We have a showroom in Bridgend so you can see the vans in real life, we offer free UK delivery, and we can arrange easy, affordable monthly payments. Come to Swiss for your perfect van!
