| Manufacturer | Volkswagen AG |
|---|---|
| Also called | Volkswagen Hormiga, Volkswagen EA489, Volkswagen Mitra |
| Production | 1975 - 1979 |
| Assembly | Hanover, Germany; Puebla, Mexico |
| Class | Commercial vehicle |
| Body style | 2-door platform truck |
| Layout | Front engine, front-wheel drive |
| Engine | 1.6 L Volkswagen air-cooled |
| Transmission | 4-speed manual |
| Wheelbase | 2,395 mm (94.3 in) |
| Length | 4,064 mm (160.0 in) |
| Width | 1,684 mm (66.3 in) at cab |
| Height | 1,988 mm (78.3 in) |
| Kerb weight | 1,290 kg (2,844 lb) |
The Volkswagen EA489 Basistransporter was a small front-wheel drive platform truck with a front-mounted Volkswagen air-cooled engine. Created by Volkswagen AG, It was about the size of a modern day Volkswagen Polo and is perhaps one of the rarest Volkswagens in the world due to the fact it was never sold in a developed country.
It was built between 1975 and 1979, with only 2,600 units produced in completely knocked down kits in Hanover, Germany; and 3,600 units were produced in Puebla, Mexico, between 1977 and 1979 for the Mexican market.
It was evaluated for production in the following countries: Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Pakistan, Indonesia, Turkey and Mexico. It was built and sold in Turkey as the EA489, in Indonesia as the Mitra, and in Mexico as the Hormiga (meaning Ant in Spanish).
Chassis: simple ladder frame.
Engine Configuration: air-cooled flat four-cylinder 'boxer', overhead valve (OHV) with pushrods.
Engine Displacement: 1,584 cubic centimetres (96.7 cu in).
Motive DIN Power: 33 kilowatts (45 PS; 44 bhp) @ 4,000 revolutions per minute, 37 kW (50 PS; 50 bhp).
Powertrain Layout: front mounted engine (under the cab), front-wheel drive.
Suspension: FRONT - independent, longitudinal torsion bars & wishbones. REAR - rigid unpowered solid axle with leaf springs.
Roadwheels: 4.5J x 14"
Maximum Speed: 85 kilometres per hour (52.8 mph).
Payload: 1,000 kilograms (2,205 lb).
Italics = Mexican specified Hormiga
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