We've known the Volkswagen Multivan for years now, being the people carrier-version of the Volkswagen Transporter.
Volkswagen has a lot of experience with those kind of people carrier-vans, and they've presented a new one. This is the...
new Multivan. It's completely new and it's based on the MQB-platform, which means it'll only be available as a people carrier.
Internally, it's known as the T7, as opposed to the Transporter, which is internally called T6 or T6.1.
Nice and all, and if it weren't enough for you, there's going to be an extra van next year: the ID Buzz, which is fully electric.
With that, they've got three versions next to each other. The regular Transporter will be phased out in time and will be replaced by a van...
that will be co-developed by Ford, but we're talking proper future stuff here. Let's talk about the Multivan first, which will only be sold with...
a plug-in hybrid drivetrain in the Netherlands and which will offer up to seven seats.
Despite the Multivan being based on the MQB-platform, which is usually used for smaller and lower cars, it's a really big van.
High doors, high entry, high seating position, and more than enough headroom. In the front that is. I'm almost 2.00 m. tall myself, and there's...
more than enough room in all directions for me. The car has an entirely flat floor, with rails in the back to move the seats about.
It doesn't have any bench seats or anything, they're all separate seats. In the front, you only have two seats as well.
And in the back, you can have it any way you like. You can divide the seats easily and you can turn them around.
The third row of seating can be divided as well, so if you utilize all rows, you can fit seven people in here.
However, because there has to be three abreast seating, the seats themselves aren't the widest. And remarkably, the headroom isn't...
that good. I mean, sure I'm almost 2.00 m. tall, but I expected better from a big van like this.
This car is 1.90 m. tall which makes it a tad lower than the Transporter, so it can be parked in parking garages. However, it's wider and longer...
than a Transporter. It's available in two lengths even. Both have the same wheelbase, but one has twenty centimetres more overhang.
And with that difference in length, the seat rails have been extended as well, so you can create more legroom or luggage space if you need it.
In the shorter version, you've got over 460 litres of luggage space available behind the third row of seating. If you get...
the extended version, you've got 760 litres to play with. If you remove all of the seats, you've got over 4.000 litres of luggage space.
If that's not enough for you, the Multivan is allowed to tow up to 2.000 kg, but you'll be acting like a moving truck then.
And it's meant to be a people carrier.
The Multivan has been built by the commercial car-division at Volkswagen, and if we judge the interior by those standads, it looks very good.
However, for a 'regular' car, there are quite a lot of hard plastics. I mean, the finishing is nice, but the used materials could've been better.
The dashboard follows the design of Volkswagen-cars, which means there aren't a lot of physical buttons present.
Most of the functionality is incorporated in the multimedia system. Other than that, you have to use touch-buttons.
You have to concentrate of what you're doing on screen, which isn't optimal. But I guess it's cheaper or something.
Getting into the back is done by two shoving doors. You can operate it in different ways, even with your foot.
The Multivan will only come to the Netherlands as a plug-in hybrid, whilst the rest of the world gets petrol- and diesel versions.
With the added taxes and emissions, those version wouldn't be very attractive in the Netherlands.
That's why they've only given us the plug-in hybrid. And it's a drivetrain we already know from Volkswagen. It's powered by...
a 1.4-litre TSI and an electric motor, connected to a six-speed DSG automatic gearbox. The total power output is 218 horsepower,
and as long as there is enough electric power aboard, this car will set off electrically, and with a full battery pack, you should be...
able to reach 50 kilometres. If you get above 140 km/h, the petrol engine will kick in as well.
The car weighs over 2.000 kg, but 218 horsepower is more than enough to get this car to go with the traffic flow.
It's all very smooth, just like the change in power sources. When the electric power runs out and the petrol engine has to take over...
you only have 150 horsepower, but it will still be alright. Like I said, it weighs over 2.000 kg and the MQB is able to cope perfectly.
The car has a bigger track width and wheelbase than the Transporter, which means it has a very stable base.
The springs and dampers are tuned for the measurements of the car, so it's not heaving despite its size.
It feels nice and stable, and even though the steering isn't the most communicative I've ever seen, it's very agile.
It goes wherever you want it to go. Right now, I'm, driving a version with adjustable dampers and the sports chassis, which means the...
car is two centimetres lower. Other than that, Volkswagen has installed all kinds of safety systems and driving assists.
When you get the most complete version, you'll have a total of 25 driving assists aboard, like adaptive cruise control and lane assist.
That's mostly meant to keep you away from the lines on the road, but they're the first steps towards autonomous driving.
As a whole, it's a great taxivan or to be used for bigger families.