The van THAT’S NOT A VAN
VW’s new Multivan people mover picks up the latest passenger-car tech — and electric power
Volkswagen’s Multivan people mover (or MPV if you like) used to be simply a Transporter light commercial with seats. A van.
But no more. In the move from the T6.1 generation to the new T7, it’s become a bespoke model based on the German maker’s MQB platform, like the Golf or Skoda Octavia; that’s right, it’s basically a big car now.
VW’s medium-sized van range will ultimately split into three separate pillars. The standard Transporter/Caravelle 6.1 continues for now but will eventually be replaced by a new van on a platform shared with the Ford Transit.
But the new T7 Multivan is very much VW’s own thing and is being pitched as an alternative to premium SUVs, given it now has much of the quality, refinement and equipment of posh passenger cars — and a whole lot more space and versatility. It also now has a PHEV powertrain and there’s a version under $80k, meaning buyers can take advantage of the government’s $5750 Clean Car Discount.
Having T7 on the MQB platform means it can draw on VW Group’s latest technology and architecture. That’s where the PHEV powertrain comes in: it matches a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine with a 13kWh plug-in battery to give 50km pure-electric range and peak power/torque of
160kW/350Nm. It’s basically the same set-up as the Skoda Octavia iV. All in the family, right?
Actually, Family is the name of the entry-level Multivan. VW NZ has worked hard to join the Clean Car conversation by getting this model under $80k (just, at $78,800). It’s pretty well specified too, with Type 2-to-Type 2 and portable home charging cables included, Digital Cockpit Pro, a
10-inch infotainment screen, power side doors and keyless entry (the first VW commercial to have it). But it’s also clear a few costly items have been left out, to meet that crucial price target. There’s no adaptive cruise, which is an eyebrow-raiser on an $80k “car”. It has Park Distance radar but not Park Assist, Lane Assist but not the full Side Assist package. There’s no power operation for that huge tailgate. And you can’t have the swish two-tone factory paint job you see on our test car.
That’s because the Multivan pictured here is the limited-edition $106,000 Energetic (just 30 units heading our way). It includes all of the above and more besides, including Easy Open for the side doors and tailgate, AGR ErgoComfort seats and swish lighting.
There’s a mid-range Life-specification to come, as well as a diesel engine option in early2023.
No matter which you choose, the seating and cargo options are staggering. Every rear chair is individual and individually mounted, meaning you can mix and match passengers and stuff as much as you like. They’re all on rails too, so you can shuffle the seating back and forth to suit.
Some of the Multivan’s cabin architecture is clearly destined for other VW commercials, including (we guess) the T7 Transporter; while the design is fantastic and the back-end electronics bang upto-date, many of the dashboard and door-trim plastics are pretty rigid. More workaday van than $80k SUV.
There might be some compensation in knowing that many of the plastics you don’t see or touch are recycled: underbody, wheelarch liners and some noise insulation material. The plastic tailgate shell and cabin floor coverings too.
If you’re at all familiar with the previous Transporter, the great leap forward in ride and refinement will blow you away. That’s partly also thanks to the PHEV tech; there’s a soothing hush in pure-electric mode. It’s only a
90kW machine as an EV, but you get 160kW combined as a full hybrid. As with the Skoda iV models, you can manually select electric or hybrid — and even choose the level you want in the battery, meaning the petrol engine can be used for charging duties while you drive.
VW NZ is actually continuing with the old Transporter 6.1 ($85,500) for the next 12-18 months. It provides a 4Motion allwheel drive option (the T7 is FWD only for now) and perhaps more importantly, it offers a 2500kg tow rating. The T7 is theoretically limited to 1600kg, but actually not permitted to tow at all right now due to weight restrictions from the factory — one downside of having a passenger-car platform underneath. The T7 diesel will be towbar-certified, but it’ll still fall
500kg short of the 6.1 model. Now, what about that third pillar? It’s the ID.Buzz of course, VW’s bespoke pure-electric van that will come in both commercial and passenger models. Expect a late-2023 launch, after VW’s ID.4 and ID.5 SUVs.