Volkswagen Multivan Review | Should you buy one in 2022?

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Market and Model
As with the old Caravelle, you'll only be able to get a Multivan at a Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles dealer. Certain Volkswagen car dealerships can place the order for you though: to find your nearest one - or locate your nearest Volkswagen Vans stockist - you'll need to go to the Volkswagen-vans.co.uk website. Customers have a choice of two trim levels - 'Life' and 'Style' - plus two vehicle lengths and four powertrains - that 2.0 TDI 150PS diesel, plus three petrol powerplants, a base 1.5 TSI 136PS unit, a 2.0 TSI 204PS powertrain and the 1.4 TSI 218PS eHybrid PHEV. Prices start from around £43,000 - or around £44,500 for the 2.0 TDI diesel variant you'll probably want. Think around £49,000 for the eHybrid. Those are figures for the standard body length; it's £1,350 more if you want the 'Long' version. Seven seats are standard, but there's the no-cost option of a '2-2-2' six-seater layout.
Even on the entry-level 'Life model', the specification's pretty generous including 16-inch alloy wheels (17-inchers on the eHybrid), seven seats, two sliding doors, a 'Digital Cockpit' instrument display screen and a 10-inch centre infotainment monitor. 'Style models', which start at around £55,000 for the SWB 2.0 TDI model, include the brand's piercing 'IQ.LIGHT' LED matrix headlights, plus customers also get the 'Discover Media' navigation system, Park Assist, electric sliding doors and a tailgate with an easy open feature, plus 17-inch alloy wheels.
Safety-wise, 'Front Assist' autonomous braking and 'Lane Assist' feature, among many other standard items. 'Style'-spec also gets Volkswagen's 'Travel Assist' set-up, which facilitates Level 2 automated driving, the system capable of taking over the steering, braking and acceleration of your Multivan at speeds up to 130mph. The driver activates the system by pressing a separate Travel Assist button on the multifunction steering wheel.
Cost of Ownership
You won't be expecting an MPV of this size to be particularly cheap to run, but Volkswagen hopes to surprise you here. The base 1.5 TSI petrol unit manages up to 35.3mpg on the combined cycle and up to 180g/km of CO2. The 2.0 TDI diesel improves that to 43.5mpg and 170g/km which, in combination with the 58-litre fuel tank, facilitates a range of around 620 miles without refuelling. For the 2.0 TSI petrol model, the figures are rather different - bests of 31.4mpg and 203g/km. The Plug-in eHybrid petrol version's worth a look; it offers up to 156.9mpg on the combined cycle if you take account of the all-electric driving range - and a tax-busting 41g/km of CO2.
Finally, there's the warranty. Volkswagens of any kind are limited to three years of cover, but with a Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle (which is what the Multivan is classed as), the mileage limit in this period is raised from 60,000 to 100,000 miles. There's also three years of pan-European Roadside Assistance also included with no mileage restriction. The paintwork warranty lasts for three years and the Multivan is protected by a 12-year anti-corrosion body warranty.
Summary
This Volkswagen's name is perhaps unfortunate given the switch away from commercial roots, but this Multivan nevertheless resets the segment standard for what a really large People Carrier can be. Expect ride and handling on a different level from this model's LCV-based rivals - and far more car-like cabin too.
You'd still consider a Mercedes V-Class in this sector if luxury was everything, but the Multivan could save you so much over one of those that you might be able to justify having it with the Plug-in Hybrid powertrain that no other MPV in this segment can offer. It'll all be a different world for customers graduating on from a Caravelle - and not before time. It's long overdue for cars in this class to significantly raise their game - and that's just what's happened here.
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[@pjmoody]

Don't dismiss the Multivan history. Would much prefer one of those again to one of these. Many, many happy miles

[@AntonyBradley]

An excellent review with great composition, thanks guys.

[@OsvUkVehicleSupply]

Thanks for watching Antony! Subscribe for the latest in-depth reviews: bit.ly/319ZKoT​

[@bondjamesbond9041]

To answer your question - no! Why you may ask. 1. This brands reputation for poor reliability and customer service. 2. This brands past history regarding diesel gate (still not resolved in some countries.) 3, Much too expensive.

[@hondarally300l8]

Over priced with 3rd world seat removal