If you’re looking for an exceptional family vehicle or a supremely comfortable mobile office, the new Volkswagen Multivan T7 could be absolutely perfect for you. VW’s replacement for the excellent Caravelle 6.1, the Multivan is flexible, comfortable, and fully kitted out with everything you might need. It has lots of options (including lots of colours), so you’ll be sure to find the configuration that best fits your lifestyle.

The Multivan handles more like a car than a van, and with its tight turning circle and light steering, you’ll find it almost as easy to manage driving in towns and cities as you do out on the open road. Although it’s similar in some ways to the Mercedes V-Class or its more-affordable sibling, the Mercedes Vito Tourer, the VW Multivan is really in a class of its own and a much-needed addition to the market.

Multivan Engines, Transmissions, and Drive Systems

Whatever luxury features the VW Multivan has (and there are a lot of them), its mechanics are still important. And as a first for VW commercial vehicles, the Multivan is available as a plug-in hybrid. It’s a fantastic option for those who want to minimise the impact of their journeys, and as VW have ensured that the hybrid engine and motor are up to the job, you can be confident that you’ll still have the performance you need.

The Multivan eHybrid is fitted with a 1.4TSI 150hp petrol engine and an 85kWh battery for a combined power output of 218hp. The 13kWh lithium-ion battery can be found under the floor; this allows VW to maximise the van’s interior space while lowering its centre of gravity for additional stability. Available with a 6-speed DSG automatic gearbox, the Multivan eHybrid can do emissions-free short trips, but, thanks to its 1.4TSI engine, it can happily take on longer journeys too.

If you’re more interested in traditional engines, VW offers you plenty of choice there. You can choose the Multivan with a 2.0-litreTDI 150hp diesel engine or one of two petrol engines: 1.5TSI 136hp or 2.0TSI 204hp. All three of these are offered with a 7-speed DSG automatic transmission. All of the Multivan variants are front-wheel drive (FWD).

VW Multivan Dimensions and Sizes

VW has made the Multivan available in two body lengths to help you get exactly the van you need. There’s standard and long; the names are fairly self-explanatory! The dimensions and lengths of each are as follows:

Overall dimensions:
Overall height: 1907mm (1887mm with lowered chassis)
Overall width: 2252mm (1941mm without mirrors)
Load compartment width: 1665mm*
*1207mm between the wheel arches

Multivan standard:
Overall length: 4973mm
Load-compartment length behind 1st row of seats: 2425mm
Load-compartment length behind 2nd row of seats: 1316mm
Load-compartment length behind 3rd row of seats: 461mm

Multivan long:
Overall length: 5173mm
Load-compartment length behind 1st row of seats: 2625mm
Load-compartment length behind 2nd row of seats: 1516mm
Load-compartment length behind 3rd row of seats: 661mm

GVWs, Payloads, and Weights
While the GWV and payload might not be as important in a family / leisure vehicle as they are in a work van, you still need to know how much you can carry. The GWV is the gross vehicle weight, and that refers to the total permitted weight of the van including the van itself, the cargo, the driver, passengers, fuel, etc. The VW Multivan’s GVWs range from 2600-2850kg depending on the model and engine. The cargo is known as the payload, and that usually includes any passengers (but excludes the driver). Payloads for the Multivan range from 485-727kg, again depending on the model.

The Multivan’s roof can take up to 100kg with two roof carriers or 150kg with a minimum of four roof carriers. Its trailer nose weight is 100kg, and its trailer weight braked at 12% is 1600kg for the eHybrid and the 1.5-litre petrol, 2000kg for the 2.0-litre petrol and diesel engines. Unbraked is 750kg across the board.

VW Multivan Trims and Specifications

Here’s where it gets luxurious. VW has designed the Multivan to be the ultimate in style and comfort, both for the passengers and the driver. There are a host of features to make life on the road better and more fun, and if the standard specs aren’t enough, there are plenty of optional extras too. The Multivan comes in two trim levels: Life and Style. Unlike normal van trims though, these have a lot of features!

Multivan Life includes:

• Air-conditioning
• Ready 2 Discover infotainment system with 10” touchscreen, eight speakers, and “Streaming and Internet”
• DAB digital radio
• Voice Activation
• Digital Cockpit
• VW App-Connect with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• 7 single seats, moveable and removable
• Seats adjustable for height and lumbar support
• Carpet floor covering everywhere + carpet mats in the cab
• Multi-function steering wheel, leather trimmed, with height and longitudinal adjustment and gear-shift paddles
• 2x USB-C ports in the cab
• 4x USB-C ports in the passenger compartment
• Adaptive Cruise Control with C2X, Front Assist, and City Emergency Braking

• Removable armrests for seats in the first and second rows
• Lockable glovebox
• AC type 2 socket
• 12v socket in the cab
• 12v socket in the passenger compartment
• Storage under the 2nd- and 3rd-row seats
• Centre console retractable to make a multi-function table
• Noise insulation
• Bag hooks and luggage net in the load compartment

• 16” alloy wheels (17” on the eHybrid)
• Electric heated, adjustable, and folding door mirrors
• Heat- and sound-insulated laminated windscreen
• LED headlights with integrated fog lights with cornering capability
• LED daytime running lights
• LED rear tail-light clusters
• Twin sliding doors with power latching
• ~65% tinted privacy glass in the passenger compartment (2nd and 3rd rows)
• Window in tailgate
• Interior power latching tailgate
• Interior decorative trims in Dark Silver Brushed
• Cloth upholstery in Ribella: Black Raven / Sand
• Gloss Black door-mirror housings and radiator grille (grille also has chrome trim strips)

• Anti-theft alarm with back-up horn, towing protection, and interior monitoring
• Auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror
• Driver Alert System
• Automatic Post-Collision Braking System
• Airbags for the driver and front passenger + side and centre airbags and front curtain airbags
• Front-passenger airbag deactivation
• eCall Emergency system
• Rear-view camera
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Lane Assist
• Keyless start
• Tyre-pressure-loss indicator
• ABS, ESP, Traction Control, Hill Hold Assist, Electronic Different Lock
• ISOFIX in all 2nd- and 3rd-row seats
• Dynamic road-sign display

Multivan Style includes (in addition to Life):

• Climatic 3-zone air-conditioning with allergen filter
• Even better interior noise insulation
• Wave your foot under the electrically operated sliding doors to open or close them (from the outside)
• Wave your foot under the electrically operated tailgate to open or close it (from the outside)
• The addition of navigation and Discover Media to the infotainment system
• Digital Cockpit Pro
• Ambient interior lighting in a choice of 30 colours (!)
• Heated front seats
• The same fancy steering wheel from Life, but it’s heated now!
• Microfleece seat upholstery in “ArtVelours” in Raven Black / Sand with leather-look bolsters
• Stainless-steel pedals
• Sliding windows in the sliding doors

• 17” alloys with Black diamond-turned surface
• “IQ. Light” LED matrix dipped and main-beam headlights
• Daytime running lithe
• Dynamic Light Assist
• Tailgate in stainless steel trim
• Decorative chrome trim strip on the side and rear
• Interior decorate trims in Dark Woodgrain Optic

• Emergency Assist
• Keyless entry and start + Start/Stop button
• Side Assist with Rear traffic alert
• Park Assist
• Travel Assist

Extras and Upgrade Options

If all of those features aren’t enough for you, then, as I said, there are more. You can upgrade to alloy wheels in 18” or 19”. You can go for the panoramic sunroof to let the sun shine in. There’s the option of We Connect (or We Connect Plus) for additional connectivity and technological convenience. If audio is important to you, you could consider an upgrade to the Harman Kardon premium sound system: 13 speakers, a 16-channel amp, and offers a total output of 840 watts. If cloth upholstery isn’t your thing, there are leather options too. Outside, you can have metallic, pearl-effect, or two-tone paint, and inside, you could go for Ergo Comfort seats or Ergo Comfort seats with climate feature (and massage function, of course). There’s an auxiliary heater so you can step in to an already-warm van, and you can change the standard seven seats for a 6-seat package which allows the face-to-face seating mentioned above. There’s wireless charging, extra seat heaters, etc. So you have some options.

VW Multivan Finance

Buying a van like this is a big purchase, so we here at Swiss do everything we can to make the process as easy (and affordable) as possible. We offer a wide selection of finance options, from great deals on cash sales / buying outright to a range of offers that let you spread the cost over years, usually up to five. Give our fantastic team a call today to discuss the options; we regularly work with lease purchase, finance lease, contract hire, and hire purchase (HP), so we can almost certainly find something that’s right for you and your circumstances. We’re quite excited about the VW Multivan, and we’re sure you will be too!