VW replaces honourable Caravelle with all-new Multivan
Looking more like the ‘Bulli’ concept van, VW’s expensive newcomer closes the gap significantly between LCV and MPV, which Iain Robertson believes is a good thing, even though it is inevitable that its maker will charge the earth for every version.
It is almost hard to believe that the window-van you see here has any relationship with the original ‘surfer’s van’ popularised by bleached blonde twenty-somethings in the 1960s. The original VW van was based on a mildly modified VW Beetle platform, with its flat-four configured engine slung behind the rear axle line to drive the rear wheels sluggishly. Unsurprisingly, it soon drew the attention of modifiers and customisers that would give it a wild paint job, fit a punchier Porsche motor and a set of ‘Cal-Custom’ alloy wheels.
It took a while but the modded-van craze finally reached UK shores with a modicum of might in the early-noughties. Now, we have factory-standard hopped-up Transits from MS-RT, while driveway customisers adapt Vauxhall Vivaros, Renault Trafics, Merc Vitos, Peugeot, Citroen and Fiat light vans, while the ever-popular and long-time front-engine, front-wheel drive VW T4 continues a legacy dating back more than 60 years.
In fact VW’s Caravelle, renowned in its role as a well-equipped, dark-glazed, private airport taxi has been developed considerably beyond its earlier and more agricultural roots into a £50k people-mover, possessing a very close relationship to the upmarket Arteon in terms of fit and finish. Unsurprisingly, even used examples carry such a hefty residual value that they are priced beyond the reach of the van modders, most of which are content to fit their own windows and interiors to former SkyTV, Royal Mail and property developers’ site transport.
As the most car-like of all LCV-based window-vans, the Caravelle has been the standard-bearer in the sector for three decades at least, even though it has almost adopted a money-no-object stance, which it shares with its Mercedes-Benz Vito rival. However, as with every light van and passenger carmaker, VW is enduring a major shift in emphasis, as it readies itself for an electrified future. Multivan is not an entirely new name to the fold, as it can boast over 70 years of history and, with a plug-in hybrid version set to join its line-up, a name-change is clearly as good as a rest. The all-electric Bulli model promised a few years ago is yet to make its debut.
The most significant change for the Multivan is its desertion of the Transporter platform, as it now shares the flexible MQB technology that underpins many of VW’s passenger cars. However, it still provides a comfortable, up-to-seven-seat mode of transport for both professional and private use. Park the new model alongside one of its more recent forebears and the range of visual differences is substantial. A more wrap-around windscreen and greater attention paid to former barn-door aerodynamics are obvious changes.
Measuring 1,941mm wide, 4,973mm long, up to 1,903mm high and with a wheelbase of 3,124mm, an even longer version, measuring 5,173mm, is also available. It means that the new generation has a longer wheelbase and wider, lower profile, all designed to improve aerodynamics, reduce fuel consumption and increase its overall range. Multivan is available with alloy wheels of up to 19.0-inch diameter, and in three trim specifications: Multivan, Life and Style.
Among its extensive options is a panoramic glass roof, with LowE laminated safety glass that reduces incoming thermal radiation by 44%, as well as an electrically-operated rear hatchback and power sliding side doors, which can be operated via ‘gesture control’ for even easier entry and exit. While it is fitted with LED headlights as standard, they can be upgraded to VW’s interactive IQ.LIGHT, which is the LED matrix alternative that offers a permanent full beam, without blinding oncoming drivers, as well as dynamic corner illumination for greater nocturnal precision on bends. The system also features an illuminated LED crossbar in the radiator grille as an additional element of its daytime running lights’ signature.
On the inside, a 25% weight reduction has been achieved with the seats, despite improving comfort levels. The three-wide rear bench has been replaced by three individual chairs that offer even more flexibility to a vehicle that has based its entire story on multi-adjustability. As with Caravelle, the seats can be rotated (or removed) to create a ‘boardroom’ in the rear.
The multi-function table designed for Multivan is a thing of intelligent beauty. As it uses the central track, it can be moved between any of the seating rows and, for the first time, can also be used as a centre console between the front seats. It is completely removable, features adjustable height, three cup holders and a practical storage bin. To help remove obstructions, the handbrake is now electronic and located on the dashboard, while the standard transmission is strictly DSG (automated-manual type).
The new Multivan eHybrid combines the typical VW Group, 1.4TSI 147bhp turbo-petrol engine with an 85kW electric motor to produce a combined power output of 215bhp, while providing silent, zero-emission driving, when in EV-only mode, for short, urban trips. It drives through a 6-speed DSG transmission. The 13kWh lithium-ion battery is located beneath the Multivan’s flat floor, thus saving both interior space and lowering the van’s centre of gravity, which aids its handling envelope. The charging point is located on the right-hand front wing.
The front-wheel drive Multivan is also available with two, four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engines: a 1.5TSI developing 133bhp and a 2.0TSI rated at 201bhp. A four-cylinder, 147bhp turbodiesel highlights that VW is not finished with its oil-burning option and it will join the range next year. Each of them is twinned with a 7-speed DSG gearbox. There is no alternative transmission. Finally, VW has used the new model opportunity to install a full complement of ADAS and current connectivity standards.
While its new customer base is always going to be limited by steep pricing, there is no denying its loyalty. Now smarter than ever, the space and practicality that have long been Caravelle’s stock-in-trade are transferred to Multivan and enhanced to the next level. Along with pricing, the LCV and Camper versions are set to follow.
