VW Multivan revealed – Golf-based hybrid van is not the T7, but a reborn Kombi

Remember Volkswagen's hippie-van - The Kombi? Well, it evolved through the decades into today's Transporter T6. This on the other hand is not "the new Transporter T7". It is the new Volkswagen Multivan, and possibly the closest incarnation of The Kombi.

Billed as a replacement to the Caravelle T6 variant, Volkswagen says the Multivan is "no longer built on the Transporter platform". Instead, it now joins the Golf, Passat, and Tiguan as another model to be based on Volkswagen’s ubiquitous MQB platform.

It is reported that the Transporter T7 will be a rebadged version of the popular Ford Transit, as part of the Ford-Volkswagen alliance that will also see the next-gen Amarok being a rebadged Ford Ranger. 

With its MQB underpinnings and having no need to accommodate a dedicated workhorse version, the Multivan can be more focused on mainstream customers. Aimed more towards lifestyle-driven market than a utilitarian one. 

As such, the Multivan goes all in with the sort of advanced tech and niceties that you’d expect on your average European sedan. 

Owners can, for example, specify their Multivan with an IQ.LIGHT LED matrix headlights, panoramic glass roof, a 14-speaker 840W Harmon Kardon sound system, and gesture control electrically operated sliding doors and tailgate. 

Aside from a wide array of safety features, the Multivan also comes fitted with Car2X tech, which enables internet-of-things infrastructure communications - the basis for autonomous vehicle features - and an IQ.DRIVE Travel Assist semi-autonomous driving capability that combines predictive adaptive cruise control and lane assist. 

Inside, the cabin looks more accommodating and car-like with stylish high-gloss surfaces, ambient lighting, and a 10-inch infotainment touchscreen display. 

It is even better in the back with the rear passenger seats being up to 25 per cent lighter, so anyone who isn’t a beefcake tradesman can move and remove it with ease. 

The Multivan’s flat floor features a track system, which allows for flexible seating arrangements and even accommodates a versatile multi-function table console.

Due to its underpinnings, the Multivan is the first Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles model to feature a plug-in hybrid option.

This comes in the form of a 150 PS 1.4-litre inline-four petrol engine paired with an 85 kW electric motor and six-speed dual-clutch. Power comes from a 13 kWh lithium-ion battery housed underneath the floor. 

The plug-in hybrid powertrain complements the Multivan range of 136 PS 1.5-litre petrol, 204 PS 2-litre petrol, and 150 PS 2-litre turbodiesel engines with seven-speed dual-clutch gearboxes.  

With the Multivan being a product of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, it is uncertain if it will ever be introduced into Volkswagen Malaysia’s line-up.