07/06/2021 - updated 14/06/2021
The factory has released more teasers about the forthcoming new Multivan – the replacement for the current T6.1 Caravelle – and they include some attention-grabbing headlines.
The biggest news is that the ever-popular MPV will be available for the first time as an electric-hybrid vehicle. Journeys will start wherever possible in e-mode, using the electric motor powered by a lithium-ion battery, which is housed in the new model’s underbody, before switching to a turbocharged TSI petrol engine at higher speeds and when the battery charge level drops. It means zero-emission driving in urban settings is combined with the ability to cover long journeys with a minimal number of stops.
This is made possible by another major transformation: the new model will no longer be built on the Transporter van’s base, but on the Volkswagen Group’s MQB platform. As a completely new vehicle, it will set new standards in the people-carrying segment – including an especially long wheelbase and extra width – and it is already generating plenty of interest as a result of the media teasers.
The new model will also have its most flexible table ever. Described in press releases as a multi-function system, it can be positioned anywhere along a new track system, and so can be used as a table in the rear or as a centre console in the front.
The table can also be raised, to allow access to additional storage compartments, and the two halves can be pulled out and folded up on the left and right. And if you want to take the table out, you simply release it using two hand grips on its base.
All these exciting developments will be wrapped in a modern, stylish design that, according to early sketches, pays homage to the model’s eye-catching predecessors.
Albert Kirzinger, Head of Design at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, said: “The new Caravelle bears the unmistakable genes of the world’s best-known MPV design.”
The world premiere of this latest addition to the Volkswagen Commercials range took place online on 10 June, and it is due to be launched in the UK in early 2022. To be kept in the loop about the progress of the new Volkswagen Multivan into our showrooms, please click on the link below.
