What Van? Britain's biggest and best van buyers' guide

2nd Report

As its name would suggest, the Multivan’s USP is its versatility. If you were just in the market for a light commercial with the capacity to carry extra bodies, you could just opt for a crew van or the seven- or nine-seat versions of medium vans; a Renault Trafic Passenger, for example, 

On the other hand, if you’re after a car with more seats together with enhanced comfort and refinement then you might go shopping for a high-end MPV like the Mercedes-Benz V-Class.

The Multivan straddles both camps. It offers an airy, roomy interior and oozes sophistication. It comes with six or seven seats and I opted for the former: two up front, two in the middle and two in the rear. Volkswagen’s decision to resist squeezing in more seats adds to the sense of luxuriant spaciousness. Leg and shoulder room is never likely to be an issue for even the largest passengers, although the seats themselves are on the dinky side. If you’re looking for something more akin to a minibus then the aforementioned Renault or the mid-size Stellantis nine-seat derivatives of the Citroën Dispatch, Peugeot Expert or Vauxhall Vivaro might be more up your street, or if you’re a Volkswagen diehard then the Transporter Shuttle would be worth a look.

The seats behind the cabin in the Multivan can be moved forwards and backwards on rails and also removed to free up storage space. Unlike in its predecessor, the Caravelle, however, the middle row seats cannot be swivelled around, so if you do want to turn them around to face the rear seats to create a meeting space, you have to physically remove them and place them back on their rails in the opposite direction. The seats are lightweight though, and with the help of a release strap this is a fairly simple procedure. The second and third row of seatbacks recline and it’s good to see they are all equipped with Isofix for fitting child seats.

Accessing the rear pair of seats is easy enough with the middle seats sliding well forward. The pièce de résistance in the inside of the Multivan is the central console that slides from the front two seats to the rear and at the push of a button raises up and transforms into a full-height multifunction table that also provides cup holders and discreet stowage space for small items. 

The table is likely to be well used because the fold down trays on the backs of the front and middle seats seem to be too flimsy to trust with anything heavier than a sandwich.

With all the seats in place there is a 763-litre up-to-the-roof load space in the boot of my Long Multivan and the load area is divided by a handy shelf that is easy to remove.

There is also plenty of space in the central aisle between the seats for more luggage.

Take out the middle and rear seats in the Long version of the Multivan and you are presented with a generous cargo space of more than 4.0m³ and a loading length of 2,425mm.

Report card: Interior = 4/5

A well thought-out interior provides a versatile space for executive meetings or travelling in comfort.

Volkswagen Multivan Style Long 2.0-litre TSI 204hp 7spd DSG