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By Jonathan Crouch

One of Volkswagen's most enduring MPV nameplates returns. Jonathan Crouch takes a look at the new-era Caravelle in efficient eHybrid 4MOTION form.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 83

What was the Volkswagen Multivan is now the brand's new-era Caravelle and it arguably makes most sense in this more frugal, tax-efficient eHybrid 4MOTION form. This is still the same T7-generation Multivan design, but gains a sharper look and improved infotainment to go with its name change. As before, this seven-seat People Carrier is rare in the segment for large MPVs because it's not fundamentally based on the underpinnings of a van. Yet it manages to be supremely spacious and flexible for families.

Backgroundword count: 141

You might never have considered a Plug-in Hybrid Volkswagen MPV before. But that's what we've got here in the sleekly squarical shape of the brand's Cararvelle eHybrid 4MOTION. People Carriers may be a dying genre with most brands but they're still very much in vogue with Volkswagen - though with an emphasis on electrification. We've got the all-electric ID. Buzz. And the brand's Transporter Shuttle offers both PHEV and EV options. But the electrified VW People Carrier that you might be most likely to see is this one, previously badged the 'Multivan' but not marketed with the Wolfsburg maker's more familiar 'Caravelle' moniker. You can choose this Caravelle with the brand's conventional 2.0-litre TDI diesel, but before you sign up for one of those, check this eHybrid version out - as we're going to do here. Let's take a closer look.

Driving Experienceword count: 355

The drive system here certainly isn't one you'd typically expect to find in a van (or in a VW MPV come to that) - a Plug-in Hybrid set-up offering 245PS from the combination of a 1.5 TSI petrol engine and an electric motor. Nor is the silence of this big Volkswagen's progress when forward motion is being sourced purely from the 19.7kWh lithium-ion battery - which is said to be possible when fully charged of providing an EV range of up to 91 miles. When the transition to combustion power does come - more likely to be around the 25 mile mark - it's pleasantly seamless. Unlike the eHybrid powertrains used with Volkswagen's Tiguan and Tayron family SUVs, this one is mated to the brand's 4MOTION AWD system - which will be a boon on muddy campsites. Changing gear, as with all Caravelles, is done via a dash-mounted auto selector so small you might miss it, though with this eHybrid model there are six ratios, rather than the usual seven. The transmission shifts smoothly, but occasionally exhibits the usual DSG system hesitation at times when you really need it to be assertive - when trying to nip into a fleeting space on a roundabout for instance. We're not quite sure why gearchange paddles are provided because typical customers are unlikely to ever be much interested in using them. If you did and were quick with the changes, then 62mph would theoretically be 8.9s away from rest in this eHybrid variant on the way to 124mph, though you wouldn't willingly want to ever try and replicate those figures because straining the TSI engine in this manner really shows it at its worst. As with other Volkswagen Plug-in Hybrids that use the same engine set-up, various selectable settings govern the way that the eHybrid powertrain works. The vehicle always starts off in fully-electrified 'E-Mode', before switching to a more normal 'Hybrid' mode that sees the electric motor and the combustion engine combining together. You've also a 'Reserve Charge Level' option that will allow you to save a pre-determined level of battery charge until later in your trip.

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