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By Jonathan Crouch

Volkswagen has re-imagined what a super-large People Carrier can be. Jonathan Crouch drives the Multivan.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 50

At a stroke, Volkswagen's Multivan redefines what you can expect a really large People Carrier to be. This seven-seat Caravelle replacement sheds its predecessor's commercial vehicle roots and is the only model in the segment not to be based on a van. Yet it's supremely spacious and flexible for families.

Backgroundword count: 178

For a long time now, really big People Carriers have really had to be based on mid-sized vans. But here's one, Volkswagen's Multivan, that isn't. Yes, even though it's called a 'Multivan'. If you're not confused yet, you might be by the time you take on board the fact that Volkswagen has three models filling this space in the market. Apart from this one, an MPV version of the Transporter T6 van is still available, the Transporter Shuttle, for those wanting a basic old school minibus. Those of a more futuristic mind set meanwhile, can ask their dealer about the all-electric I.D Buzz, which is also roughly the same size. But we're here to talk about the Multivan, which is the replacement for the long-running Caravelle, the change of name designating both the reinvention of this model and the fact that it no longer shares its engineering with the Transporter van. Instead, this seven-seat model gets the extended version of Volkswagen's familiar MQB platform, as used by larger group SUVs like the Volkswagen Tiguan and the Skoda Kodiaq.

Driving Experienceword count: 237

All of Volkswagen's popular engines feature here. We might think twice about ordering a vehicle of this size with a 136PS 1.5-litre petrol engine - that's what you get at the bottom of the range. And the alternative conventional petrol unit, the 204PS 2.0-litre TSI, isn't going to be cheap to run. With that in mind, we'd want either the 2.0-litre 150PS 2.0-litre diesel. Or the 218PS eHybrid plug-in petrol model, which has 31 mile battery range - enough of many school run a shopping trip. An extra 100kg of weight means this PHEV variant isn't especially quick, but 62mph in 11.6 seconds will be fast enough for most. Around town and on narrow country roads, the Multivan feels the prodigious size that it is, but as advertised, it's much more car-like than the old Caravelle. Potholes and speed humps no longer send tremors through the body structure because that chassis is now so much stiffer. Plus the suspension set-up's been optimised and is available with extra cost Dynamic Chassis Control adaptive damping if you want it. Roll through the bends has been reduced by about 25% and the steering is far more direct, though doesn't have much feedback. Should you be running late for the school run, you can actually even drive with a bit of enthusiasm and you sit a little further back than in the old Caravelle, in a driving position that's less upright.

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