The first Volkswagen Multivan came on the market in 1990 and was based on the fourth generation Volkswagen Transporter (T4). In the US, the name Multivan was also already used for a specific version of the Transporter T3. Compared to the regular passenger version of the Transporter, the Multivan offered more luxury and a better decoration of the interior. In that sense, the Multivan was positioned more like a large MPV than a passenger van. From the facelift, some of the seats can even be rotated, so that the interior can be arranged differently as desired.
The first Volkswagen Multivan came on the market in 1990 and was based on the fourth generation Volkswagen Transporter (T4). In the US, the name Multivan was also already used for a specific version of the Transporter T3. Compared to the regular passenger version of the Transporter, the Multivan offered more luxury and a better decoration of the interior. In that sense, the Multivan was positioned more like a large MPV than a passenger van. From the facelift, some of the seats can even be rotated, so that the interior can be arranged differently as desired.
Permanent top model
The second generation Multivan, based on the Transporter T5, is again the top model of the Transporter range and is again (to a certain extent) marketed as a model in its own right. It offers space for six or seven people. The rear seats are now not only rotatable, but also placed on rails, so that the interior can be arranged even further as desired. Accessories such as tables and a fridge are also possible, which means that the Multivan is often taken as a base model for (simple) aftermarket camper versions.
Multivan becomes a model in itself
At the end of 2021, Volkswagen introduced a completely new generation Multivan. More than ever, the car is more like a large MPV than a passenger van. In fact, the new model no longer even shares its basis with the Transporter, but is really a model in itself. The new Multivan will be built on the Volkswagen passenger car platform. Volkswagen calls it “a business shuttle, family MPV and leisure car in one.” Whether there will be a new Transporter based on the Multivan at a later time, now the other way around, is not yet known at the time of writing.
