Going through more regenerations than Dr Who him/her/itself, the VW Transporter has undergone yet another timely revision. This time making the jump from the current T6.1, and reinventing itself as the T7.
But the question is what is a T7?
Is it a Caravelle, because it kinda looks like one?
Or is it perhaps a non-EV version of the ID Buzz (although a hybrid is instantly available)?
Or is it simply an existing Transporter 6.1 and THEN SOME?
Well, as it happens, the T7 Multivan has more in common with the VW Sharan, than any of the above. And to answer the question of, ‘what it is?’, the underlying fact is it can be pretty much anything you want it to be.
In actual fact, the T7 is the successor to the long-serving Caravelle. And whilst the Caravelle was derived from the Transporter van, it usurped this by virtue of its luxury trimmings count. The California continued this general much is more themeology.
Yet the Multivan is a breed apart from what’s gone before. What’s more, it’s not based on Volkswagen van whatsoever. Instead sharing parts with the Golf and Caddy, curiously.
Style and Substance/Form and Function. The Perfect Marriage
Given its functional and versatile layout, the T7 Multivan offers accommodation for up to 7 people, and delivers practicality, comfort and safety irrespective of your personal demands on it.
In reality, the T7 Multivan usurps the Caravelle 6.1. By adding a brand new contemporary aesthetic, an increase in connectivity and a plug-in hybrid option.
If you’re now going to ask what a Caravelle is, then it represented the more upmarket alternative to the Transporter Shuttle. The California being the dedicated campervan version of the Caravelle. If you want a crash course in ALL Types of Transporter, in an easily digestible fashion, then click on this sentence.
The VW T7 Multivan: More Of Your Quick-fire Questions, Answered
While the Veedub Transporter has appealed to an extremely broad church over the decades since its inception - from hippie to surfer to city slicker to your average 2.4 children nuclear family - the T7 is an altogether different beast. Yet one which is seen as a gigantic step forward for Volkswagen as it ventures towards a more environmentally considerate future of futures.
How Would We Describe The T7 Multivan?
Kinda like a day van, with MPV sensibilities, melded with traditional Transporter values. More smoothed/rounded edges than what’s gone before (especially the very angular T3), which gives a viable alternative to the saturation point of SUVs which dominate the roads today. Plus, occupant versatility is a major USP the T7 has over its key rivals.
So, What’s It Like to Drive?
According to those who’ve been fortunate to drive it, the T7 drives more like a car than a typical VW Transporter. Not that a Transporter was a challenge to drive, historically. However the Multivan is incredibly hard to differentiate from, well, a conventional car.
Thanks to its responsive car-like dynamics and features. Which means it’ll be a doddle when negotiating the highways and byways, as well as the more testing of car parking spaces.
How Many Trim Levels Does the New VW T7 Multivan Come In?
Two from the outset.
The entry-level ‘Life’, and the range-topping, ‘Style’. Interested parties also get to choose from the two alternative body shells. Essentially, standard and long. The latter offering a 200mm extension on the rear overhang.
Does The T7 Multivan Come In An EV Version? What, With It Being 2022 And All That….
Not an outright EV, but a PHEV as it happens.
Don’t forget, Veedub has just launched the much-anticipated ID Buzz of late, which is an all-out electric vehicle for those looking for the complete plug-in vanlife.
What VW DOES provide in its brand new T7 guise is the aforementioned hybrid variant. Which fuses a turbocharged 1.4-litre petrol engine that produces 148bhp, with a 114bhp-generating electric motor which powers the front axle. Promoting a healthy combined output of some 215bhp.
From a purely EV range perspective, the driver will see mileage returns of 31 miles.
For those customers preferring their Transporters in old school oil burning capacity, then there’s still a 2.0-litre turbodiesel unit with 148bhp, alongside a 134bhp-producing 1.5-litre and a 2.0-litre petrol lump.
Why Would I Want A Volkswagen T7 Multivan?
To be seen to be different.
Or simply to be seen. Or be different.
That being said, Transporter people never invest in the Veedub dream to just stand out from the crowd. Although an unsaid by-product of Transporter ownership in our humble opinion.
Notably, because the T7 represents the shape of the ever-changing Transporter future. A semi-orthodox, practical, stylish multi-purpose vehicle which ticks all the boxes you could ever wish for. A van-shaped MPV boasting seven-seats which can relocate you and your family in comfort and contemporary swank with absolutely no hassle. And the VANoisseurs choice over the paint-by-numbers banality of the Audi Q7 or Volvo XC90.
Or any other seemingly prestigious SUV the world currently fawns over.
Has The ID Buzz Stolen The T7 Multivan’s Thunder?
No.
They’re separate entities and will be judged as that by the polarisation of potential customers flocking to either.
Of course, the ID Buzz has grabbed a lot of the more recent headlines. Not least because it looks 'the bizz'.
And can sustain our planet/future generations on account of its EV underpinnings. But the T7 is destined to pick up where the succession of Transporters left off. Not that they’ve physically departed the stage as we write.
If you’re looking for a first-hand review of the VW T7 Multivan by those who have driven/lived with it, then you could do a lot worse than reading Top Gear’s review.
ALL Veedub Transporters, Wirral Custom Campers Are Your Go-To Campervan Conversion Experts
In the meantime, if you’re looking for a full Volkswagen campervan conversion or half/part build of your existing Transporter (of an age), then our team can transform your visions from paper (or in your head) to an adventure-seeking reality.
In addition, should your VW Transporter (again, vintage irrespective) need any mechanical work carrying out, then you should talk to our sister company. Who, with over a decade of undertaking servicing and repairs on VW Transporters, are in the driving seat to help you out.