2025 Volkswagen Multivan Life LWB review

The 2025 Volkswagen Multivan, known as the T7 Multivan in VW-speak, ushers in a quiet revolution for the brand.

The Multivan name first appeared in 1985, as an upmarket people-mover based on the then-current T3 Transporter van. As Volkswagen updated its Transporter line through generations, so too, the Multivan was twinned with it.

That is, until 2022, when Volkswagen introduced a new Multivan developed internally by VW for Europe, and in 2024, switched the Transporter to a separate model with a dedicated commercial vehicle platform co-developed by Ford.

It’s an interesting move, making the Multivan more closely related to the smaller Caddy van than the Transporter it sells alongside, and giving it closer ties to Volkswagen Group cars like the Golf, Tiguan, Skoda Superb, and Cupra Formentor.

The 2025 Australian introduction may lag behind other parts of the world, but as a growing number of Chinese brands enter the upmarket people mover market, Volkswagen’s executive shuttle needs to fight hard to defend its territory.

Volkswagen offers two versions of the Multivan in Australia, the Multivan Life short wheelbase (SWB) and Life long wheelbase (LWB). The difference between the two is actually overall length, rather than wheelbase, with a longer rear overhang on the LWB version.

The range is now much smaller than it previously was. One trim level, one engine. In this case, a 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine producing a modest 110kW and 360Nm.

The option for 4Motion all-wheel drive is no longer offered, and the Multivan comes only with front-wheel drive and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.

Pricing for the Multivan SWB starts from $75,990 plus on-road costs, while the LWB Multivan tested here is priced from $78,990 before options and on-road costs.

While only one trim level is offered, Volkswagen offers a range of customisation options via factory options. Features like upgraded infotainment and digital instruments, upgraded seating with a sliding table, swivelling second-row seats, first and second-row heat heating, surround-view cameras, and even an integrated bed can be added to set the Multivan up to your needs.

Standard equipment includes LED head and tail lights, 17-inch alloy wheels, power-sliding side doors, three-zone climate control, fabric seat trim, 10-inch infotainment with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and an eight-speaker sound system.

Some of the options fitted to the test car you see here include two-tone 17-inch wheels instead of silver ($470), a sliding centre console with tray tables ($990), a two-piece fixed glass sunroof ($2100), ‘Advanced Easy Open’ walk-away lock with auto-opening tailgate ($1490), leather seating with ventilation and powered front seats ($6990) and more.

The Multivan faces off against van-based rivals like the Ford Tourneo and Hyundai Staria, although both undercut the Multivan, topping out at $71,990 and $67,750, respectively, before on-road costs.

Ford sticks with diesel power, while Hyundai offers a choice of diesel or petrol, but neither offers the scope of customisable equipment available on the Multivan.

By far, the people-mover segment’s biggest seller is the car-based Kia Carnival.

As a dedicated people mover design it offers flexible seating, impressive refinement, and a range of storage options. The Carnival also now comes with a choice of petrol, diesel, and hybrid engines, with the price range topping $76,630 plus on-road costs.

At the time of writing this review, Volkswagen Australia isn't running any current offers on the Multivan range, but with a gap between the previous generation and this one, demand is likely still running high.

To find Multivans in stock around Australia, both new and used, you can check out Drive Marketplace and locate the specification and configuration that best suits you from cars in stock all around Australia.

If you’re ready to stretch out in the back seats, fold and remove the third row, and try your own Multivan on for size, you can find your nearest Volkswagen dealer here.

The new Multivan is actually more compact than the model it replaces in some key dimensions. It’s not dramatically smaller, and still casts a big shadow on the road.

The T7 Multivan LWB is 131mm shorter overall and 63mm lower than the long wheelbase model it replaces. The wheelbase has been shortened too, now 279mm less than before. The impact isn’t immediately noticeable, but in tight city streets, you can feel you're driving a slightly more compact vehicle, and the smaller dimensions do reveal themselves inside the cabin.

The room to stand up in the interior feels a little limited, and the space for all three rows of passengers to kick their legs out is reduced to a still spacious, but more upright leg-stretch.

Volkswagen has dropped the step-in height of the cabin floor, but at the same time replaced the previous lower bottom step indentations with a higher first step that’s barely any different to floor height, making it much less graceful to get in and out, particularly through the sliding doors.

No passenger is likely to complain about the space they have, with each of the five rear passengers able to independently adjust their seat backrest and slide position. The seats feel more compact than before; narrower with less room to move.

Versatility really is the name of the game with the interior. You can elect to have seats face forward or backward, the sliding centre console can be used between any row of seats, and when you’re stopped, it can be raised and transformed into a table.

There’s even power running through the seat rails, so while second row seats are removable, you don't need to plug them in to make the seat heating and seatbelt warnings work, they just connect when installed. Same goes for the warning on the centre console that alerts you if a passenger puts the sliding console into its raised position while driving.

The front doors get huge door bins, big enough for a three-litre bottle of milk (something I never thought I’d need to test out), plus there are dual gloveboxes and a flip-away cup holder up front, plus multiple storage spaces in each front door.

A little odd for a vehicle approaching $80,000; there’s no wireless charge pad and no sunshades on the side glass. The sliding door windows are manually opened and can’t be locked to prevent little ones from opening them.

Most annoyingly though, they creak and rattle in their frames as the car rides out bumps.

On Volkswagen’s list of available options is a Good-Night Package ($4390), which adds a fold-out bed in the rear and comes with magnetic window blinds and a folding table and chairs to convert the Multivan from a people-mover into a makeshift camper.

The frame that holds the mattress is designed to fit over the folded third row and still allow the second row to be used, or the seats can be removed and the space used for storage.

Installing and removing the bed frame and mattress is a cumbersome job and needs two people to slide the awkwardly sized assembly in. Once in place, locking it into position is quick and easy.

The same goes for the seats. Each is individually removable, but their size and heft make them a struggle for smaller-framed users to maneuver in and out. Volkswagen has missed some important details too, like the outer rearmost seats that can’t slide straight out of the narrow tailgate opening at the base.

Instead, they need to be lifted out of the rails, shifted inboard slightly and slid out, meaning the middle seat has to go first, creating more steps to the removal and installation process, especially if you just want to pull out one side of seating.

Boot space is big in just about any configuration, and it’s easy to slide the rearmost seats forward to free up more space without impacting passenger accommodation too severely.

Rather than rear seats that stow into the floor like a Carnival, the need to remove seats to increase boot space requires some pre-planning, but the resulting low, flat floor may be handy in some instances.

The Easy Open tailgate does add convenience, but on one occasion, I found that it opened unintentionally while walking between the car and my closed garage door. It’s a powerful motor, and it pinned me against the garage door pretty aggressively.

That’s not a detail that will affect everyone, but the tailgate isn’t linked to the park sensors, meaning it could open into nearby objects, or worse, could trap a child – something parents may want to keep in mind.

The T7 Multivan comes with a 10-inch infotainment display which provides access to wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus Volkswagen’s ‘Ida’ voice assistant.

In a car with so much dashboard real estate, the 10-inch display feels a little lost, especially as Volkswagen rolls out larger displays in other new models.

The system's functionality is generally good, but some aspects, such as climate controls controlled entirely by the digital display and touch sliders underneath the screen, which are easy to accidentally press if you run your hands near the bottom of the display, could be improved.

Volkswagen also does strange things, like breaking out the front and rear demister control to the headlight switch, not in the climate control screen or near the infotainment display, where you’d expect them.

The factory infotainment system offers clear pictogram-style menus to adjust car functions and is relatively easy to get your head around. The wireless Apple CarPlay connection was rock solid, too.

It’s disappointing to see no wireless charger as standard, which would go a long way to helping offset the battery drain of using wireless connectivity. There are two USB-C ports for each seating row, at least.

Navigation is also, curiously, an option. In an era where smartphone pairing handles navigation for most people, it’s nice not to pay for a function you may not use.

Native connected services aren’t offered in the Multivan either, so functions like SOS calling and remote access aren’t included.

The 2025 Volkswagen Multivan does carry a five-star rating, but because of the vehicle’s age, that rating comes from 2022.

Because ANCAP evolves its testing criteria every few years, new cars face stricter assessments, and an older five-star score may not be the equivalent of a newer five-star rating.

In individual assessment areas, the Multivan scored 90 per cent for adult occupant protection, 88 per cent for child occupant protection, 69 per cent for vulnerable road user protection and 79 per cent for safety assist systems.

It’s worth noting that a sub-70 per cent vulnerable road user score for cars tested from 2023-2025 would result in a four-star rating, so even though ANCAP calls this a five-star car based on its European launch date, it would carry a lower rating if tested again today.

The new-generation Multivan covers all the safety basics you would expect, but for cautious families looking for a car that goes above and beyond, the Multivan may not tick all the boxes.

Despite being such a recent model in Australia, the older bones of the Multivan mean it goes without technology like speed sign recognition, reverse autonomous emergency braking, and a driver monitoring camera. A reverse camera is standard, but a 360-degree camera is an option.

Systems like adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist are handy to have and behave well on the road, but don't feel as alert as some other systems from within the Volkswagen Group.

Using the touch control steering wheel also makes it fiddly to adjust speed, but at least it’s easy to switch between Travel Assist (with lane centring), adaptive cruise control, and speed limiter functions.

It’s also handy to see ISOFIX and top-tether child seat mounts in each of the second and third row seats, adding some flexibility for installation, and allowing for the seats to be slid without compromising the child seat.

The Multivan also counts dual front airbags, front seat side airbags, a centre airbag, and full-length curtain airbags among its passive safety systems.

Volkswagen offers two ways to access factory-backed servicing. You can opt for a pre-paid five-year package, which comes to $2300, or you can pay for each service as it’s due, which adds up to $3600 over the same five years, about the same as the previous-generation Multivan.

Pre-paid servicing offers a significant $1300 saving over per-visit pricing, and service intervals are set 12 months or 15,000km apart, whichever comes first.

Warranty coverage is for five years with no distance limit for private buyers. Vehicles used in a commercial capacity (taxi, rental, ride-share, etc.) carry a 150,000km distance limit over five years.

In the event of a breakdown, flat tyre, flat battery or other unexpected problem, Volkswagen includes 12 months of roadside assist initially, and tops up a further 12 months each time you service at a genuine Volkswagen service centre.

If you’re looking at rivals, a Kia Carnival diesel would cost you $2851 for five years' pay-as-you-go servicing but comes with a longer seven-year warranty. A five-year pre-paid package for a Ford Tourneo would be $2408 and the warranty spans five years.

A comprehensive insurance policy for the Multivan LWB came to $4335 per year for a  35-year-old male, living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

Using the same owner details we were quoted $2694 for a Carnival GT-Line diesel, $2579 for a Staria Highlander diesel, or $3167 for Tourneo Titanium X, placing the Multivan at the higher end when it comes to running costs.

Volkswagen claims a barely believable 6.2 litres per 100km fuel consumption figure. That’s a little higher than a Carnival hybrid’s 5.8L/100km claim, but less than a Carnival diesel’s 6.5L/100km figure.

In the real world, figures in the low sixes were really only achievable on the highway at steady speeds. Once I’d added in some start-stop commuting and lower speed town trips, consumption was slightly higher than claimed, but still respectable at 7.1L/100km on test.

The Multivan also features a sizeable 80-litre fuel tank, giving it a driving range of over 1100km based on the consumption recorded on test.

If your driving is likely to be purely city-based, expect to use more fuel. I saw mid-nines in city-only driving, still decent for such a big vehicle. 

Buyers familiar with the previous Multivan may be surprised to learn that the new one feels quite similar, despite the completely new underpinnings.

Refinement has been improved, and on the open road, the new Multivan feels slightly quieter, though not completely free from road noise. The sleeker and more rounded shape does impact wind noise, but again, it’s not completely removed, just improved.

Ride quality is surprisingly firm, but that’s the case for most Volkswagen vehicles. The result is never uncomfortable, but it can be a little terse over bouncy road surfaces and patchy highways.

The ride is just firm enough to betray creaks and rattles from the interior plastics, and the sliding door windows are particularly grating. On long highway trips, every tarmac join or surface ripple shakes and rattles those windows. 

Ride quality doesn’t alter too much with a full load onboard, although the three to four passenger mark strikes the ideal load for settling the ride. It’s clear that the Multivan was designed with a payload in mind, which is a good thing.

Visibility out of the cabin is decent, and the new split A-pillar design helps reduce blind spots, although it can take a few drives to get used to. There’s also more bonnet ahead of you than in the old Multivan, with the front wheels stretched forward to match, altering your perception of size a little.

It is perhaps a little disappointing to find that, despite the move to a chassis shared with passenger car models, the Multivan often still feels like a commercial vehicle. Some of the rough edges have been smoothed off a little, but like the Staria and Tourneo the Multivan still feels less comfortable and car-like than the Kia Carnival.

The 110kW 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine is geared towards smooth acceleration in rolling traffic. It’s not a swift engine, nor does it need to be in a vehicle like this, so you probably won’t be first away at the traffic lights, but it’s able to keep momentum with rolling traffic just fine.

The seven-speed dual clutch automatic has a bit of hesitation from a standstill, and the stop-start system that shuts the engine off when stationary can take a half-beat longer to fire up than ideal, so getting away smoothly and swiftly isn’t always possible.

Vibrations and noise from the engine is minimally intrusive, which is good to see and makes for a more enjoyable ride for occupants.

While the Multivan may not match dedicated body-on-frame seven-seat SUVs when it comes to towing capacity, it still manages to show some versatility. Maximum braked towing capacity is rated at 2000kg, or 750kg unbraked.

One of the more limiting aspects is the towball load weight, which is listed at a very light 80kg, meaning how your trailer is loaded and balanced could be enough to see you technically overloaded, even with a trailer well under the two-tonne limit.

Payload is listed at 807kg, which is a decent load for a seven-seat people mover, allowing a mix of adults and kids to fill all seats with enough capacity left over for luggage. Even with seven 90kg adults, there’s still about 177kg of payload up your sleeve.

The 2025 Volkswagen Multivan feels a lot like an evolution of the generations that came before it. If you’ve always liked the premium features and van-like versatility of the Multivan, this new version sticks to an established playbook.

It is now a touch more compact than before, which may well suit some buyers, but that also impacts interior space. While it doesn't feel small inside, it does feel less cavernous and if you switch between people and bulky cargo, that could make all the difference.

In terms of outright passenger comforts and refinement, the Multivan still can’t topple the Kia Carnival, but it does challenge van-based people movers like the Staria and Tourneo.

As a step in between a dedicated passenger car and a work-focused van, the new Multivan blurs the lines effectively enough that it feels like it could be either, or both, at the same time.

Kez Casey migrated from behind spare parts counters to writing about cars over ten years ago. Raised by a family of automotive workers, Kez grew up in workshops and panel shops before making the switch to reviews and road tests for The Motor Report, Drive and CarAdvice.

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