• Screen-heavy interior can be awkward to use
• High-quality dashboard and interior
• Loads of standard equipment

How is the quality and layout?

VW’s taken the opportunity with the Multivan to divert from its van-like heritage and plop in a dashboard more akin to many of its passenger cars – and totally unlike any commercial vehicle.

As a result, you get two digital screens as standard – a large 10.0-inch infotainment display as well as the ‘Digital Cockpit’ driver information display in place of conventional dials. Connectivity is via USB-C – very 2021 – while the uncluttered interface includes the gear selector way up on the dash in order to save floor space.

The result takes a little getting used to but does work quite well, with caveats. For example, it’s great having a highly configurable digital dial pack to display all your information clearly and effectively. However, there are areas where we’d like to see some physical controls, notably the climate control which is awkward to adjust through the central touchscreen.

Material quality is high, though, much closer to VW’s passenger cars than its commercial vehicles. Even the base-spec Life model features a two-tone dashboard, with cream-coloured plastics making the interior feel far lighter and airier than many of its rivals.

Infotainment and tech

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The same 10.0-inch infotainment display features in the Multivan as in many VW passenger cars. While it looks good and has a high resolution, it can be awkward to navigate and buggy – we experienced one crash while we had the Multivan on test that necessitated turning the entire van off and on again to fix.

At least Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come as standard, allowing you to bypass the majority of the factory interface if you want to. And they work wirelessly, though the USB-C ports are ideally sited just below a grippy shelf intended to hold your smartphone securely.

Comfort

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• Loads of space in all three rows
• Comfortable seats
• Multivan is very refined compared to rivals

When it comes to passenger comfort for seven people at a time the VW Multivan’s right up there with the Mercedes-Benz V-Class. Both vans provide generous accommodation for up to seven adults, with loads of room for all and plenty of creature comforts to make sure everyone’s entertained.

USB-C ports in all three rows help keep devices topped up while the sliding centre table provides storage and a space to eat or work from. There are climate control vents in the rear to stop things becoming stuffy, though the sliding windows in the rear doors are deleted if you opt for a high-strength window tint.

Refinement is seriously good, too, with limited wind or road noise despite the bluff front. Engine noise depends very much on which powertrain you choose, with the lower-powered petrols becoming quite vocal when revved. None are what you’d call noisy, though.