• Multivan is not cheap to buy
• Engines range from thirsty to very efficient
• Proven mechanicals, but electronic foibles not uncommon

How much will it cost to run?

Running costs for the Volkswagen Multivan depend very much on which engine you choose.

Starting with the pure petrol models, you can expect these to be thirsty – particularly the higher-powered 2.0-litre TSI. Both of these engines require working hard especially when heavily loaded, and the result is likely to be sub-30mpg around town and barely cresting 30 on a long run.

A much more sensible option for most people will be the diesels, which may even top 40mpg on a long run and have the torquier characteristics required for effortless work when heavily laden. Official fuel economy for the 150hp model is 43mpg. That’s an improvement on the equivalent Ford Tourneo Custom.

An interesting choice is the 1.4-litre eHybrid model. This is a plug-in hybrid, capable of up to 29 miles when fully charged. Interestingly, we found it efficient even with a discharged battery, seeing 38mpg average over 800 miles of motorway runs.

Charge up at home every night and make the most of that battery for short runs and you may barely need to use the petrol engine at all, making the eHybrid Multivan very cost-effective indeed – albeit at a slight purchase price premium compared to the diesels.

CO2 emissions, meanwhile, are relatively high for all but the eHybrid model – though they’re on a par with most of the Multivan’s opposition.

Servicing and warranty

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Servicing for a Multivan should take place through a VW Van Centre. There are 94 of these around the country and they provide commercial vehicle-quality service, essential particularly if you’re running your Multivan as part of a business.

Fixed-price servicing and maintenance should make repairs painless, though the Multivan’s warranty is a rather stingy three years – compared to the ten years Toyota offers on a Proace.

Reliability

• VW vans usually prove reliable
• PHEVs recalled for battery issue
• Electrical gremlins not uncommon

The VW Multivan is based on a tried and tested set of mechanicals, used underneath just about every VW passenger car in the last few years. You can expect strong reliability from the turbocharged petrol and diesel engines, though the plug-in hybrid model has already had one recall for a potential fire risk.

There are rather a lot of electronics that can and sometimes do go wrong, however, from the infotainment crashing to the advanced safety aids misbehaving.

However, you should be buoyed by the fact that three VW vans feature in the top 10 of the FN50 van reliability survey.