VW announces Caravelle's return
Multivan facelift resurrects famous name, with fresh look, updated dash and new assistance tech
VW has a rich history when it comes to naming both cars and commercial vehicles: Caddy was an inspired bit of marketing as the Golf-based van and pick-up. Fox was a good idea (if not a great car). Polo, Corrado, Jetta, Touareg, Beetle, Transporter, Crafter… there aren’t many misses. Apart from maybe the ID family…
Anyway, with such heritage to call upon, it’s little wonder that the latest Multivan will revert to being called Caravelle like the good old days. Multivan sounded like a kids toy - Caravelle evokes strong and sturdy vans of the good old days. A bit like this one, in fact, to save you looking, complete with the VR6. Having been unveiled in June 2021, the T7 Multivan is now no more, with the Caravelle taking over and California continuing to top the VW Bus range.
It’s more than just a name change, too, with the latest Caravelle benefitting from a new light design up front that Volkswagen reckons has the effect of ‘sharpening the typical VW Bus face’. Certainly it’s more distinctive than the very plain old Multivan. There’s also a new bumper that accentuates width, plus a fresh selection of wheels and colours. That includes two-tone, of course. 16-inch wheels are no longer offered, with factory rims available in 17-19-inch diameter. And BBS just a phone call away.
Inside there’s a redesigned dash for both Caravelle and California, with the latest Digital Cockpit included and some inspiration from the ID Buzz. The centre console now has standard wireless charging that’s faster than before (same goes for the USB-C ports), and get this: there’s now a button (!) for operating the sliding doors and parking brake. How novel - perhaps it’ll catch on. Perhaps most importantly of all given VW’s efforts this decade, there are said to be ‘higher-quality surfaces’ throughout the Caravelle cabin.
While we’re on the inside, it’s worth noting that the poor soul driving down to Newquay will benefit from an enhanced Travel Assist system, introducing traffic light recognition for the first time and adding assisted lane charging for motorways. Not that you’ll be seeing many of those in the south west, but potentially handy when you get to go to France next year. Should the worst happen and there’s a medical emergency at the wheel, Travel Assist can navigate a Caravelle to the hard shoulder.
Still with us? Good, as now we’re into the juicy bit: specs. The Caravelle and California have become (in)famous over the years for the plethora of configurations available from the factory, and that’s not stopping with the latest generation. So the Caravelle is offered in two lengths, the California only as a LWB big boy. There’s a 245hp PHEV with 19.7kWh battery, 150hp TDI and 204hp TSI available on both. The Caravelle can be had in Trend, Life and Style trims, the Cali in Beach, Coast and Ocean. There are also special editions for each called Generation (don’t say you weren’t warned). The Multivan was offered with six or seven seats, so expect the same this time around, with eight seats also possible - and two trios able to face each other in the back for the first time. It could be a long session on the Caravelle configurator, put it that way. And a potentially expensive one, too: don’t expect this latest pair to cost any less than the £50k (Multivan) and £64k (California) the current buses cost.
David Hanna, MD of VW’s Commercial Vehicles in the UK, said: “Bringing the Caravelle name back to the UK was essential, it is firmly anchored in people’s minds as to what it offers, a premium multi-seat vehicle, with the unmistakable Volkswagen logo at the front. There are many brands that can offer similar products, but they cannot match our heritage. Resurrecting these well-known names that are trusted and loved by British consumers, also reflects the wider approach of the Volkswagen Group.” So what’s coming back next, do we think? Scirocco would be great. Bora, Vento, Up - the list goes on…
They would sell by the bucket load.
https://www.gtplanet.net/this-modified-vw-transpor...
I'm sure it's a lovely thing to drive and be driven in, but the big VW camper aftermarket sector must seriously dislike these.
Bag a good T6.1 and hold onto it...
They would sell by the bucket load.
"Porsche B32 was a minibus from Porsche. It was based on the Volkswagen T3 but fitted with Porsche brakes and suspension. Power came from the 3,2 litre flat-6 from the 911 Carrera. It did 0–100 km/h in 8 seconds and had an official top speed of 185 km/h (115 mph)"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porsche_B32
It essentially needs to be looked at as a huge car rather than a medium van especially considering power trains and gearbox. Mines a 1.5 turbo petrol hybrid with DSG, surprisingly quick. 0-60 in 8.5 seconds isn't too shabby for what it is. The AWD and supple ride are a big bonus for my work too.
Good to see the name coming back, sure they will sell well, didn t know they where 7 seats, surprised you don t see more of them replacing SUVs soon
I'm sure it's a lovely thing to drive and be driven in, but the big VW camper aftermarket sector must seriously dislike these.
Bag a good T6.1 and hold onto it...
It essentially needs to be looked at as a huge car rather than a medium van especially considering power trains and gearbox. Mines a 1.5 turbo petrol hybrid with DSG, surprisingly quick. 0-60 in 8.5 seconds isn't too shabby for what it is. The AWD and supple ride are a big bonus for my work too.
That’s bonkers
Deal lasts until the end of June, so am planning on getting one to ferry the kids around in. The current XC90 is great but legroom in third row and middle of the second row are now getting too small as they get bigger and we need the extra bootspace.
I'll continue looking at T6.1 Caravelles, for when my T5 finally dies. Can't fit motorbikes in the new Multivan (though the lighter seats would be a welcome bonus)...
I've been looking at the T6.1 Caravelles myself but the asking price for the quality of vehicle is making them look really poor value for money, plus my partner was much more open to driving the Multivan than she was a T6.1 Caravelle.
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