Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Australia says it's still working on getting a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version of the T7 Multivan people mover to local showrooms.
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The head of product and marketing for Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Australia, Nathan Johnson, told CarExpert that while the lineup at launch will be diesel-only, the eHybrid PHEV is still under consideration for the local market.
"We're definitely working with the factory on the PHEV derivative [of T7 Multivan], because it allows us to have 4Motion access as well," he said.
"So it's an important car for our future here in Australia, but nothing solid to announce yet – it is something that we're interested in and talking to the factory about."
Just one engine will be offered in Australia at launch when the new Multivan arrives in the fourth quarter of 2024: a 2.0 turbo-diesel four-cylinder with 110kW of power and 360Nm of torque, mated with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. It'll be available exclusively with front-wheel drive.
Volkswagen Australia has previously indicated an additional powertrain option is due in 2025, though hasn't specified which. In Europe, the Multivan is also offered with a choice of 100kW/220Nm 1.5 TSI and 150kW/320Nm 2.0 TSI turbo-petrols, plus a 160kW eHybrid PHEV.
The Multivan eHybrid mates a 110kW 1.4 TSI petrol with an 85kW electric motor, 13kWh lithium-ion battery and a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. VW quotes 50km of electric-only range.
The 2025 Volkswagen Multivan sees a major change to its underpinnings compared to the outgoing T6.1 range, moving to the VW Group's MQB evo passenger car architecture instead of sharing underpinnings with the Transporter and Caravelle as has been the case for decades.
The new Multivan will come with a 2+2+3 seating configuration, with the rear seats and multi-function table mounted on rails so they can slide to free up more space.
They can also be removed entirely, while the armrests of both the front and rear seats can also be removed separately.
Volkswagen says the seats in the second and third rows are 25 per cent lighter to make seat removal a less back-breaking process. As the second row can swivel up to 180 degrees, passengers in the back can face one another.
To read the initial details of the 2025 Volkswagen T7 Multivan range, click here.
Stay tuned to CarExpert for the latest, and share your thoughts on the Multivan eHybrid in the comments below!
Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au
