4Motion returns to Multivan in 2027 PHEV

VOLKSWAGEN expects the plug-in hybrid Multivan arriving next year – which also sees the return of 4Motion all-wheel drive - to revitalise interest in its people mover as part of a broader model update due in the second quarter of 2027.

The 4Motion system integral to the PHEV version of the Multivan has Volkswagen most excited along with a return of the California campervan that helps separate the stalwart from tech-laden Chinese rivals.

All-wheel drive hasn't featured on this T7 generation of Multivan, and Volkswagen says its people-mover customers have long valued the security and go-almost-anywhere flexibility it brings - particularly for those heading to the snow.

"We are so excited for plug-in hybrid for Multivan, especially because what it brings with it is 4Motion," said Michelle Rowney, Head of Product and Marketing VW Commercial Vehicles.

"As you know, our customers, especially our people-mover and van customers, love the 4Motion product in our vans. So with plug-in hybrid comes 4Motion - and we really see that as a really important part of the range."

The plug-in hybrid will headline the update with a 180kW output and, crucially, the 4Motion system.

The PHEV gets an electric motor on each axle as well as a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine making 130kW.

Combined, the system outputs 180kW and 350Nm.

A 19.7kWh battery gives about 90km of EV range (Australian figures are to be confirmed).

Volkswagen won't be drawn on the diesel-versus-PHEV sales split this far out, but says there's a fair chance the plug-in becomes the Multivan's favoured powertrain - pointing to the surge in plug-in hybrid demand among Australian buyers over the past year.

"What we've seen this year is a real push into the plug-in hybrid space from Australians,” said Rowney. “And we can see that the adoption of electric vehicles has increased."

It can’t hurt that diesel fuel has copped the brunt of the price spikes in recent months, shifting buyer preferences towards EVs and hybrids.

Despite significantly tougher emissions regulations in 2027 – part of the next level of the government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) - the diesel will still be part of the line-up.

The 2027 update also includes new exterior and interior design tweaks, fresh trim lines and seat packages, new colours and wheels, and - for the camper faithful - the return of the California.

The California gets a pop-top campervan roof as part of its “adventurous spirit”.

While sales of the Multivan tick over – albeit at lower levels in an increasingly competitive market - Volkswagen has dismissed the new wave of Chinese people movers pushing upmarket.

Asked why rivals like the GAC M8, Zeekr, Xpeng X9 and Denza D9 didn't feature in its competitive set, the brand argued Multivan buyers simply aren't cross-shopping them.

Instead, it benchmarks the Ford Tourneo, Kia Carnival, Hyundai Staria and Mercedes-Benz Vito Tourer.

"Anyone in the people-mover space can be a competitor, but the ones that we highlighted are the ones that we see our customers comparing us with," said Rowney. "So they're the ones that we benchmark."

The reasoning is partly about drivetrain and packaging. Volkswagen's view is that buyers set on an EV gravitate to its own ID.Buzz rather than the Multivan, and that the Chinese contenders - many of them hybrid or electric - don't match the Multivan's flat floor and modular seat system that allows individual pews to be removed, in turn creating up to 3672 litres of load space with all rear seats removed.

"We're more likely to be cross-shopped ID.Buzz against, say, a Zeekr than a Multivan," Rowney added.

"Both Multivan and Buzz are people-movers, but they offer something completely different. That flat floor, the flexibility of the seating - that's not necessarily there to the extent it is with the Chinese competitors."

For now, the range topper is the limited Multivan Edition – a limited run of 300 units, from $79,990 before on-roads ($82,990 driveaway) - using the same 110kW/360Nm 2.0-litre TDI diesel and seven-speed DSG as the rest of the MY26 line-up.

2026 Volkswagen Multivan pricing:                                  

Multivan Life SWB 7-seat TDI (a)                              $77,290 ($79,990 d/a)

Multivan Edition SWB 7-seat TDI (a)                         $79,990 ($82,990 d/a)

Multivan Life LWB 7-seat TDI (a)                               $80,290 ($82,990 d/a)

Multivan Life LWB 8-seat TDI (a)                               $81,290 ($83,990 d/a)