Volkswagen Multivan test drive since 2003 minivan

Small train Multivan

Arrived in Russia with great ambitions
Kilometers in Russia longer than in Europe. To make sure of this, it is enough to make a voyage from Moscow to St. Petersburg and vice versa. The road between the two Russian capitals in the winter, in snowfalls and snowstorms, turns into an extreme adventure. In this case, the choice of a car for a trip is not just a question of comfort, the new Volkswagen Multivan makes such a trip not only safe, but is also able to bring Russian expanses to European distances.
The segment Moscow St. Petersburg was only part of our journey to the city of Coopio in Central Finland. The route of 3,000 km in snow, ice, puddles and rare dry areas of Multivan overcame in one breath, convincingly proved his right to be considered a very convenient car for thousands of kilometer travels.
Multivan begins to update the model line of commercial vehicles VW. From the Multivan of the previous generation, it is distinguished by design, new engines, a suspension, a security system, the possibilities of transformation of the salon and the level of comfort provided by the driver and passengers.
The journey began with the placement of baggage. In the case of multivan, this tedious process turns into an entertaining game of hide and seek. You can place a small luggage anywhere: in two glove compartment on the instrument panel (and one cooled box for bottles with a variety of liquids), in four voluminous pockets of the front doors, six boxes located under passenger seats, two boxes of a folding table, two troughs above the back arches wheels, fabric containers on the backs of the front seats. The one who is the first to remember where the road atlas, thermos or napkins is won.
For large items, the luggage compartment remains impressive sizes, the volume of which can be adjusted by moving the rear row of the seats back and forth. The cargo -passenger capacity of the new Multivan was established by us from our own experience: seven places of large baggage (road bags of impressive sizes), two pairs of skis, snowboarding and snow -chapel. All the luggage did not cause inconvenience to passengers.
The interior space is easy to modernize thanks to the system of guide flooring. Moving the seats and a multifunctional table, the owner of the Multivan can completely change the layout of the cabin in a matter of minutes: to position the armchairs on the bus order one after another or create a negotiation, placing a seat opposite each other. If necessary, some seats can be removed at all. Another advantage of the car interior, relevant for long travel, the rear row of seats is transformed into a sofa quite convenient for sleeping.
The concept of the new Multivan involves the creation of the maximum convenience for each passenger, so individual ventilation deflectors and lamps are mounted in the salon in the ceiling panels. With their help, passengers can easily set special characteristics of their individual space.
And instead of a heart, a diesel engine
If we compare the highways with blood arteries, then Multivan and I were on December 25 inside the aorta clogged with blood clots. Thousands of trucks who hurried to deliver festive goods from St. Petersburg to Moscow and back, because of snowstorms and ice, they literally clogged the highway. Multi-kilometer congestion arose due to accidents and slippery roads: any slide was an insurmountable obstacle for trucks. Every five ten kilometers in the roadsides lay inverted trucks. In such a situation, it was just right to call the Ministry of Emergencies, but instead of rescuers on a segment from Tver to Veliky Novgorod, we noticed only two or three snow removal machines. In a word, it was difficult to come up with a more extreme situation to check the capabilities of Multivan. We list those qualities of a new minibus that allowed him to take a test of Russian roads with honor.
First of all, it is a magnificent (without exaggeration) diesel engine.
A five-cylinder 2.5-liter turbocharged diesel with a capacity of 174 hp. Together with a six -speed manual gearbox, it gives the bus with the dynamics of a car. The maximum speed of this modification is Multivan 188 km/h. Acceleration time to 100 km/h 12.2 s. With such enviable speed characteristics, considerable mass and by no means outstanding aerodynamic indicators, the level of fuel consumption is truly surprising: the average consumption of only 8.2 l of diesel fuel per 100 km! And this is in conditions that are very unfavorable for the test for economicality! But the fact remains: having refuel in Moscow, we replenished the tank only in Vyborg. Such a modest motor appetite allows you to refuel at proven gas stations, which removes the problem of poor -quality diesel fuel.
Multivan surprises with its agility, and under the gas pedal, a solid supply of power is always felt, which allows you to complete intense overtaking without risk.
A huge advantage of multivan front -wheel drive. In combination with the electronic course of exchange stability (ESP) and the anti -lock brake system (ABS), it turns the car into a real locomotive: Multivan goes along a snowy and uncleaned road as if along rails. Electronic assistants allow you to confidently overcome even tanned snow ruts.
The high landing of the driver and the well -thought -out ergonomics of the workplace also significantly increase the level of comfort and safety of the trip. We especially liked the gear lever. It is made in the form of a joystick on the influx of the front panel and literally lies in the hand, the programs are turned on clearly and unmistakably (however, it is infrequent to act with such a painful engine). To moderately, a hard chair with folding armrests carefully distributes the load on the back: the lower back does not whine even after 10 hours spent at the wheel.
In the arsenal of passive safety of the new Multivan, six airbags: four for front passengers and head curtains for the rear. By order, you can install two more Air Bags for passengers of the second row.
The minibus of the representative class
The current generation of Multivan has little to do with utilitarian commercial cars. The status of a minibus is not quite suitable for it. Rather, it can be called a representative of a representative class of increased spaciousness. Confirmation of this is the comfortable suspension, the level of acoustic comfort, the capabilities of additional equipment, and the finish: multifunctional display, doors and hatch with electric drive, wood upholstery and aluminum, smooth leather seats and artificial suede inserts. Multivan equipment options hundreds.
As a trip to Finland showed, this car is ideal for long -distance travels. But, unfortunately, infrastructure for long trips, as is customary in Europe, has not yet been developed in Russia: there are commonplace visits for the weekend of other countries, and it is easy to overcome 1000 km per day.
Therefore, the main emphasis in the promotion of Multivan in Russia is placed on the promotion of its advantages as a mobile office. Indeed, why postpone negotiations due to an urgent trip to another city, if you can spend them in Multivan? The problem is one: this car for long travel is too seductive. It is difficult to defeat the temptation to postpone the work and wave to Multivan, say, in Yaroslavl, Sochi or Kyiv, such a provocative bus.

Igor Komarov
 

Source: Wheel (company)