Volkswagen Multivan test drive since 2003 minivan

All photos of Volkswagen Multivan since 2003

Multivan Panamericana

What are your plans for tomorrow? A picnic with friends, fishing on a long lake, geocashching, a journey? And all on the weekend? Without an all -wheel drive minibus, you can’t have time everywhere, do not take everything away and do not capture everyone! Volkswagen's first minibus was born in 1950.
It was the legendary Bulli tiny, posterior, single -luminous, with a shifting door, relatively cheap and fantastically hardy! The car could transport a load weighing about 750 kg. The volume of the engine was 1131 cm3 and developed a power of 26 liters. With. At a speed of 3300 rpm. A year later, Samba Minibus appeared, designed to transport exclusively passengers. For several years, the bus conquered both the old and the New World. He carried the surfs and surfers in California, helped restore Europe destroyed by the war, became a symbol of hippie movement and the object of tuning. Well, the theme of 4x4 folk van has been related since 1985, when the all -wheel drive version of the then Transporter T2 appeared. The minibus developed jointly with the Steyr-Puch has acquired off-rock abilities that other modern SUVs envy. The drive was implemented through a viscous coupling, and some versions, the so-called 16-inch, were also equipped with a rigid blocking of the rear differential. At the same time, the first developments with a rigidly connected drive to the front axle were made back in 1970, but the real success was waiting for the next generation machine. Successful weighting with a rear axle loaded with an engine, a strong frame, a powerful independent suspension and large road clearance provided excellent characteristics to a discreet minibus. Behind these 16-inch Transporter are still chasing fans, especially those who were converted into cambers. They say that there were three such things in total

Generation five

The current Multivan belongs to the fifth generation of minibusvolkswagen. On the test we have one of the most interesting versions of the Multivan Panamericana, named after the journey that we made a similar car several years ago, driving all over America along and across. Of its distinctive features, it is worth highlighting all -wheel drive, an increased road clearance, an aluminum sewn with an aluminum and a multifunctional interior with the sea of \u200b\u200bcup holders and mess. The minibus that came to our test is even more interesting. It is equipped with an off-root package. This means that he has more and more! Clearance, which, according to our measurements, was 245 mm under the center of the front suspension subframe; Wheels of category at dimension 245/70 R16, like an adult of an SUV; increased gear ratio of the main pairs; More powerful protection of the bottom and motor compartment. Well, a much larger price, of course ... commercial transport is now generally not cheap, but assembled in Germany, but all -wheel drive, and with a special packet and even more so. In short, the cost of VW Panamericana in the version that has been with us is approaching 2,500,000 rubles. In fact, almost like a premium SUV. So we asked a simple question: why should we buy this Multivan, and not, say, Toyota Land Cruiser 200?

Panamericana's patency corresponds to advanced crossovers. And like all cars without a reduced gear, but with a mechanical box, the bead of off -road yells about one thing: take care of the clutch!
Six in chairs
Answer on the surface: VW Panamericana has six full -fledged places. It is full -fledged! Unlike all other SUVs, including Full-Size like Chevy Suburban or Infiniti QX56, where the shops or at best, the bead has real chairs in the cabin. Moreover, all of them are regulated, moved on the floor, rotate around the vertical axis 360 degrees, equipped with armrests and decent burns at the base. You can sit down as you like: face in the direction of movement, or as in the Pulmanovsky compartment, or mixed, or completely remove all the seats, receiving three cubic meters of cargo space. In addition, with any arrangement behind and around the seats, quite a lot of space for placing luggage, especially the long -dimensional one, remains. I see the company of Mother's Carpolovs, who, having immersed their many and very expensive gear, putting a restrained chivas on the table, will go to

only it is a well -known lost pond. At the wheel of a driver, he will not have to miss, on the navigator chair, a commander who knows these places and rubs his hands in anticipation of noble fishing ... Or maybe a similar car will find use in a private ski resort high in the mountains. There are almost no strangers there, a tiny board, there is nowhere to sit the helicopter ... So a hard worker will come in handy with its full -wheel drive, spacious salon, good view and more than a decent audio system. The Panamericana chairs have only one drawback or a feature, if you like: they do not lay out in sleeping places. They are thrown back, but not to a horizontal level. But on each there are ISOFIX mounts for children's seats. And if you need to spend the night in Multivan, then it is better to look for the appropriate equipment.
Read a piece of paper
Volkswagen equips Panamericana with three types of gasoline engines 3.2-liter V-shaped six-liter. With. And a pair of diesel engines of one volume and different power. Distingurate a 2.5-liter motor with a capacity of 130 liters. With. from a 2.5-liter capacity of 170 liters. S., as we were prompted, you can by the number of red letters on the tdi nameplate, which is on the stern of the minibus. However, there are no icons on Panamericana ... Thus, it is easiest to find out the engine power by looking into the vehicle of the car. We found no other external or subsidiary signs. On our subject stood a more powerful 170-horsepower engine ,imated with a 6-speed mechanical gearbox. To transport a ton of cargo, the combination is magnificent, but, traveling together, you will curse the features of the work of the motor-transmission. The programs are short, but not all. Like any 4-valve engine, diesel pulls badly at zero, you stall more often than you would like. In the city with a handle, you will work a month in advance, and on the road, especially on the relief, you will have to smell the paired clutch. In general, having acquired some experience in driving a minibus, which is still a commercial van, whatever one may say, you begin to behave calmer and more accurately.

The standard for Panamericana is the set of the cabin with four separate chairs (driver and navigator, of course, not counting) as well as a flooring of a corrugated aluminum sheet on the floor. A table, drawers, cup holders, mechanisms for turning the seats by 360 degrees are included in this package, as well as the abundance of light, and the climate control for two rows of seats. The trunk remains not too large, but long objects are convenient to put in the aisle

Review and feelings
Whatever problems arise, contrary to fears, is with a review and with a sense of car dimensions. Although the Multivan is not a regular bus, it does not pull on the title of a small car. However, we should pay tribute to the developers who stuffed their hands on four generations of box -shaped beads: overview of the excellent huge mirrors, clear guidelines in the corners of the body plus parking sensors allowed us to get used to the car instantly and not experience either during parking, or when maneuvering in the urban stream or off -road. In general, the minibus in the city and on the highway behaves quite lightly. The suspension is quite stiff, almost not fired in the turns, accelerates, if you do not lose the box and not lose the moment, with a margin, maneuverability and reaction to the steering wheel quite sufficient for a dynamic driving. On the highway, Multivan does not really like trucks flying on the oncoming lane, but, given the considerable weight, does not shy away and does not lose the course. Longitudinal and transverse irregularities are more uncomfortable than unsafe. The rigidity and energy intensity of the suspension is the first to note passengers. Yes, it shakes, but it does not ret ...

Matter: VW Panamericana

Busser
On the off -road, if you do not take into account the obvious swamps and the track from the tractor, Panamericana behaves predictably well. The high torque of diesel, the short first gear and enlarged main pairs make it possible to move quite smoothly if the relief allows. Sometimes there is very much lack of low transmission or automatic transmission with its hydrotransformer and the ability to thresh idle. The constant danger of stalling reminded me of riding on UAZ Patriot without lowering or on a crossover with mechanics. If you do not give a kick in time, then there may not be enough traction. And if you give, then, as already mentioned, the clutch is burning.

Recall that it is worth it that in the Off-Road version reaches 245 mm if it is measured under the protection of the front (this is the lowest place). The bottom is quite flat, in the sense that there are practically no protruding parts, but the cavities where dirt and clay can clog is full. This can lead to overheating of the units, damage to hinges and seals, so the thorough washing of the bottom after serious dirt will not hurt. In general, you need to remember that VW Multivan is not an SUV, it is rather a crossover. Lack of lowering gear, a long base, a large rear overhang limits its theoretical cross -country ability. Practical depends only on you. It must be remembered that Panamericana is a rather overall car and you may encounter a problem in the forest, especially in places where roads are thickets or there are no completely on the clearings. In Multivan assets, in addition to the listed, forced blocking of the rear differential and an anti -tuxe system that part -time performing the functions of the trajectory stabilizer. Both work perfectly, but may not help. For example, we fell into a situation where the classic hanging was accompanied by landing on the threshold, as a result of which three wheels rotated when the lock turned on, and the car did not move. In this case, ESP electronics are turned off, and the lock is in a half -past position, when the gears under load, it is impossible to turn off. I had to roll back, stand in an even place and then activate the anti -boom system. And what do you think? It did not help! ESP just strangled the motor, not bothering myself with braking of the shredding wheels ... I had to go back again and look for ways to detour. Nevertheless, if you do not meddle on knowingly impenetrable areas, Panamericana does not blur.

To determine which turbodiesel is under the hood, on the external signs it will not be possible to look into the technical passport

Waiting quarter
Coming to the VW dealer and buy Panamericana just doesn’t work out. We must order and wait. If with OFF-RODE, then four months. And yet, given that the off -road Multivan has almost no competitors, and the need for such cars is obvious, VW can clearly count on a certain limited market success. The bus is wonderful, the soul of the company. Only the price tag is already painfully solid ...