Now we get to see the T7 Multivan version in greater
detail, including a first look at the interior. The interior photos come from a mule and not the
production version but they still reveal new stuff such as the wider central
touchscreen, digital instrument panel, and the tiny gear shifter for the
automatic transmission already seen on some 2020 Skoda Octavia prototypes.
If the exterior of the T7 test prototype looks a bit
oddly proportioned to you compared to the current Multivan 6.1, it’s
because the new model will be a true minivan rather than a van-derived
people-carrier.
According to reports from German media, including
Auto Motor und Sport, the VW T7 will no longer be based on a commercial vehicle
platform, instead migrating to the good-for-all MQB modular architecture. Rumor has that the new T7 family
will also include the next-generation Caddy and Sharan MPVs, which will be also
underpinned by MQB and will be named T7 Life Caddy and, rather confusingly, T7
Family.
Switching to the modular architecture will allow the
next-generation T7 Multivan to use mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains,
as well as the latest tech available on VW passenger cars such as the modular
infotainment kit and safety assist systems. The downside to using the MQB
platform is the fact that the next-generation Multivan won’t be suited for
commercial use when it launches sometime next year, likely as a 2021 model.
The recently-unveiled Transporter 6.1 family will
continue to play that role, as it will be sold in parallel with the T7
Multivan. Sounds too complicated? Well, there’s a bit more to the subject of
new VW people-carriers. As we already know, VW will also bring the
fully-electric ID Buzz minivan to the market in 2022. To avoid internal
competition, the upcoming T7 Multivan won’t offer an all-electric variant.
However, the T6.1 commercial vehicle will soon be
available as an all-electric model built in collaboration with ABT. Dubbed
e-Transporter, it will be aimed mainly at craftsmen and delivery services.
