Autocar writers' cars of 2022: Volkswagen Multivan

The simple-as-you-like Multivan has the charm of the ID Buzz with ace practicality, says Mark Tisshaw

My entry into this piece started as the Volkswagen ID Buzz. Which car put the biggest smile on my face in a year that was, let’s face it, a little short on joy? It was the ID Buzz, no question. 

It’s a concept car made real, a car that exists simply to be fun and let you live the lifestyle we all secretly dream of: to head to the beach and forget about it all while having a cup of tea and a doze in the back. And maybe do a spot of surfing. Or rock-pooling… 

And yet making that fantasy real isn’t all that practical. The ID Buzz is in effect a five-seat MPV minus the clever seats or flexibility (the rear bench only folds 60/40 and the seats can’t be removed). Camper versions, with practical seating, a kitchen and a bed, have yet to come. 

There is, though, a Volkswagen on sale that does let you live that life: the Multivan. New this year and based on the MQB platform that makes it sophisticated and easy to drive, the Multivan might not have the traffic-stopping charm of the ID Buzz, but it’s not far off. The Multivan can be traced all the way back to the Type 2, with which the beach lifestyle came as standard equipment.

So it was to the beach we went on a warm weekend in May. We took out a small loan to park at West Wittering for the day and had a blissful time living the dream. 

The Multivan we had came with seven seats, each adjustable on sliding rails running up the floor, or removable entirely. We took the middle row out, making it a four seater with a quite absurd amount of space between the front chairs and the two remaining at the back. 

In this space we put the dog’s bed, where she had a snooze, and we slid the centre console/picnic table/Swiss Army knife-style storage all the way from the front to the back, where we enjoyed a picnic and a cup of tea. Then we read books, had a snooze and strolled on the beach. 

We’re semi-regulars at West Wittering but never spend more than a couple of hours there before the dog gets tired, and there’s nowhere really to rest out of the elements. A cup of tea on the dashboard of a Renault Zoe isn’t quite the same. 

Not so in the Multivan. It is that most wonderful thing: an enabler and enhancer of other experiences. It’s amazing how different an experience just the right kind of four wheels and engine can give you.