Photo: Volkswagen
There’s a new face in town at Volkswagen’s production facility in Hanover this week as the new Multivan utility and passenger van rolled off the factory floor for the first time. As Volkswagen prepares to transition away from gasoline combustion in the coming years, an all-electric option is yet to make an appearance.
Volkswagen fitted the Multivan with a 1.4-liter gasoline engine paired to an electric motor for a combined power output of 215 hp (218 PS) and 251 lb-ft (340 Nm) of torque. A four-cylinder turbodiesel option will be added to the range sometime in early 2022.
The Multivan is the first vehicle in Volkswagen’s Hanover assembly plant to be based on the Modular Transverse Mix architecture (MQB). This allows for a larger sharing of parts between a wide range of transverse front-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive vehicle platforms.
One landmark for Volkswagen in the start of Multivan production was its impressive 91% automated process in the manufacturing of essential Bodyshop components, up from 77% with previous VW models. It would appear that Volkswagen sees the launch of the Multivan as a soft opening of sorts for their upcoming ID. BUZZ full-electric van, a retro-styled EV that VW hopes will draw consumers on its resemblance to the classic VW microbus alone.
Many European nations and several US states have already pledged to ban the sale of new petroleum-powered vehicles by the middle of the next decade. With this in mind, expect real estate in the factory to shift further and further away from petroleum infrastructure as time goes on.
Volkswagens official press release confirmed a starting price for the new Multivan of €44,839.20 ($51,771.12) before taxes and fees. The Multivan will face some fierce competition in its market sector. Most notably from Ford and their venerable Transit van. A van so successful it’s even managed to be a sales success in America. Only time will tell if Volkswagen has a similar impact.
The Multivan is the first vehicle in Volkswagen’s Hanover assembly plant to be based on the Modular Transverse Mix architecture (MQB). This allows for a larger sharing of parts between a wide range of transverse front-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive vehicle platforms.
One landmark for Volkswagen in the start of Multivan production was its impressive 91% automated process in the manufacturing of essential Bodyshop components, up from 77% with previous VW models. It would appear that Volkswagen sees the launch of the Multivan as a soft opening of sorts for their upcoming ID. BUZZ full-electric van, a retro-styled EV that VW hopes will draw consumers on its resemblance to the classic VW microbus alone.
Many European nations and several US states have already pledged to ban the sale of new petroleum-powered vehicles by the middle of the next decade. With this in mind, expect real estate in the factory to shift further and further away from petroleum infrastructure as time goes on.
Volkswagens official press release confirmed a starting price for the new Multivan of €44,839.20 ($51,771.12) before taxes and fees. The Multivan will face some fierce competition in its market sector. Most notably from Ford and their venerable Transit van. A van so successful it’s even managed to be a sales success in America. Only time will tell if Volkswagen has a similar impact.
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