Volkswagen Multivan Edition 2026 review

Volkswagen has seen what the Australian ute market has been offered, with trendy black sticker pack options offered from seemingly most manufacturers. Well, they’ve decided to apply the same treatment in 2026 to the people mover market (it’s not a van we’re told), with the re-introduction of the Multivan Edition model.

We say re-introduction, as the Edition isn’t a new nameplate. It first appeared back in 2011 to mark the 25th anniversary of the Transporter. The Multivan Edition was also brought back in 2022, again sporting a new signature black-pack theme for that model year.

As well as the Multivan Edition, in the VW people mover universe, there’s the LWB eight-seat Life ($83,990 driveaway), LWB seven-seat Life ($82,990 driveaway), and SWB seven-seat Life ($79,990 driveaway.)

The Edition sits towards the top of the Multivan line-up, in terms of features and outlay. Thanks to some limited-offer pricing, however, the Edition will come in at $82,990 driveaway for the first 300 units available.

This revival of VW’s Multivan Edition is the main update for the 2026 VW Multivan line-up, currently. There are some exciting new vans coming out next year under the Multivan brand, which we’ll touch on later.

So what do you actually get over other Multivan variants?

• Black painted roof
• 18-inch Toshima black alloy wheels
• Edition exterior decals
• Puddle light logo projection
• LED Matrix headlights
• Dark tint LED taillights
• Two-tone seat trim with heated front seats
• 360-degree multi-function table
• Increased driver safety tech

How does the Multivan Edition drive?

We had a full day driving the Multivan Edition, unladen, through varying conditions. Starting in Sydney traffic, we headed south through the Royal National Park, eventually ending up in the scenic coastal town of Berry, south of Wollongong.

This provided an opportunity to gather some real world fuel economy figures, which we feel are quite good for such a large people mover. Around town, fuel figures climbed towards 8.0L/100km. On the open road however, a result of 6.9L/100km was recorded. Which is good: about what a Suzuki Jimny returns for comparison.

On the highway, there is a distinct amount of road noise entering the cabin. It’s not terrible, but it’s worth the mention. Some additional sound insulation on the wheel wells would do wonders here.

Ride quality from the unladen vehicle could best be described as bouncy – but still surprisingly easy to drive. For such a tall vehicle, you’d think there would be more body roll through corners, but it wasn’t the case.

Payload capacity is listed at just 613kg for SWB seven-seat version, which seems low. Braked towing capacity is also a slim 2000kg, which is much lower than a dual-cab ute, which usually offer 3500kg braked.

For comparison, Ford’s Tourneo has a claimed payload capacity of a superior 943kg in Titanium X specification. A Kia Carnival also can legally carry more weight, with listings of 725kg provided by its importer. You’ll have to be careful loading the Multivan up with much more than passengers, basically.

There’s enough power from the 2.0L TDI diesel engine which is matched to a smooth shifting seven-speed automatic transmission.

It’s actually somewhat zippy, which is not what we were expecting at all.

Power is listed at 110kW with 360Nm of peak torque, with the same engine and transmission package is used across the MY26 Multivan line-up.

How is the Multivan Edition’s interior?

Cargo space is ample, thanks to generous overall height and length dimensions. Volkswagen lists the cargo space with seats in at 469-575 litres and overall cargo capacity at 3,672L with all seats out.

If we look at the competitors in this segment, we can see that the Multivan platform is ahead of the pack. Ford’s Tourneo offers 515L of cargo with seats in and 2408L with all seats out, and the Kia Carnival offers more cargo capacity with seats in, listed at 627L but falls short at 2827L with seats out.

And lastly, the Hyundai Staria, which lists an impressive 831L of cargo capacity with seats in, but just 1303L with all seats out. Some interesting data to sift through, if you are looking to play Tetris with a people mover, or have certain cargo capacity requirements.

The interior is a nice place to be. The dash layout is simple and elegant (for a van), though some added physical buttons would be nice to see. Build quality is rock solid inside the Multivan Edition, with no loose trim pieces, squeaks, groans or rattles to mention.

At first glance, we thought visibility around the A-pillar was going to be limited due to the bulky design. Wisely, Volkswagen has made the centre section out of glass, so you can see through the bulky pillar.

The two-tone ArtVelours (suede-like microfibre) bi-colour seats, trimmed in Sandwick and Raven, were rather comfortable. Only the front seats are heated, however.

After a full day behind the wheel, nobody experienced any aches, pains or discomfort – this is one comfy van – sorry, people mover.

In the middle row, there are two individual bucket seats, which felt to be very relaxing and supportive, made even better by the great visibility offered in such a high-riding van with plenty of glass.

This configuration also makes it easy to access the third row of seating, and store long items. There are three seats in the third row, making a total of seven seats.

It’s hard to get excited by a centre console, usually. However, the optional Multifunction Table/centre console system used can best be described as a work of art. Being secured by a floor mounted roller system, you can slide the console to where you’d like it to be.

With a push of a button on the actual console, the unit lifts upwards. Then, there are two tables, one either side, which can be lifted up and out to make a large area perfect for work or play. Smart thinking, and something we’d certainly be considering when purchasing this vehicle.

Electric side sliding doors on both sides make for easy entry and exit of the vehicle, even in tight parking spaces. The tailgate is also electronically controlled, making for a smooth and simple user experience.

There’s a notable lack of annoying beeps and bongs in the 2026 VW Multivan Edition. All driver safety technology operates seamlessly throughout, providing a smooth and easy driving experience.

The only issue is audio quality from the sound system, which crumbles under a decent bass signal. This is kind of a big deal in a family and touring vehicle, and perhaps some more fine tuning of the EQ, or a better crossover, would have seen better results.

What are the Multivan Edition’s ownership costs?

Warranty coverage for this vehicle is five years, unlimited kilometres, with 12 months of roadside assistance is also included in the driveaway price.

Servicing is required every 12 months or after 15,000km. A Prepaid Care Plan is offered, allowing customers to purchase five-years of service costs upfront at a total of $3067, which Volkswagen claim is a saving of $1887 compared to paying for each service individually.

There are two colour options available for the 2026 Multivan Edition: Pure Grey with Deep Black pearlescent roof and door mirrors, or Candy White with Deep Black painted roof and door mirrors.

The honest verdict

As mentioned at the start of this article, there are some exciting VW people movers on the way. We will see these in dealership forecourts flowing through 2027.

So what’s new? We can expect an 180kW PHEV Multivan in 2027, which is big news. As well as that, the touring spec California is expected to return to market circa second quarter of 2027.

We’ve also heard rumours of the 4motion all-wheel-drive Multivan, which would be a very welcome edition to those living the van life dream.

But what’s the verdict on the MY26 VW Multivan Edition? It’s a really nice vehicle to drive, and easy to live with. It feels well built, and is the definition of practical. It’s not overly thirsty and has decent performance from a small capacity 2.0L turbo diesel engine. But it’s expensive.

If we look at the competition, the Ford Tourneo in top spec Titanium X spec is $74,590 driveaway. The Kia Carnival GT-Line Diesel tops out at $79,540 driveaway. And the Hyundai Staria diesel has a driveaway offer of $58,990 currently. So the Multivan is certainly asking for a premium price to match the premium features.

Is it worth the additional money? That’s going to have to be up to you.

We do feel though, that the overall driving experience is exceptional for what this vehicle is. With the future hopeful addition of 4motion, it would certainly be a very popular platform with outdoor lifestyle enthusiasts, as well as families.