Latest news with #Multivan
Scottish Sun
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Kaiser Chiefs' Ricky Wilson on love for Volkswagen's Multivan, why it beats Toyota Rav4 & what TV icon left him in will
IT'S not every day you ask an international rock star to review a van. But if you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Ricky and Reedus at London's Alexandra Palace, where the Kaiser Chiefs play on July 19 Credit: simon thompson 4 Even Ricky's dog loved the VW Multivan Credit: simon thompson Bands probably spend more time in a van, travelling to gigs, than your average plumber or sparky. Step forward Ricky Wilson, frontman of the Kaiser Chiefs. You might have heard of him/them. They're playing Glastonbury for the seventh time in 20 years next month. Here, Ricky talks about his love for Volkswagen's Multivan . . . as well as Henry the hoover, Richard Whiteley's tie and packet ham. It was an entertaining 20 minutes. The I Predict A Riot singer said: 'The thing is, you start off in a van. Then you say, 'We don't like vans', because, y'know, we don't want to be cramped in the van together and we're fed up of them. 'Then you get limos and tour buses and jets and all this stuff. Then you get to our age and you go, 'Why are we paying to arrive somewhere separately in swanky cars? Let's just get a van again'. 'So now we're using vans more than ever. Because we're looking at the bottom line. I want to go home with the money. I don't want to spend it on the road. 'We spend a lot of time in people carriers. I've even got a favourite seat. I go right at the back. No one's worked it out. Even though it's a smaller seat and it's not as comfortable, you get a lot more room atthe end of the day and you've got somewhere for your bag. 'I've got tricks. I sometimes take off the headrest and use it as a side pillow. I think now, if I could do it over again, I'd do a lot more driving. It whiles away the time a lot quicker when you're driving than sitting in the back with a towel over your head.' The Volkswagen ID3 GTX Performance You boys must have some stories after 20-odd years on the road? 'We've had a couple of police escorts in our time, which I quite like. You feel like you are in Coldplay or U2 or something. It's quite exciting. 'The tour manager probably told them we're bigger than we are. 'And I do like a golf cart. We did find out once that the keys to golf carts aren't really that secure. 'The key that undid the locker on the side of our truck also managed to start any golf cart. Once we found that out, festivals became a little bit of a nightmare. We could take any golf cart, whenever we wanted.' Ricky borrowed a Multivan to take the wife, the kids, the dog and the kitchen sink to the Isle of Wight recently — and now he wants one. He said: 'When we go away anywhere, I'm quite fastidious with the packing. I get quite uptight about it. 'I have to know where everything is and it has to slot in. With the kids and the dog, that's quite a lot of packing. 'When we got the Mulitvan, I chilled out a bit. I let go. We had more space. I was just chucking things in the back. I didn't really worry about it. I've got a Toyota RAV4 but try sticking a dog in between two car seats. It takes an awful lot of packet ham. Even the dog loved the Multivan. 'When my wife at the last minute says, 'Can we put this in?', I'm like, 'Yeah, whatever, darling'. It was quite a thrill for me to let go. 'I've got a Toyota RAV4 but try sticking a dog in between two car seats. It takes an awful lot of packet ham. Even the dog loved the Multivan.' The dog's called Reedus, by the way. Because Ricky's missus is a fan of actor Norman Reedus from The Walking Dead. 'It was either that or Tom Hardy. She liked him as well. I didn't really want to be walking across Hampstead Heath shouting, 'Hardy'. So his name's Reedus.' Ricky added: 'I'm not trying to bang on about the Multivan but I was just happy to drive around in it. 'We went to the Isle of Wight. I love it there. We went to the zoo. I fed a tiger. I dropped the Kaiser Chiefs bomb and we went backstage. 'I didn't feel like the dad who was the designated driver — and the kids loved it. They were sat higher than they've ever been in a car before. It's got that great big roof you can see through. 'We were driving home and I said that even if we won the EuroMillions tomorrow this would be the car I'd get. 'And I really meant it. Because I was just happy in it. I just haven't worked out what colour I'd get yet. Also, you get a bit older and your dreams turn from wanting a two-seater sports car that can go a million miles an hour to something you've actually got happy memories in. That sounds schmaltzy. But it made me feel really happy being in the van. The kids were really happy.' 4 Ricky borrowed a Multivan to take the wife, the kids, the dog and the kitchen sink to the Isle of Wight recently — and now he wants one Credit: simon thompson As we chat, we discuss Ricky's time as a Virgin Radio DJ and his obsession with TV game shows. He's ticked most of them off. 'When I didn't win The Masked Singer I was livid' He said: 'Won Tipping Point. Won Catchphrase. Didn't get the jackpot. Furious with myself. Knights Of The Round Table. Why couldn't I see the round table? 'I am far too competitive. When I didn't win The Masked Singer I was livid. Thank God I had a mask on. My body language must have shown some of it but I was swearing in that thing, 'This is a f***ing outrage'. 'I'm doing Countdown next week. Dictionary Corner. 'Richard Whiteley left me one of his ties in his will. He was very pleased someone from Leeds had done so well in the charts. So that's going to be my mascot. 'I actually had him DJing once at a nightclub in Leeds. He didn't do much DJing but he stood behind the decks and put his hands in the air. We played the Countdown theme twice and The Final Countdown in the middle.' KEY FACTS: VOLKSWAGEN MULTIVAN Price: £63,445 Engine: 1.4-litre petrol plug-in hybrid Power: 218hp 0-62mph: 9 secs Top speed: 119mph EV range: 30 miles CO2: 43g/km Out: Now Right, I promised you Henry the hoover. Ricky made sure he gave the Multivan a good clean before handing it back. He said: 'I had a lot of pride in it. It wasn't even mine but I hoovered it before the guy picked it up. Always go with a Henry. I'm not going to say anything bad about any other hoover. 'You can try all the flashy new things with the chargers and all that but you can't beat a Henry. 'You can do anything with a Henry. It also works as an occasional chair when you've got guests round. 'I was recording an episode of TFI Friday when they brought it back and we'd been out afterwards. Chris Evans was there and his wife. Kirstie Allsopp. Some other people. I said, 'Come back to my flat'. 'I'd forgotten I'd ordered a sofa but I'd got rid of the other sofa. I think Kirstie Allsopp ended up sitting on the Henry.' Thank you, Ricky.
News.com.au
25-04-2025
- Automotive
- News.com.au
VW Multivan ‘Goodnight' tested
With a VW badge on the steering wheel and a bed in the back, the new Volkswagen Multivan exudes serious Kombi vibes on our coastal cruise. But unlike the air-cooled hippy favourite of last century, this VW bus not only makes short work of hills, it's going around corners as flat and stable as a family SUV, while using a lot less fuel. Old VW Kombis prioritised style and charm, but the new seven-seat Multivan favours refinement, ride comfort, connectivity and safety. These aspects aren't sexy. Not like a split-screen camper and flowers in your hair. But this 'T7' seventh-generation VW van is a thoroughly modern people mover with optional sleeping quarters, and makes three-row SUVs feel veritably cramped. Thing is, it's not a van underneath, unlike MPV rivals like Ford's Tourneo. Instead, the Multivan uses VW's ubiquitous MQB platform (which also underpins the Golf and Tiguan), so it drives and handles in a car-like way. Which is good. This helps it target the king of people movers: Kia's Carnival, which is also more SUV than van. Of the 12,000 MPVs Aussies bought last year, over 10,000 were Carnivals. Utter domination. Can this Multivan compete? Not on price. As we pass picture-perfect rowing boats and floating cafes along Sydney's affluent Northern Beaches, it feels like just the well-heeled locals could afford these $75,990 VWs. For now, only a turbo-diesel TDI360 Life grade is offered (a plug-in hybrid's likely later this year), but an extra $3000 buyes a 'LWB' that extends body and boot by 20cm Diesel Kia Carnivals start from $25,000 cheaper (and offer eight rather than the VW's seven seats), while a flagship petrol hybrid Carnival GT-Line – with attractive 5.8L/100km economy – price matches the entry-level Multivan. But the VW shows Kia some tricks. All the Multivan's second and third-row seats can be removed, leaving a cavernous 4053L (LWB) space. Only one Carnival seat is removable. So Multivanners can moonlight as delivery drivers, or turn it into a camping car. For $4390, a Goodnight Package adds a foldable bed with mattress, magnetic window blinds, vented window grille and camp table with chairs. But such options add up. Choose the Goodnight pack, panoramic roof, heated seats, a Conference Package (the middle seats can be turned through 180-degrees), power leather upholstery, LED matrix headlamps and metallic paint, and the bill nudges $100,000. Nice extras, but this bus is well stocked as standard. Sliding side doors and tailgate are electric, there's 10-inch infotainment, digital driver display, tri-zone air conditioning, ambient lighting, wireless CarPlay/Android Auto and safety includes desirables like rear traffic alert, blind spot warning and adaptive cruise control. Plus, it's brilliantly spacious as a family hauler. The layout is two individual middle seats with armrests, plus three chairs behind, all on runners and reclining. Head room is vast and access to all seats easy. Versatility-wise, you can lift out and store any seat without much sweat. Remove all on the right side, for instance, and in go surfboards or a kayak. With only four seats up, the family's bikes all fit. From the pilot's seat the giant windscreen and windows offer great visibility, and you're comfy with padded armrests each side. A $990 multifunction table's a worthwhile extra, which slides on runners through the vehicle's centre then pops up and out to give laptop/picnic space. But these plastic tables, like the VW's seatback trays, feel a bit flimsy plastic for the dollars. At least the drive is all class. The 110kW/360Nm diesel engine is whisper quiet and unstressed, and paddle shifters help wake up the occasionally lazy gearbox. Its 6.4L/100km economy's superb, although our test returned 8.6L. Steering is light but direct, body roll's kept well in check and it sits confidently in corners and at highway speeds. It's easy to drive and doesn't feel at all like a big van, although the ride's firmer that ideal. There's the familiar Volkswagen feel of solid engineering with a confident and fun drive, backed by a handsome exterior. Make sure you pick a colourful one from the choice of 12 – orange or blue works best. VERDICT 3.5 stars SUV-like to drive, looks great and brilliant seating versatility. But it's pricey, and Kia's Carnival is seriously stiff competition. 2025 Volkswagen Multivan PRICE From about $80,000 drive-away ENGINE 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel (110kW/360Nm) THIRST 6.4L/100km SAFETY 7 airbags, adaptive cruise control with stop/go, active lane assist, auto emergency braking, blind spot detection, rear cross traffic alert, driver monitor, safe exit warning
