VW Multivan - Next Generation T5

Press Release

VW Multivan - Next Generation T5

Airbags and Safety Steering Column Needless to say, all versions of the Multivan come with series-fitted driver and front-passenger airbags (the latter can be deactivated, in the glove compartment, using a key). As another driver safety measure, the steering column consists of deformation crash elements which ensure that, in the event of head-on impact, the steering wheel is not pushed into the cabin. Instead, the safety column telescopically folds together. If the driver should nonetheless collide with the steering wheel, a special crash mechanism will cause it to be moved away by as much as 50 millimetres. Energy-absorbing polymers help to minimise the risk of head and body injuries. Tests have shown that headrests are often set too low, so that, in the event of a front-end or rear-end collision, they are pushed back into their lower-most position. Add to this the fact that, in an offset crash situation, vehicle occupants are propelled out of their seats, landing in a higher position after rebound, with the result for vehicle occupants in both types of crash scenario being a dangerous over-extension of the cervical muscle as well as the much-feared whiplash syndrome. To minimise such risk in a crash situation, the headrest system has been built in such a way as to still allow headrests to be automatically pushed up in the described situation, but not down. They can only be pushed down after they have been deliberately unlocked. This special feature notwithstanding, the inclination angle of each headrest is adjustable. Stand-Alone Seats in Rear Cabin The front-most row of the rear cabin comprises one or two swivel seats (depending on equipment version). Both these seats are mounted onto the slide rail on which they can be independently and easily moved and fixed into the desired position. The system allows settings such as a vis-??????????????????-vis constellation with the back bench seat or the creation of added leg room. A variety of trays and cup holders ensure even more travelling comfort. The rear wheel housing liner is fitted with room for larger drink bottles and contains a removable collection box with a lid attached. Beverage cans may be securely placed in the fold-out cup holder fitted into the central shaft stripping along the left inside wall. Additional trays and stowage compartments have been integrated into the side panelling below. Stowage room is also provided by a removable refuse bucket and three drawers integrated into the base of the bench seat, with a further drawer contained in each of the stand-alone seats. The seats are, of course, easy to remove, as are they easy to handle using the practical grips and given their optimal centre of gravity. Their weight, too, has been optimised, with special consideration having been given the elaborate positioning mechanics and the integrated safety features, such as three-point seat belts or mechanical safety-check devices. A stand-alone seat, complete with console and drawer, weighs a manoeuvrable 42 kilograms. Child-Seat Lock and Inflatable Curtain System The seat belts integrated into the stand-alone seats feature a child-seat locking function. Once fastened into place, this belt system does not allow any further manipulation. The concept is based on the fact that standard children??????????????????????????????????????s seats cannot be securely fixed into place using conventional automatic seat belts, since the belt is normally not locked into place during the course of normal, uneventful vehicle travel. The child-seat locking function is activated by pulling the seat belt all the way out of its socket. Once extended to its full length, the belt can only be shortened, but no longer lengthened any further. Only when the belt has been unfastened and completely rolled back into place in its socket will this function be automatically deactivated. Each of the stand-alone seats also features an Isofix fixture as an aid for integrating external children??????????????????????????????????????s seats into the vehicle structure. These fixtures offer the added advantage that they virtually rule out any possibility of incorrect manipulation. The Isofix system makes it unnecessary to remove seating cushions before installing the children??????????????????????????????????????s seat. As an alternative to the bench seat at the back of the rear cabin, buyers may choose to have two stand-alone seats installed. These, however, are not swivel seats. For an extra price, any or all of the stand-alone seats may be ordered with integrated children??????????????????????????????????????s seats in future (This option is likely to be available as of summer 2003.). Bench Seat and Camper Bed Fitted with roller bearings, the bench seat, too, is mounted onto slide rails. Thus it can be locked into place in any desired position within the rear cabin. All three seats on the bench are fitted with integrated three-point seat belts; the outside seats are also equipped with Isofix fixtures. The bench is easily converted into a large, almost completely plane bed surface by pulling on the unlock lever and then pushing the recliner back and down. The headrests mounted onto the bench as well as the fold-down recliners of the stand-alone seats opposite the bench provide additional bedding space. Buyers who intend to use the Multivan as a camping vehicle may order their vehicle with a bed extension (likewise mounted onto the rail system), in which case the two stand-alone seats can be removed altogether for the duration of such a trip. Since the bedding surface is elevated, there is sufficient room underneath it to store cases of food, beverages, etc. The side panels feature series-standard roll-up sun screens with which to keep the light out. Optional curtains are available to prevent residual light from entering the rear cabin and concealing the cabin from outside view. Two Sliding Doors, Two Tables The Basicline Multivan traditionally features one sliding door and, correspondingly, a table fixed to the side wall. A new attribute of this table, however, is that it can now be folded down by occupants when seated. The rectangular table is simply pulled up and out of the vehicle??????????????????????????????????????s left-hand side panel and folded out to full size. A defining feature of the Comfortline and Highline packages, on the other hand, is that they come with two sliding doors with integrated sliding windows. Instead of a wall table, these versions feature a central table of luxurious functionality. It is mounted onto rails of its own and can be folded out into a variety of sizes. The exemplary features of this table include two flat map drawers (accessible regardless of whether the table is folded out or not), two fixtures for drink bottles, a drawer (for items such as a camera), a tray for any small items (packs of cigarettes, pens, etc.), and four cup holders and an ashtray mounted underneath its round, revolving tabletop. For those who prefer the traditional design, the Comfortline package is also available with just one door. Either way, the upper slide rails for the doors are all concealed. While the doors in the Comfortline version are manually operated, in the Highline version they can be opened or closed electrically at the push of a button. This function is, however, an optional extra for the Comfortline version too. Boot Because the seats are so variable, the rear cabin can be set up to accommodate a myriad of purposes and preferences. It can be transformed into anything from a normal boot to a large-volume freight area. When there is need for a generous amount of freight space in the mid or back section of the Multivan, the seats can simply be pushed into a row, one behind the other. Or any or all of them can be removed altogether. The Multivan offers a maximum cargo volume of 4500 litres (SAE) ??????????????????????????????????????? a transport space uncluttered by any fixtures, not even seat belts. The level floor of this space features six integrated lashing eyelets which enable transport items to be fixed into place (thus keeping the interior panels and panel fixtures from being damaged). A cargo net, vertically installed in accordance with individual requirements, creates a dividing wall between cargo and passengers. A horizontal roll-down cover conceals cargo from outside view. The goal of the engineers who designed the operating mechanism on the boot lid was to make it both easier to operate and to reduce operating noise. Compared with the mechanics of the predecessor model, the boot lid on the new Multivan is a lot easier to open and close, and it emits a much quieter sound when it locks back into place. Communication Electronics The audio systems and the navigation system with integrated radio are mounted on the central double-DIN shaft of the centre console, thus ensuring that the on-board entertainment and communication electronics are within easy reach of both the driver and the front-seat passenger. The Delta premium radio and the navigation system use a multiple-antennae receiver system, the primary function of which is to minimise static disruption of the kind normally caused by the reflection and heterodyning of radio waves. The Delta radio features, among other things, a large-size dot-matrix display (168 x 32 dots) and integrated CD drive. It is manipulated via an operation satellite attached to the steering wheel. This radio system also provides the foundation for the optional DVE (Digital Voice Enhancement) communication aid, which does, however, require that the system be enhanced by a sound system with 8-channel amplifiers (or 12-channel ones for navigation). Navigation System The compelling merits of this new-generation navigation system are its enhanced, self-explanatory haptic features. A menu item entitled "Dynamic route selection???????????????????????????????? gives out an early warning sign and text message in the event of traffic jams or road blocks, computing the quickest alternative route upon request. And anyone interested in refreshing their foreign-language skills can do so by setting the system to any of the following languages: German, English, French, Italian, Portuguese or Dutch. An 8x14-cm monitor now makes it far easier to read location maps. DVE (Digital Voice Enhancement) The quicker you drive, the louder it gets. The noise level inside a car increases at high-speed travel ??????????????????????????????????????? and conversation often stops as a consequence. Not necessarily so in the new Multivan. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has developed a special acoustic system which enables relaxed conversation among all passengers. It is called Digital Voice Enhancement, or DVE, and is available for all versions of the Multivan. With the help of DVE, vehicle occupants can easily communicate with all others in the car ??????????????????????????????????????? however far apart they may be sitting ??????????????????????????????????????? without straining their vocal chords or contorting themselves to face the person being addressed. The principle is quite simple. Six small microphones, integrated into the roof lining, amplify the spoken word via the loudspeakers connected to the stereo system ??????????????????????????????????????? in no way restricting radio or CD operations. Since only a single microphone is ever automatically activated at any given time (the floor is handed to whoever speaks the loudest) and the others thus remain turned off, there is no potential for a confusion of voices being amplified over the speakers. The driver can set the volume level as needed using an external control on the dashboard. Customers who order both DVE and a hands-free mobile phone system will also be able to let other passengers in the vehicle take part in their phone conversations, since the telephone signal will always be the microphone signal of the current speaker. This allows all vehicle occupants to be equal participants in a phone conference. The software used in the DVE system filters out any undesirable noise, such as the noise produced by rain. The system can, of course, be switched off at any time. The basic prerequisite for the DVE system is the installation of a Delta6 radio or a navigation system, in combination with a sound system.