VW T6.1 Multivan from order to first 2000km

[lrog]

I’d like to share my new experiences with VW T6.1 multivan for anyone who’s interested.


Order:
I ordered the van (premium comfortline) in early November 2020, added a lot of options (e.g. digital dashboard, LED lights etc) but front-wheel drive only. I got the official confirmation 2 weeks later saying the order had been accepted.


The scheduled build time was Feb 2021 and delivery was June 2021.


The planned build time is more or less accurate. The delivery was actually one month earlier because they put the van to an earlier ship which went though west coast of Africa, luckily for that the Suez channel drama did not affect it since the route bypassed it.


From the van landed in Port Melbourne, it took another 2 weeks till the actual delivery.


Impression during run-in:
The van started a little bit rough for the first 500km, then started getting better with more km being done.


The first DPF re-gen kicked in within 200km. At 2000km, it kicks in between every 300km-400km depends on the driving styles. The re-gen process kicks in regardless if the van is station or moving, as long as the engine is turned on. Generally it takes around 18 min to finish the process, reducing the soot from the threshold (around 30 g) to 8g.


The combine fuel efficiency is around 7.6l/100km. Given the tank is 80L, easily you can go more than 1000km per tank.


As I used to drive Nissan Elgrand which is quite soft, the van can handle the drive really well. All the safety features are very good, give you peace of mind.


There are three drawbacks so far for me:

• Some small rattling sound from dashboard when driving on rough surface, which might be just my van. But it shows vw might have used too many plastics.
• You can get reflection of the folder storage area on top of the dashboard on the front windscreen on a sunny day, which is really annoying as it distracts your vision. I need to wear polarised sunnies to offset that.
• Android auto can drop out sometimes when there is big bump or interferences.

Overall it’s a good van. I would not trade it for T7 as I need it to be working like a tradesman’s van than just a family people mover.

[Lucas_R]

What are you using to monitor your DPF activity? VAGDPF? Or do the new vans have some info about the DPF available on the dashboard?

My 2015 Audi SQ5 has nothing about the DPF so using the VAGDPF app is fantastic to know what is going on.

Got any photos of the new van?

[lrog]

Yeah, I use VAGDPF for day to day monitoring. I also have Carista app which can turn on re-gen anytime you want. Wish they surface that information on the dash, which will be great for planning your trips.

Unfortunately I don't have any photos, but it's a "Bay leave green" van.

[Lucas_R]

Yeah, I use VAGDPF for day to day monitoring. I also have Carista app which can turn on re-gen anytime you want. Wish they surface that information on the dash, which will be great for planning your trips.

Unfortunately I don't have any photos, but it's a "Bay leave green" van.

Yes I have Carista also. Its handy and good for the price, but the interface is slow - especially the inital connection to the car each time you want to use it. The DPF info is only a relatively new addition to Carista - and although its handy, its not as good info as what VAGDPF has.

So what engine etc is in your van. Is it the 110 or 145TDI? Are they twin turbo or single turbo nowadays? How do you find the power? Adequate to get it moving ok?

[lrog]

Carista does full scan for initial load hence it's slow in that whereas VAGDPF directly accesses the can bus to get data without other stuff hence it's quicker and more suitable for day to day use.

here is the spec for all the multivans:

So for comfortline premium, they are all TDI340 110kw single turbo.
I don't have any issues with the power, feel really strong when fully loaded. I have to get used the turbo though as it has delays when flooring it.

[Lucas_R]

I have to get used the turbo though as it has delays when flooring it.

You will probably find the issue here is the throttle delay due to the electronic throttle pedal. Instead of a physical cable linking the pedal to the throttle body on the engine, modern cars use an electronic throttle pedal which sends a signal via the ECU to the engine. You can buy a throttle controller which speeds up the signal to significantly reduce the lag. I have a Torqit throttle controller in the SQ5 because it had a bad throttle delay too - but there are plenty of companies who make a similar device. Much much better now. They are adjustable so you can find the sweet spot for your particular vehicle and to suit your preference.

[lrog]

Got any photos of the new van?

Here it comes...

[Lucas_R]

Nice colour - its a smart looking van. Colour certainly stands out from the sea of white & grey etc.

[seadog]

Glad you're happy with your new van, we ordered ours - LWB 4 motion with lots of extras on August 18th 2020... and it's finally arrived in Australia ... the dealer said we should get it later next week... it's been quite a wait.

seadog

[lrog]

Glad you're happy with your new van, we ordered ours - LWB 4 motion with lots of extras on August 18th 2020... and it's finally arrived in Australia ... the dealer said we should get it later next week... it's been quite a wait.

seadog

Oh wow, that's way longer than mine. Do you know what's the hold up? Your dealer should have provided you all the status regularly and ship tracking information.