Within VW Commercial Vehicles’ range, the ID. Buzz gets most of the spotlights. But the Multivan and its motorhome sibling, the California, just got a significant cosmetic and technological update. The electrified drivetrains remained the same, however.
The youngest evolution of both models brings a redesigned front end, an entirely new cockpit, and an upgraded assist system that now includes traffic light recognition for the first time.
Sharper front end
The changes run deeper than a typical mid-cycle refresh. The interior, in particular, takes a clear step toward the ID. Buzz, which is either reassuring or a sign that VW is trying to unify its bus family before California eventually goes electric.
Suppose it does so at all. The latter remains a difficult exercise due to weight issues. The addition of a battery would basically transform it into a truck.
Volkswagen has sharpened the front end without breaking it. The LED headlights are physically larger, with daytime running lights that span the dipped and high-beam modules like an ‘eyebrow’. A horizontal illuminated strip connects both units across the middle, at least on higher-spec versions where it is not optional.
The bumper underneath has been redesigned too: air intakes are now integrated downward with new vertical air curtains at the outer edges. The look has evolved into something cleaner and more monolithic. But you can still tell it’s the Multivan from miles away. Three new two-tone combinations add a bit of extra flair.
Telling green from red
The interior update is the highlight of this refresh. The dashboard gets a new 12.9-inch infotainment display – significantly larger than before and, like the ID. Buzz, now visually free-standing rather than recessed. The gearbox has moved to a steering column switch, again following the ID. Buzz layout.
Wireless charging has been upgraded from 5 W to 25 W, and additional rear USB-C ports are standard across all variants. The center console has been rationalized, too. Electrically operated sliding doors and the parking brake are operated via dedicated buttons.
Travel Assist now offers some safety comfort: traffic light recognition. The system reads approaching signals, adjusts speed, and holds the vehicle at a red light.
Add assisted lane changing on the motorway, the integrated Emergency Assist system, which steers the vehicle to the hard shoulder in the event of a medical emergency, and the Multivan and California can offer a driver assistance suite that takes motorway touring rather seriously.
Two electric motors
The drivetrain range stays as it was. The TDI (150 hp) and the TSI (204 PS) are topped by a headline act: the eHybrid 4MOTION, which arrived in 2025 and returns unchanged. It pairs a turbocharged 1.5-liter gasoline engine with two electric motors – one per axle – for a combined output of 180 kW (245 PS).
Although most plug-in hybrid Volkswagens receive a capacity upgrade at facelifts, the battery remains at 19.7 kWh and delivers up to 95 kilometers of zero-emission range. Then again, the PHEV version of the Multivan and California only arrived last year. DC fast charging runs at up to 50 kW, while AC charging runs at up to 11 kW.
The stationary air conditioning in the eHybrid version can now run for up to eight hours without interruption, a meaningful upgrade for anyone using the California as an actual camper.
The new update is a calculated bridge. The ID. Buzz is the electric future. The Multivan and California are the present – and for the buyers who want to sleep in their van, tow a trailer, or do 1,500 km to the south of France without charging anxiety, the eHybrid answers most questions.
