2021 Volkswagen Multivan vs 2019 BMW 320d

What's the difference?

One must maintain several affections in one's life, I think that's fair. I don't mean that in the life-partner sense, that would get me blamed for marriage breakdowns. But then, as a motoring journalist, you do sometimes wonder if your recommendations send a few relationships over the edge.

What I mean is, having a few interests keeps life interesting. In this context, I'm thinking of two things that move me. Special Editions (of pretty much anything, except superhero movies) and VW vans. I can't stress enough how much I - and, as it turns out, just about every other road user - love a Volkswagen van.

Put these two excellent things together and you have the Volkswagen Multivan Cruise, a special edition that somehow commemorates the 70th anniversary of the Kombi. I don't care how, I'm just intrigued by its existence and, by the grace of The Great Editor, I spent a week behind the wheel and a good chunk of that time exploring the interior of the Multivan Cruise.

Over 44 years BMW has produced more than 15 million examples of the 3 Series. That's roughly one every minute and a half... for over four decades.

And the latest, seventh-generation version of what the famous German maker defines as the "heart and soul" of its brand has landed in Australia.

The new '3' is longer and wider. It's also claimed to be slicker aerodynamically, up to 55 kilos lighter, more fuel efficient, and faster.

And it'll need every advantage it can muster to take a chunk out of its arch rival, the all-conquering Mercedes-Benz C-Class.