Volkswagen CADDY VAN RANGE   

The Caddy Van Has Grown Up, Replaced Its Polo Underpinnings With Those Of The MkV Golf and Now It Really Means Business. Steve Walker Reports

You dont have to be the kind of sports trivia anorak who can recite the post-war FA Cup winners in order or regale friends with precise details of historys highest test-match batting averages to know that caddies and golf go together. No self-respecting pro golfer would set foot on the tee without a lackey to carry his enormous bag of clubs, offer occasional, tentative advice and fake an asthma attack when his opponent is putting.

You dont have to be the kind of sports trivia anorak who can recite the post-war FA Cup winners in order or regale friends with precise details of historys highest test-match batting averages to know that caddies and golf go together. No self-respecting pro golfer would set foot on the tee without a lackey to carry his enormous bag of clubs, offer occasional, tentative advice and fake an asthma attack when his opponent is putting. Yes, in sport caddies and golf are inseparable but in Volkswagens product portfolio they have not been. The original Volkswagen Caddy van was not, as many would have naturally assumed, based on the Golf hatchback.

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Instead, it had its roots with MkIII Polo a smaller car and a sport which does not employ caddies of any description. Finally this Volkswagen faux pas has been rectified. The latest Caddy is here and its founded on the much-lauded Golf MkV platform. Being based on an altogether more substantial passenger car than its predecessor, youd expect Todays Caddy to be an altogether more substantial van and it is.

As was the style at the time, the previous Caddy that arrived in 1996 was a hi-cube van. Identical to its passenger car forerunner from the B-pillars forward, it provided extra carrying capacity with an oversize squared-off box (the high cube) on the back. Today, ungainly hi-cube models have given way to the integrated style vans - of which the Caddy is one. What you get is a more deliberately sculpted vehicle with design continuity between the load area and the cabin.

The underpinnings may be Golf but you wouldnt necessarily know it from looking at the outside. This could not be said of the hi-cube Caddy which appeared to be, and was, a Volkswagen Polo with a metallic shed bolted on the back.

"Solidity and durability are par for the course with Volkswagen and this Caddy has both in the bag"

The current Caddy sports a pleasingly cohesive shape with curving lines around the rear, along the roof and down the bonnet representing a move away from the boxy construction of many equivalent small vans. Overall, the dimensions have increased when compared to the old model. The Caddy is now 17cm longer and 10cm wider, with the wheelbase measuring in at 8cm longer. Inside, with the aid of the more space efficient design, this translates to a 3.

2m3 load volume a big increase on the 2.9m3 that owners of the previous Caddy have to play with. The payload capacity of 750kg is on a par with direct competitors but a braked trailer of up to 1,500kg is within the Caddys remit and pulling potential of this magnitude is rare in this sector. Its the Caddys mass that allows owners to hitch-up such a big trailer.

With gross vehicle weights between 2,205kg and 2,235kg, its a much heavier vehicle than any direct competitor few vans of this size even approach the 2,000kg barrier. News of the Caddys heavyweight status might set alarm bells ringing amongst buyers who fear that the vehicle could turn out to be a bit of a porker on the road. Fortunately, any such fears are unfounded. Dont expect to be tailgating Porsche 911s down the autobahn fast lane but likewise, dont worry about being passed by aging cyclists on long uphill sections.

The engines are both diesel one a workmanlike SDi unit and the other a higher-tech Volkswagen direct injection TDi. The 70bhp SDi discharges a maximum of 103lb/ft of torque at 2,400rpm but its the TDis 184lb/ft at 1,900rpm that will raise the eyebrows. The engines provide similar fuel economy figures with 44mpg from the SDi and 46mpg from the TDi ensuring that this Caddy plays its part when it comes to the driving range. The TDi is undoubtedly the unit to have, especially if youve got that 1,500kg trailer tagging along behind, but as you may have envisaged, it will cost more.

The Caddy is kept in check by disc brakes on all four wheels controlled by the standard ABS system. Theres traction control too and not many small vans can offer that as standard. The whole package rides on suspension based on that of the MkV Golf at the front but the rear set-up has been beefed-up to cope with the Caddys more taxing load-lugging duties. The rigid rear axel is mounted on leaf springs, while there are anti-roll bars fore and aft to keep everything nice and rigid for more composed cornering.

Hop in behind the steering wheel and the cabin is typical Volkswagen. Neat and unfussy with dark grey plastics prevailing on every surface. In passenger cars this tried and tested VW decor occasionally comes in for criticism on the grounds that its lacking in visual flair but itd be rude to turn your nose up when you get an interior of this quality in a humble van. The layout is simple but effective with the dials and buttons you need feeling solid and falling easily to hand.

The extra weight that the Caddy carries over its competitors might not be obvious in the vans driving dynamics buy it certainly manifests itself in the cab where theres an air of sturdiness thats uncommon in small LCVs. Storage provision is good too, the glovebox, dash-top trays and door pockets offer plenty of space for the tools of your trade but the long shelf above the windscreen may be less handy. Such arrangements are common in small vans but the presence of only a small lip along the leading edge always suggests theyre angling to deposit their contents onto your head during sudden inclines or under hard acceleration. Paperwork and clothing wont be too much of a problem but, just for safetys sake, keep hammers, tins of paint and drinks flasks in the door pockets.

Volkswagen have added another promising vehicle to their LCV line-up with the Caddy. The old model was slipping off the pace being set by the likes of Fords Transit Connect, Citroens Berlingo and Fiats Doblo Cargo but the current van redresses the balance. The engines are sound, the styling is attractive and the interior has a real quality about it. You will pay a premium for that Volkswagen branding but residual values are likely to be strong and maintenance costs low, so that extra outlay up front might pay dividends on the back 9.

Solidity and durability are par for the course with Volkswagen and this Caddy has both in the bag.

FACTS AT A GLANCE
VAN: Volkswagen Caddy Van range ENGINES: 70bhp 2.0SDI / 104bhp 1.9TDI
PERFORMANCE: [TDI] Max Speed 103mph MAX PAYLOAD: 750kg




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