Mercedes-Benz Vito VS Volkswagen Caddy 5

With its relatively light 1967kg kerb weight (a HiAce equivalent tops 2200kg) and 3050kg GVM, our test vehicle has a 1083kg payload rating, so it’s a genuine one-tonner. And up to 150kg of that can be carried on the roof, where you’ll find four pairs of mounting points along each side of the roof ready for rack-mounting.

It’s also rated to tow up to 2500kg of braked trailer and with its 5550kg GCM (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) it’s rated to tow its maximum trailer weight while carrying its maximum payload. That’s an impressive and useful set of numbers.

The cargo bay, which offers a competitive 6.0 cubic metres of load volume, is accessed by sliding doors on each side with 822mm opening width (although the top half of the cabin bulkhead encroaches on this) and a swing-up tailgate which restricts forklift access for rear loading (a twin barn-door option is available).

The walls and doors of the cargo bay are lined and its wooden load floor is 2678mm long and 1709mm wide with 1270mm between the rear-wheel housings. So, it could carry two 1165mm-square standard Aussie pallets or up to three 800 x 1200mm Euro pallets, secured using your choice of eight load-anchorage points. There’s also a large storage area at the base of the bulkhead which is ideal for carrying ropes, straps, load-padding etc.

There are numerous personal storage places in the cabin, including large bottle-holders and bins in the base of each door plus a second-tier at mid-height for smaller items. There are also three bins and two cupholders in the top of the dash-pad plus an overhead glasses holder, decent-sized glove box and a sizeable storage compartment hidden beneath the outer passenger seat.

With its 1742kg tare weight (unladen) and 2450kg GVM, the Caddy Life has a 708kg payload rating. In real world use, seven large adults would use up most if not all of that before you could add any luggage, so keep this load limit in mind if you need to carry half a rugby team to training.

However, for most urban requirements involving kids, this weight limit would be more than adequate if you need to haul them and their friends and their gear for a multitude of tasks, from weekday school runs to weekend sports to holiday getaways. And up to 100kg of that 708kg can be carried on the roof, which is ideal for storage solutions like roof-pods.

The Caddy Life is also rated to tow up to 1500kg of braked trailer. And with its generous 4213kg GCM rating (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time), that means it can haul its maximum payload while towing its maximum trailer weight, which is a handy capability for many work or play duties.

However, given the tow ball download (TBD) limit is only 75kg, that could present a challenge for those wanting to tow 1500kg given that TBD is usually around 10 per cent of trailer weight (or in this case about double the stated TBD limit).

Even so, one of the Caddy Life’s best features is the versatility of its second and third-row seats, which can be configured to significantly expand load volume.

For example, the backrests on both rows can be folded flat to provide a raised load floor sufficient for carting many bulky items from a load of cardboard for recycling to flatpack furniture.

However, if you need maximum load volume, the second and third rows can be easily removed from the vehicle to create a spacious van.

For starters, there’s more than half a metre of floor length and almost half a cubic metre of load volume behind the third-row seats, which is ideal for grocery shops, school bags and the like.

This expands to more than 1.4 metres of floor and more than 1.7 cubic metres of load volume when the third-row seat is removed.

This space expands again to more than 2.2 metres of floor length and more than 3.0 cubic metres of load volume with both the second and third rows removed.

That’s in the same ballpark as the small commercial van class (under 2.5-tonne GVM) and the sliding doors on either side provide similar load access, so in terms of moving either people or cargo, the versatility of this design makes it very efficient at both.

Given its primary role as a people-mover, there’s generous internal storage for personal items, starting with a large-bottle holder and deep bin in the base of each front door. There’s also a handy driver’s drawer in the right-side dash, open storage in the centre dash-pad and a large glove box.

The centre console has a pair of small-bottle/cupholders and there’s a lidded box at the rear. There’s also a full-width overhead shelf which can hold heaps of stuff and doesn’t feel too close to your forehead due to the generous roof height.

Second-row passengers get a small-bottle/cupholder and bin in each sliding door, plus there are pockets on the front seat backrests and some handy fold-down trays complete with cupholders which are ideal for snacks, games etc on long trips.

Third-row passengers are also well catered for with small-bottle/cupholders and storage on each side.