Volkswagen Caddy 5 VS Volkswagen Caddy
Volkswagen Caddy 5
Likes
- People mover/van in one
- Performance and comfort
- Fuel economy
Dislikes
- List price
- Tow ball download
- Turning circle
Volkswagen Caddy
Likes
- Nice to drive – for a van
- Comfortable
- Handy camping additions
Dislikes
- AWD would be nice
- Issues with bed set-up
- Not enough handy camping additions
Summary
Volkswagen Caddy 5
Volkswagen’s Caddy Life seven-seater combines compact dimensions with efficient use of internal space and seating flexibility to deliver an effective combination of comfort and utility.
We recently spent a week with the premium model to see if this people-mover can meet the diverse requirements of busy families for work and play, in a people-mover segment dominated by the Kia Carnival.
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| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 2.0L turbo |
| Fuel Type | Diesel |
| Fuel Efficiency | 4.9L/100km |
| Seating | 7 seats |
Volkswagen Caddy
The universal appeal of road-tripping with a vehicle that offers an all-in-one solution to car camping has been growing enormously in recent years.
“What’s car camping?”, I hear you ask. Well, I’m talking about staying overnight or longer in a vehicle that affords you the ability to sleep in, eat in, and perhaps even cook in it.
As such, self-styled camper vans have gained an even bigger foothold in the market in recent years than they had in the years prior to the global pandemic, even though some of these vehicles, like this new VW Caddy California Maxi, don’t offer cooking facilities. That doesn’t seem to faze many (any?) current or potential owners of camper vans, or mini camper vans, or even those who like the idea of car camping, much more than actually ever doing it.
This five-seater van certainly looks the part and fits in with the #vanlife philosophy, but is it worth your consideration in such a variety-packed camper van market? Read on.
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | — |
| Fuel Type | Diesel |
| Fuel Efficiency | 4.9L/100km |
| Seating | — |
Verdict
Volkswagen Caddy 58.3/10
Families could easily grow to like the Caddy Life. It’s not only enjoyable and economical to drive but its surprisingly spacious cabin offers comfortable seating for all three rows, two of which can be easily removed and replaced as required. It would be equally competent serving as both a weekday family carry-all and weekend escape machine.
Volkswagen Caddy7/10
The appeal of a ready-made camper van is undeniable and the VW Caddy California comfortably occupies a niche within a niche.
This van is nice to drive but it also manages to be a functional and comfortable camper, albeit a very basic one.
There’s no getting around the fact that, while it does have a bed and a camp table and two chairs, it’s lacking cooking facilities and a fridge … and the list goes on.
This is perfectly fine if you intend to take the rest of your gear (portable stove, fridge etc) as carry-ons for infrequent nights away, but if your vehicle is going to be your camp for regular multi-day trips away then a lot of other approaches make more sense. You could, for instance, buy a 4WD or AWD wagon and a camper trailer. You might spend a little – or a lot – more than what you’d spend on this van alone, but your opportunities for adventure would be a whole lot more expansive.
In the end, it depends on what you want to do with it. This van is more than fit for purpose and it may well provide a more-than-great introduction to the adventure lifestyle for some.
Design
Volkswagen Caddy 5
The front wheel-drive Caddy Life rides on a 'Maxi' 2970mm wheelbase with MacPherson strut front suspension, multi-link rear suspension, electronic-assisted power-steering and four-wheel disc brakes. It has a 12.1-metre turning circle, which is larger than some one-tonne vans.
The spacious and airy feel of its cabin belies its relatively compact external dimensions, which are shorter in wheelbase, shorter in overall length and narrower (excluding door mirrors) than the Kia Carnival.
However, the Caddy Life is slightly taller than the Kia, resulting in generous headroom for all which enhances its spacious feel.
As a result, this cabin can comfortably accommodate passengers ranging from small kids to lanky teenagers to tall adults in all three rows, which we confirmed courtesy of my 186cm frame.
There’s ample space for the driver and front passenger and the second-row seating also offers adequate knee room, even for someone my height when sitting behind the driver’s seat in my position.
There’s less knee room in the centre position, though, due to the protruding console.
The second-row base cushions, which are split roughly 70/30, don’t have slide adjustment but you can alter the backrest angle. Although three kids could fit comfortably here, larger teens and adults would have limited shoulder room. So, for long trips with grown-ups, the second-row would work best with two.
And even though the third-row base-cushions are also fixed, the rearmost seating is remarkably spacious. Although the flat floor results in elevated knees for someone my height, it still provides enough foot, knee, shoulder and headroom for adequate comfort, so kids would find it even more accommodating.
Volkswagen Caddy
VW’s Caddy California looks good on the outside.
Its interior layout and the materials used – durable plastics on the dash etc. fabric seat covers, and sturdy carpet on the floor – are well suited to an outdoorsy lifestyle that will inevitably bring dirt, sand and mud into the interior at regular stages of the vehicle’s life.
The sliding doors either side – and the large opening when the rear tailgate is lifted – make the Caddy California a more versatile camper proposition than vehicles without those ingress points because the interior can be more readily accessed.
The folding bed, which sits behind the second-row bench seat, ready to be unfolded and used, is a handy addition and, as it’s supported on the vehicle body, that supposedly helps to make it easier to set up and pack down than it otherwise might be.
However, I had some difficulty in unfolding it all the way out flat, even with the front seats moved all the way forward. Perhaps with some more time and, dare I say it, patience, I could have managed better.
Also the fold-out struts, on the base of the bed and that are meant to slot into B-pillar recesses, seem a bit too flimsy for my liking, especially if the bed can be reasonably expected to cope with the weight of two adults. The mattress is not a particularly spongy one either – but, hey, camping should involve at least some degree of discomfort. Otherwise, why would some people describe it as “roughing it”? I jest – anyway, you could easily replace the standard mattress with something more substantial if you get the urge.
There are folding chairs and a table provided, although I’d be looking to the Aussie camping gear market for more sturdier examples of this kind of outdoors furniture, especially if you plan to put your equipment through regular and prolonged use.
Practicality
Volkswagen Caddy 5
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.
Volkswagen Caddy
The Caddy California is a five-seater: two seats in the front and a three-seater bench seat as the second row.
Upfront, the driver and passenger seats are manually-adjustable for height, with four-way adjustable lumbar support, and tilt-and-depth adjustment on the seat cushion. They are cloth trim but feel adequately supportive and comfortable and have a height-adjustable centre armrest, stowage compartments and two drink holders.
There are storage spaces aplenty – including a dash with multiple stowage compartments, and an illuminated glove box – as well as two USB-C ports.
The digital cockpit is easy enough to use, as is the touchscreen multi-media unit and we had no strife setting up our smartphone for Apple CarPlay, and although the screen is on the wrong side of small, it’s clear and crisp enough to get a decent idea of what’s going on.
The second-row bench seat is a 2/3-1/3 split, and the second row can be folded, double-folded and removed separately. The two outboard passengers also get access to a folding table in each of the front seat-backs.
This second row of seats has ISOFIX child seat anchors in the two outboard seats and there are top tether points on all of these second-row seats.
The rear luggage compartment has a cover and there are storage bags fitted to the interior walls in the cargo area and also a 12-V outlet back there, as well as LED lights in tailgate.
Price and features
Volkswagen Caddy 5
Our Life test vehicle is the premium offering in the two-model Caddy range, in this case powered by a TDI 320 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-diesel engine paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
Its list price of $56,790 is considerably more than the base model Kia Carnival diesel ($52,380) which offers an extra seating position. Our example is also finished in 'Fortana Red' metallic paint, which is an extra-cost option.
As the top-shelf model, the Caddy Life comes standard with 17-inch ‘Barahona’ alloys and 215/55R17 tyres plus a full-size steel spare, heated door mirrors, a power tailgate and side/rear privacy glass.
There’s also tasteful chrome detailing on the grille, roof-rails, sliding-door rails and body badges along with colour-coded bumpers and door-handles. Combined with the optional premium paint, this bling creates an upmarket appearance consistent with its premium model status.
Inside the carpeted and surprisingly spacious cabin are three rows of seating (the second and third rows are easily removable) neatly finished in ‘Trialog’ diamond-quilt-style fabric trim.
The driver is treated to keyless start, a multi-adjustable seat including four-way power lumbar support, a leather-wrapped multi-function steering wheel and a large left footrest.
There’s also an 8.25-inch colour touchscreen which serves as central command for the four-speaker multimedia system, with digital radio and multiple connectivity including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Some vehicle settings, including climate control, auto stop/start etc are also touchscreen-controlled, but thankfully audio volume and tuning still use physical dials.
The family-friendly cabin also includes dual-zone climate control, heated front seats, wireless phone-charging, two USB-C ports, two 12-volt sockets, fold-down tables and heating/cooling vents for second-row passengers, LED reading lights, rear luggage compartment cover, lots of places to store stuff and more.
Volkswagen Caddy
Before we get cracking, it’s important to note that we tested the 2.0-litre TDI320 variant (diesel); there is a 1.5-litre TSI220 petrol variant available.
It’s also worth mentioning that the Caddy California Max is built off Caddy Maxi people-mover variant on an extended long-wheelbase platform.
Our test vehicle has a manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) of $54,990, not including on-road costs. As tested our Caddy California was $56,105 because it has Copper Bronze metallic paint, which costs $1115.
As standard, it has five seats (two in the front and a three-seat bench as the second row), a newly designed dash and instrument cluster featuring a full-colour digital cockpit, an 8.25-inch colour touchscreen (with sat-nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), two-zone climate control, keyless start, a lifting tailgate, and a stack of other features too numerous to list here. Find out for yourself, do your own research for there’s joy in that.
Driver-assist tech includes adaptive cruise control, lane keeping, lane assist, and park assist and park distance control in the front and rear.
The California package includes a foldable bed, storage bags, a foldable table and two chairs, as well as additional interior lighting and ventilation vents.
There are numerous VW genuine options available, including a panoramic glass sunroof as well as a tent that can be attached to the rear of the vehicle, but it was unavailable at time of writing.
Under the bonnet
Volkswagen Caddy 5
Our premium grade Caddy Life is powered by VW’s excellent 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel which produces 90kW of power at 2750-4250rpm and 320Nm of torque between 1500-2500rpm.
It’s paired with an equally refined seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, which provides the option of sequential manual-shifting in 'Sport' mode using the steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. There's also an electronic diff lock.
Worth noting there's also a TSI220 version powered by a 84kW/220Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine.
Volkswagen Caddy
Our test vehicle – the TDI320 variant of the new Caddy California – has a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine, producing 90kW at 2750-4250rpm and 320Nm at 1500-2500rpm, and a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox DSG.
This is a front-wheel drive van and it’s riding on 18-inch wheels and Bridgestone Turanza T005 (215/55 R17) tyres.
Efficiency
Volkswagen Caddy 5
VW claims an official combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle consumption of only 4.9L/100km. By comparison, the dash display was showing a more realistic 7.2 at the completion of our 230km of testing, which was a mix of city, suburban and highway driving with a variety of loads, from driver-only to all seven seats being filled when attending a sporting event.
The dash readout was very close to our own figure of 7.8L/100km, calculated from actual fuel bowser and tripmeter readings, which is still thrifty economy for a seven-seater.
So, based on our numbers, you could expect a ‘real world’ driving range of around 640km from its 50-litre tank.
Volkswagen Caddy
Volkswagen lists the official combination fuel consumption as 4.9L/100km, but during our four day test we only averaged 6.2L/100km.
This van has a 50-litre fuel tank and an AdBlue tank.
Driving
Volkswagen Caddy 5
It exudes solid build quality and design integrity with light and responsive steering, strong braking and a typically European ride that strikes the right balance between the firmness needed for reassuring handling response and the suppleness needed to soak up bumps.
The seven-speed dual-clutch auto does a good job keeping the turbo-diesel operating within its torque sweet-spot between 1500-2500rpm for most of the time, where engine response is at its strongest in city and suburban driving.
Even when hauling a sizeable payload, as we did with all seven seats occupied, the 2.0-litre engine’s hearty 320Nm of torque maintained good response around town, where it didn’t feel overly sluggish or require manual-shifting to sharpen its response under this load.
It’s also a relaxed highway cruiser, requiring only 1600rpm to maintain 110km/h. Noise suppression is also commendable at these speeds, with negligible engine, tyre and wind noise intrusion.
Volkswagen Caddy
The Caddy California is 4835mm long with a 2970mm-long wheel-base. It stands 1836mm high (including roof rails) and is 2100mm wide (including the wing mirrors). The TDI320 variant has an unladen mass of 1723kg.
This is not the biggest van around and it manages to feel quite manoeuvrable for something that’s fairly box-like.
Visibility is pretty good from the driver’s seat, with mostly clear vision in all directions.
Steering is suitably sharp and well weighted, which is handy for a camper, especially for one that tends to feel its size a bit through sections of the blacktop that involve lots of twists and turns.
The 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine offers reasonable punch – getting the front-wheel drive van off the mark with some pep – and it works well with the dual-clutch auto transmission, resulting in a mostly smooth and unfussed drive.
Ride is well sorted, albeit on the firm side of things and some of that characteristic can be attributed to the van’s dimensions, the fact it was unladen, and it’s shod with 18-inch wheels.
Something people who aren’t used to driving vans should keep in mind: a van’s sides and back-end tend to catch wind gusts in high-wind areas, and that sensation and impact on the van’s behaviour can be somewhat disconcerting if you’re not anticipating them.
This van’s Bridgestone Turanza T005 (215/55 R17) tyres cope adequately with rain-slick bitumen during the recent poor weather.
All-round, this van is well behaved on-road and yields a relaxed driving experience.
Safety
Volkswagen Caddy 5
It has a maximum five-star ANCAP rating awarded in 2021 (expires Dec 2027). Passive safety includes front, side and centre airbags for driver and front passenger plus side-curtain airbags for all three rows.
The extensive active safety menu includes AEB with pedestrian and cyclist monitoring, lane-keeping, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, autonomous oncoming vehicle braking when turning, front and rear parking assist, reversing camera, tyre pressure monitoring and lots more.
There are three top-tether child-seat restraints for the second-row and two for the third-row, plus two ISOFIX anchorage points for both the second and third-rows.
Volkswagen Caddy
The VW Caddy California has the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing in 2021.
It has front, side, curtain and centre airbags for driver and front passenger, ISOFIX child seat anchors on the outboard second-row seats and top tether points on all second-row seats.
Driver-assist tech includes adaptive cruise control, driver fatigue detection, multi collision braking system, lane change system (including blindspot monitoring), side assist with rear traffic alert and more.
Ownership
Volkswagen Caddy 5
Warranty is five years/unlimited km plus 12 months roadside assist.
Scheduled servicing is every 12 months/15,000km whichever occurs first.
Capped-price for the first five scheduled services up to five years/75,000km totals $3275, or an average of $655 per year. VW also offers pre-paid five-year service plans which offer significant savings.
Volkswagen Caddy
The VW Caddy California Maxi is covered by a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, a choice of three- or five-year Care Plans (capped price servicing), and a free year of 24-hour roadside assist.
A Caddy’s five-year capped price servicing plan costs $1500 and includes two free services.