What Van? Britain's biggest and best van buyers' guide

1st Report

Volkswagen’s latest Caddy has just joined What Van?’s long-term-test fleet, and we are pretty confident that it will have no trouble tackling some of rural Herefordshire’s more-demanding farm tracks. That is because it is a Cargo Commerce Maxi 4MOTION; and the 4MOTION designation means that extra traction is delivered to the appropriate wheel should the van start to lose grip on a loose or slippery surface.

Maxi is the bigger of the two Caddy models with a 3.7m³ load area – down from the more-generous 4.2m³ provided by its predecessor. Powered in our case by the 122hp/320Nm version of the 2.0-litre diesel, and with a six-speed manual gearbox, it can handle a 675kg payload.

Access to the cargo area is by means of a sliding door on each side and two asymmetric rear doors. Six load tie-down points are provided and a full-height bulkhead is there to protect the occupants of the cab should cargo slide forwards.

It is made from hard plastic, doubtless in a bid to save weight. Sorry VW, but I am a traditionalist, and feel more comfortable with a steel sheet behind me.

The traditionalist in me also favours a full-size spare wheel rather than our demonstrator’s inflator/sealer, especially if I am going anywhere where the highways are a bit rough and ready; a description which encompasses almost all of the A and B roads in my locality.

In-cab storage facilities include large bins in each of the doors and a big lockable glove-box. You will find those all-important cup-holders between the seats.

Safety has been a key priority for VW for many years, and that continues with the latest Caddy. Our demonstrator boasts a comprehensive package of built-in devices designed to minimise the risk of drivers getting into difficulties, including front assist with pedestrian monitoring and city emergency braking system.

It applies the brakes automatically should somebody using their smartphone wander out in front of you, oblivious to everything around them, when you are pottering down your local high street.

With an auto hold function to stop you rolling backwards on inclines, the electronic parking brake releases automatically as you move away. Head off down the road and you immediately start to appreciate Caddy’s slick, sharp gear change. Start to tackle a few sharp bends, and you begin to applaud its confident handling too. It is more than happy to be pushed hard into curves, and strong acceleration and an ability to maintain motorway speeds mean that it is more than capable of keeping up with the traffic.

Drawbacks? The ride is adequate rather than outstanding, and in-cab noise levels are a tad excessive. 

Early days of course, but at 43.5mpg, average fuel economy is some way behind the official figure. To be fair though that reflects a preponderance of high-speed motorway work with some weight on-board. I would expect the figure to improve over more mixed routes.

Back on the plus-side I continue to be astonished by VW’s high standard of build quality – and Caddy exemplifies it.

It is extraordinarily well put together, looks as though it should last forever. The Caddy also even manages to make some of its rivals look like flimsy tin boxes on wheels. Good news for residual values.

Flicking through the options fitted, I like the wide-angle rear view camera. It comes in handy if you are reversing off a drive and want to be sure that you are not backing into the path of a wayward cyclist.

Report card: Handling = 4/5

Reassuringly sharp.

VW Caddy Cargo Commerce Maxi 4MOTION 

Mileage 875

Official combined fuel economy 51.4mpg

Our average consumption 43.5mpg