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

Expecting Volkswagen's new Caddy to look radically different from its predecessor? No? Then you won't be disappointed.

Now in its fourth incarnation, VW's newcomer looks so much like the model that preceded it that only a light commercial geek would be able to spot the difference between the two. OK, we are exaggerating - but not by all that much.

Perhaps that wouldn't matter if the crisis-torn company's light van styling weren't so unadventurous both inside and out. But it is.

What the latest Caddy does boast however is phenomenal build quality, a praiseworthy approach to safety, impressive on-the-road performance and one of the best light commercial transmissions on the planet in the shape of the optional automated six- or seven-speed Direct Shift Gearbox.

Two engines are on offer, a Euro 5 1.6-litre generating either 75hp or 102hp and a Euro 6 2.0 litre producing either 102hp or 150hp. A Euro 5 version at 140hp is up for grabs too.

As with the outgoing model, you can order your Caddy in either short-wheelbase or more-capacious long-wheelbase Maxi guise with a 4.2cu/m rather than a 3.2cu/m cargo bay. Three trim levels are marketed - Startline, Trendline and Highline - and all models can be ordered with BMT; BlueMotion Technology.

It gets you Start/Stop plus regenerative braking and low rolling resistance tyres.

It should also be noted that Caddy is marketed as a Kombi, with rear seating plus a cargo area at the back, and as a passenger-carrier.

We opted to tackle a short-wheelbase standalone van marketed solely in BlueMotion guise and powered by the 102hp Euro 6 diesel. VW is touting it as the most-frugal vehicle in the new Caddy line-up.

It falls outside the standard trim categories with a specification that sits just above Startline, and with a lowered ride height in a bid to reduce aerodynamic drag.

Load area

Access to the 3.2cu/m cargo area comes courtesy of twin, glazed, asymmetric rear doors - no wash/wipe system or heater was fitted - and a sliding nearside door. All three doors shut with a highly-satisfying clunk that reeks of quality and the rear ones can be swung through almost 180 degrees if the stays are released.

If you want solid metal rear doors on security grounds then you're out of luck although the windows can be protected with plastic covers as an option. A solid metal tailgate is available however.

Six load tie-down points are provided. A half-height bulkhead topped with a full-height mesh grille should hopefully stop any cargo that breaks loose and slides forwards from finishing up in the cab although the entire partition is plastic rather than steel.

The doors are defended against scratches to half their height with hardboard and the load bay's sides are partially protected in the same way, but the floor and wheel-boxes are unprotected and the entire cargo area will need timbering out. Side rubbing strips protect the van's exterior from minor damage.

Gross payload capacity is 549kg and our Caddy could tow a braked trailer grossing at 1300kg.

Caddy's closest rival in the Ford line-up is the Transit Connect 200 L1 1.6-litre Duratorq TDCi diesel with Auto Start-Stop and 95hp on tap. At 625kg its payload capacity is noticeably higher but its towing capacity is lower, at 1200kg.

For your money you get slightly less load width and length than with Caddy but more load height and more clearance between the wheel-boxes with a 2.9cu/m cargo area.

Cab and equipment

Our Caddy's trim package embraced electric windows, heated and electrically-adjustable exterior mirrors, a 12v power socket and driver and passenger front, side and curtain airbags. We especially liked the attractive-looking 5ins touch-screen Composition Colour DAB+ radio system with MP3 and Bluetooth compatibility.

Included are an aux-in socket, a USB port, a SD card slot and a CD player.

Storage facilities include a full-width shelf above the windscreen, a large and quite deep shelf on top of the dashboard, a lidded and lockable glove-box and bins in each of the doors. You'll find a pair of cup-holders between the seats.

Both the steering wheel and the driver's seat are height-adjustable and the wheel is reach-adjustable too.

Post-Collision Braking comes as standard on all Caddy models. It automatically applies the brakes in the wake of a smash if the driver is no longer able to do so, the idea being to minimise the risk of severe secondary impacts.

All the familiar electronic safety devices are provided including ABS, Electronic Stability Programme, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, Hill Hold Assist, Brake Assist, Traction Control System and Engine Drag Torque Control. An electronic diff lock is fitted too.

Options installed in our test Caddy included Front Assist with City Emergency Braking.

The former warns the driver if he or she is getting much too close to the vehicle in front, gives a short jolt to the brakes if the warning is ignored then instantly applies them in full if and when the driver hits the brake pedal. The latter automatically applies the brakes at speeds below 30km/h (18.75mph) if the driver fails to see an obstruction.

Staying with the theme of safety, our Caddy featured a Visibility Pack as an extra-cost option too. It includes automatically-illuminating headlights, a rain sensor for the windscreen wipers and an auto-dimming rear view mirror.

On the face of it the leather-trimmed steering wheel simply represents a cosmetic extra. However it is multifunctional and hosts switches for everything from cruise control to the radio's volume.