Volkswagen Caddy 2.0 TDI Trendline: First long term report

Volkswagen Caddy 2.0 TDI Trendline: First long term report

SO the T6 Combi has gone and instead it’s time to welcome back the smaller Volkswagen Caddy, the Caddy 2.0 TDI Trendline, to Business Van’s long-term fleet. I say welcome back, as regular readers will remember we ran a run-out, limited Black Edition last year. Over the course of six months, its mix of good looks, high quality and practicality really won me over and I have to admit I really missed the Volkswagen Commercial when it went home in September last year. So this £22,960 2.0-litre Trendline has a lot to live up to over the next three months, but on first look it doesn’t stand out like the Black Edition did, as the latter’s lowered suspension and sparkly 17-inch alloys have given way to smaller 15-inch steelies with wheel trims. However, we guess it’s a coincidence that we have the same, optional attractive Acapulco Blue metallic paint that we had on the T6. It’s an expensive option on the Caddy at £456 and we think it probably won’t be a popular option either, but it certainly marks out our van against the others populating the roads. Still, there are positives to the smaller wheels and standard suspension on the Caddy and that is in the way it drives. The ride and amount of road noise that makes it into the cabin are much improved over the old van, although it’s not a handler – as there’s too much body roll and grip levels are easily reached. Inside, although significantly changed over our last Caddy, the new van’s interior feels familiar to the old one. I like the new dashboard design and although the buttons and switchgear felt top quality in the old van, the new one moves the game on again. Volkswagen has also kindly included a smattering of options to further improve the drive of our Caddy, with the Visibility Pack (£168) including practical features such as automatic headlights and rain-sensitive wipers. Although we question the usefulness of the auto-dimming rear view mirror, which is also included with our van’s fully-fitted rear bulkhead!

We’ve also got a heated windscreen (£168), Climatic air-conditioning (£1,080), the Composition Media Radio (£276) and App Connect (£258). App Connect is particularly interesting as it was supposed to be fitted to our last T6 – but wasn’t! When connected to my iPhone, it gives me safer access to important apps on my phone, such as making a phone call, sending a text, accessing my music and even more importantly, as this van doesn’t have standard sat-nav, there’s the Maps app where you can get directions. I say safer, as phone calls and texts are taken care of by Siri, the iPhone’s voice control software – which works well. Navigation via Maps has also got me out of a few situations too. Although, it’s still quite fiddly to choose your music via the touchscreen. So far, the Euro 6 2.0-litre seems a willing and smooth performer over the first month’s use. I got about 450 miles out of the first tank and a prospective house move means I’ve made full use of the 3.2 cubic metres of loadspace too. So while it might not look as smart as our last Caddy, this 2.0-litre Trendline could be the better all-rounder. I’m looking forward to finding out.

We like on the Volkswagen Caddy 2.0 TDI Trendline:

High quality, easy to drive, comfortable ride, car-like safety systems, App Connect connectivity

We don’t like:

Expensive to buy, lack of a six-speed gearbox compromises refinement