Aimed at the heart of the compact van segment, the fourth-gen Caddy gets evolutionary design updates that are visibly inspired by the seventh-gen Golf and the smaller Polo. Volkswagen’s smallest van is again offered as a cargo-hauling panel van and as a more family-oriented model called Kombi that is capable of comfortably carrying five adults and a trunk-full of gear.
The changes are more comprehensive inside, where the Caddy is fitted with a noticeably more modern-looking dashboard that is built with improved materials. Kombi models gain a strip of body-colored trim on the dashboard, and nearly all versions can be ordered with Volkswagen’s touch screen-based Discover Media infotainment system. Additionally, the van is available long list of electronic driving aids including a Park Assist function that allows it to park itself in parallel spots, a 360-degree camera and Adaptive Cruise Control.
Caddy buyers have no less than eight engines to choose from including four TDI turbodiesel four-cylinder units whose outputs range from 73 to 147 horsepower. A trio of three- and four-cylinder gasoline-burning engines that generate between 83 and 123 ponies are available, and a 1.4-liter natural gas-burning turbo four rounds out the lineup.
A manual transmission comes standard on most models and a dual-clutch automatic is available at an extra cost. Volkswagen’s 4Motion all-wheel drive system can be paired exclusively with the 120-horsepower TDI mill.
The 2015 Volkswagen Caddy will go on sale across Europe in the coming months and, interestingly, it could land on U.S. shores in the not-too-distant future. Volkswagen of America CEO Michael Horn recently suggested that a new commercial vehicle could soon join the company’s North American lineup but he did not specify if it’s the new Caddy, the next-gen Transporter or the full-size Crafter.
Generation Four Edition
In Germany, Volkswagen will celebrate the launch of the 2015 Caddy with a special edition model called “Generation Four.” The Generation Four panel van gains body-colored bumpers and mirrors, smoked tail lamps, 16-inch alloy wheels and body-colored trim sprinkled throughout the cockpit.
The Generation Four Kombi benefits from a silver roof rack, tinted windows, 17-inch alloys with a burnished black finish, A/C and partial leather upholstery with contrast stitching.
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