2011 Volkswagen Caddy range launched in Australia

Volkswagen says the model update makes the Caddy the first compact van/urban delivery vehicle to feature ESP as standard.

Also new to Caddy Life variants is the increased seating flexibility. Owners now have the ability remove both the second and third rows of seats, increasing cargo capacity to 3200 litres in the standard-wheelbase vehicle and to 3880 litres in the Maxi.

All Caddy models now also feature standard daytime running lights.

Visually, the new Caddy comes into line with practically every other Volkswagen available on the planet – sporting the brand’s characteristic horizontal grille, dark-tinted headlights and simple, no-fuss interior.

The external dimensions are almost identical to the previous model. The short-wheelbase models are 1.82m tall, 4.41m long and 1.79m wide. The long-wheelbase is 1.84m tall (1.86m for the Caddy Maxi Life), 4.88m long and 1.79m wide.

All vehicles feature a 701mm wide/1084mm tall lateral sliding door and a 1185mm wide tailgate.

The engine options will come as no surprise to those familiar with the Volkswagen brand. Two 1.2-litre turbocharged, direct-injection petrol engines will be available in the Caddy Van and Caddy Maxi Van: one offering 63kW/160Nm and the other 77kW/175Nm. Combined cycle fuel consumption is 6.9 and 7.0 litres/100km respectively.

Two diesel engines will also be offered across the range. The first is a 1.6-litre TDI with 75kW and 250Nm of torque. Average fuel consumption across all model lines ranges from 5.7 to 5.9 litres/100km. A 2.0-litre TDI – with 103kW and a healthy 320Nm of torque – tops the range. Combined fuel consumption is between 6.3 and 6.5 litres/100km while CO₂ emissions range from 166 to 171g/km.

Volkswagen’s five-speed manual and six- and seven-speed DSG transmissions are all available depending on the vehicle and engine option selected.

Hill Start assist is standard across all models, although only the Caddy Maxi Life gets four airbags (driver/passenger front and side) standard. Front airbags are standard on all other models and side airbags are optional.

An audio system with CD/MP3/AUX connectivity is standard, while optionally available is a new audio/navigation system with a 6.5-inch touch screen, DVD player, voice control, SD card slot and a 30GB hard drive.

The new 2011 Volkswagen Caddy range is available now in Australia for the following manufacturer’s list prices:

Caddy Life

Caddy Maxi Life

Caddy Van

Caddy Maxi Van

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