Caddyshack for Seven
Why yes, it has van roots, but this Caddy is no gopher of a vehicle. It has the same 1.4 TSI that powers our recently tested Golf Variant, and the same quick-shifting DSG transmission powering its wheels. In the past, Volkswagen Caddys were a little noisy, a little chatty with the older 1.9 turbo diesel, or even a little soggy with the old petrol 1.6 unit. Its replacement was quite a different car, with more space and more power. While it may be a name quite familiar to us, this time round, the Caddy is being sold with private plates, with a cat A COE, instead of the goods vehicle plate which the old ones were registered with.
While the Caddy may be car-like, one must not forget its van roots. There is quite a bit of suspension travel, and quite a bit of body roll. But in most cases, this isn’t a bad thing, as the ride is soft and comfortable. There were however a few moments that I could sense that the car became a little uncomfortable being whipped. The way the front seats and cabin are designed, promotes a more relaxed style of driving, which is rewarding if you are not someone who is looking for something of a driver’s car.
The 1.4 TSI engine, mated to their signature 7-speed DSG is the same as the one found in the Golf Variant which we had tested recently, but producing 220Nm starting at 1,500rpm, versus the Golf’s lower 200Nm at 1,400rpm. The added torque comes in handy when hauling more people around. Century sprint timing for the Caddy comes at a rather leisurely 10.9 seconds, 1.4 seconds slower than the Golf. Lesser driver aids and more torque made it easy to spin the wheels when taking off.
Quick gear changes from the DSG transmission also ensure that there is minimal power loss during shifting. While there is no Sport, Normal and Economy mode on the familiar VW touch screen, selection of sport mode is done by pulling the shift lever one step down. Doing so, holds on to the gears longer, which I did find unnecessary, as the reactive DSG did the job well.
The cabin is well insulated, but there is minor road noise emitted from the tyres, and does become very audible under hard braking.
While we do love the responsive engine and transmission, as much as other VW’s in their range, and the little Caddy shines here, one cannot ignore the elephant in the room. In this case, they are the middle and rear seats. We would have wanted them to be able to recline more, and that instead of being removable, have them made to fold flat. While I may have a few good uses for the removable rear bench other than being what they were initially intended for. Removing them would have been a chore, and we know that they are mighty heavy.
The means to justify the Caddy in this case would be one of driving pleasure versus what a Toyota Wish may be able to offer.
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