New Volkswagen Caddy Now Available in Singapore

Volkswagen's 7-seater Caddy has always been a popular choice for Europeans because of its versatility. Now available in Singapore, the new Caddy completes Vokswagen's lineup of people movers in the country, along with the 5-seater Sportsvan and the other 7-seaters, the Touran and Sharan.

Because 45% of previous Caddy models are passenger versions, the 4th generation Caddy puts more focus on comfort and refinement, providing better versatility to make it an attractive option for a wider range of customers.

The new Caddy is equipped with a variety of driver assistance and safety systems, taking most of the load off the driver to ensure an easier, safer, and more comfortable ride. These include side and curtain airbags and an Electronic Stabilisation Programme as standard features.

Another key feature onboard the new Caddy is the fatigue detection system. By detecting any deviations from normal driving behaviour, the system can check if the driver needs to take a break from driving. This is done by tracking various signals such as steering behaviour at speeds starting from 65 km/h. As soon as it detects an irregularity, the system sends out visual and audio notifications that the driver should take a break.

The new Caddy's design is defined with sharpened folds and clearly-defined surfaces. The front and rear ends of the car has received a design overhaul, giving the compact MPC an distinct character while still staying true to the classic Caddy look. This modernised look can also be seen on the new Caddy's interior, which features accentuated lines and shapes. A horizontal band with integrated air vents and a cutting-edge infotainment system completes the new Caddy's modern look.

The new Caddy is available in the standard version, with a wheelbase measuring 2,682mm and the Caddy Maxi, which is 47cm longer with a 3,006mm wheelbase. This gives the new Caddy an exceptionally large interior space for its class, especially the Maxi, which has an interior space of about one cubic metre.

Capable of accommodating seven passengers, the new Caddy boasts a fine balance between ergonomics, comfort, and versatility. Aside from the large glove compartment, the new Caddy has a roof shelf that stretches above the windshield, running across the full width of the cabin. There are also storage bins in the front of the gear selector and in the door panels, each large enough to contain 1.5-litre bottles.

The caddy's seats provide plenty of leg room and lateral support to ensure maximum comfort even during extended rides. The Caddy's sliding rear doors have an opening width of .7 metres, allowing passengers to access the rear seats quickly and easily.

The second row seats can seat three adults comfortably, and is divided into two sections (a double and single seat) for better flexibility. Both sections can be folded away to accommodate more luggage if necessary. To provide a more spacious look and feel, the height of the seats go higher from the front row to the back, giving passengers the experience that they are in a theatre.

The Caddy also has a multi-function leather steering wheel, a multi-function display "plus", and automatic dimming interior mirror. Combined with the Climatronic dual-zone air-conditioning system, chrome trims on switches and knobs, and the soft-touch dashboard surface, driving the new Caddy has a very modern feel.

To complement the Caddy's modern aesthetics, it is also equipped with a "Composition Media" infotainment unit, which features a 6.33-inch colour touchscreen found in the center of the dashboard for easy access. The display has proximity sensor that instantly switches the unit from "display" mode to "input" mode as soon as a finger moves near the touchscreen. The display is capable of recognizing different gestures ranging from basic touches to wiping and zooming gestures, similar to today's smartphones.

People who expect phone calls or simple music streaming can take advantage of the standard Bluetooth connectivity feature. For extra connectivity, there are also other input options such as SD card interfaces, a USB socket, an AUX-IN socket, and even an mp3-compatible CD drive.

Aside from the numerous safety and comfort features, the new caddy also comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, bi-xenon headlamps, a rear view camera, and cruise control with speed limiters as standard.

The Caddy is equipped with a 1.4L TSI engine, capable of producing 125 PS and a torque of 220Nm through a wide rev range. The Caddy can reach a top speed of 183 km/h with an acceleration of 0-100km/h in only 10.9 seconds (11.3 seconds for the Maxi). New developments on the engine's management system gives the Caddy an impressive fuel efficiency of only 5.8L/100km and a carbon emissions of only 133g/km of CO2.

The engine is coupled to a 7-speed automatic direct-shift gearbox that gives the driver the option of switching to manual control with just a touch of the lever and using the "+ -" mode.

Credits: