Volkswagen Caddy Life review reveals appeal of straddling van and people-mover genres

Ditch the back seats and the Volkswagen Caddy Life can double as a delivery courier van.

The Volkswagen Caddy Life is a seven-seater people-mover which can also double as a van with all seats removed.

Few vehicles invoked reaction like the Caddy.

Friends and family always like to get up close and personal with the latest automotive offerings, but this European didn’t quite raise excitement levels.

Volkswagen’s light commercial van also masquerades as a seven-seater people-mover called the “Life”.

The fifth generation Caddy has unique styling which appeals to a niche audience.

Smaller than a Kia Carnival, Hyundai Staria or Toyota Granvia, the Caddy Life starts from about $50,000 in seven-seater format.

On the road, the Volkswagen Caddy Life is about $57,000.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

KEL: Our youngest first sighted the Caddy at school pickup. He was reluctant to climb inside. Some of my friends laughed.

GRANT: Wearing the “golden green” colour scheme, it felt like waving your arms around in a crowded shopping centre.

KEL: The boys quickly nicknamed it the “Booger Van”.

GRANT: I don’t think marketing will adopt that for the brochure. It’s probably the most outlandish hue in the Caddy’s metallic options, so a white or grey would have probably blunted the initial introduction.

KEL: Beauty pageants are probably beyond this one.

GRANT: You’ve been spoiled by the current array of SUVs. The Caddy has a commercial vehicle feel, but does venture into this mini people-mover style as well as a cool camper. Sharing its architecture with the likes of the VW Golf and Passat, as well as some Audis, it has strong family lineage.

There is a mix of modern touches and hard-wearing features in the Volkswagen Caddy Maxi.

WHAT DID YOU LIKE?

KEL: Storage was first-class. Having the small shifter helps create more space through the console, with easy access to the cup holders. Also cool is the aeroplane-like folding tables built into the back of the front seats.

GRANT: The commercial focus is prevalent with the roof-mounted trays. One of my friends is six-foot 10-inches in the old scale (about 208cm), he would have no issues with the headroom.

KEL: Space was plentiful. It was easy to drop the seats and access was also simple via the sliding doors on each side.

GRANT: Seats in the second and third rows are also easily removed. The middle row bench folds by two or one third configurations and can be taken out individually. Essentially the Caddy could be a courier van through the week for everything from fridges and big TVs, and then a family hauler on weekends.

KEL: That starts to make more sense from my perspective, it’s definitely a work and play combination which boosts the appeal.

GRANT: Braked towing capacity is 1500kg with a toball rating of 75kg, while the payload is 710kg. It’s a long wheelbase variant and with all the seats removed the cargo area is 2.2m in length of and more than 3000L of space.

KEL: This model felt more workhorse than family friendly. With no heated seats, the luxuries were few.

GRANT: With no push-button start (that’s an extra $710), the panoramic sunroof adds $1420, LED headlamps are an extra $1370 and cloth trim is the only option.

Kel and Grant Edwards.

WHAT DIDN’T YOU LIKE?

KEL: Having driven the Golf recently, it’s the same issue: I’m not a fan of all the infotainment and climate controls all sitting within the central screen. I don’t have an issue with buttons and dials.

GRANT: While I’d like to say that it’s all part of the chic minimalist and modern approach, the cynic within fears it could primarily be about reducing costs with fewer parts. Entering the menu to make basic changes does feel like more work than it should.

KEL: There are a lot of plastics through the interior – although I can appreciate that those surfaces are hard-­wearing.

GRANT: The seats are also basic and relatively flat with limited bolstering.

The Volkswagen Caddy Life TDI320 seven-seater in metallic green.

HOW WAS THE DRIVE?

KEL: Had you blindfolded me before getting inside, I wouldn’t have picked it was a Volkswagen.

GRANT: The underpinnings may be shared with some of VW’s best, but ample road noise emanates into the cabin with limited sound proofing.

KEL: It felt tinny from my perspective. Although it didn't handle like a bulky van as it was manoeuvrable and really easy to park with the short overhang at the front.

GRANT: Strong and punchy diesel performance was a highlight, although the automatic stop-start function was frustrating. I’d have that turned off. While a great fuel saving measure, it often shut down the engine before the Caddy was stationary and was too slow to restart on occasions when attempting to accelerate into traffic.

Seating configurations within the Volkswagen Caddy Life TDI320.

WOULD YOU BUY ONE?

KEL: The Caddy is not for me, especially in green. I can appreciate its loading flexibility appeal but I’d be far more enticed by a Volkswagen seven-seater SUV such as a Tiguan AllSpace for similar money.

GRANT: While it’s easier to drive than a dual-cab, the Caddy would only be tempting for those who want a van with the flexibility of also being able to carry a netball team. There’s not enough comfort or features for the outlay.