We’ve had car-based vans for the longest time. Take what you know about them, and toss all of your preconceived notions out of the window. Yes, that’s how good the latest fourth generation Volkswagen Caddy really is.

It is still very functional, with a boxy overall shape and a storage area that’d hold three cubic metres of cargo. But the German automaker didn’t feel the need in building a purely utilitarian vehicle.

Even as a Light Commercial Vehicle, or LCV for short, the Caddy has many design features that you’d traditionally only find on passenger cars.

Complex Surfacing

Panel vans of old had bodywork devoid of any bold swage or shoulder lines. Volkswagen wanted to stand out, styling their entrant to the minivan category with features clearly inspired by their people movers.

A bold crease runs the length of the vehicle, connecting the headlights to the taillights. It is then supplemented with a secondary body line that creates some additional ‘pop’ to the profile of the vehicle. The wheel arches also have a very subtle flare, noticeable only in real life.

The light clusters all round would not look out of place fitted to a car too. And the same is true of the front bumper, where the centre grille gradually transitions into patterns on either side. A classy touch that sets this apart from its other LCV competitors.

Not Merely a Functional Cabin

Switchgear in the cabin has been lifted straight out of the VAG passenger car parts bin. The shift rocker, parking brake toggle and controls for the climate and lights are all stuff you’d have seen fitted to a Volkswagen Golf.

There’s actually some style and design to the dashboard too. This is in contrast to the minivans of old, which sported mostly their flat and featureless surfaces. These panels are still made primarily out of robust, hard-wearing plastics, though each part has a different finish for additional contrast.

You will not find a digital cluster here – the Caddy proudly wears analogue dials with a crisp digital display in the middle. The infotainment screen also lacks Android Auto functionality, but that is a luxury that I guess fleet buyers can do without. Driver comfort isn’t sacrificed in the name of cost though, as the steering wheel has been trimmed in a nice leatherette, and looks to be the same unit fitted to the T-Cross. Both front seats are also incredibly comfortable whilst still being supportive. And expectedly, they are cloth seats.

Sedate Mannerisms

The crude, top-heavy sensations you’d typically get in a commercial vehicle is absent in the Caddy. That’s mostly due to its MQB Evo underpinnings, which is the same platform used to create the Octavia and the Golf. Unlike the outgoing Caddy, this all-new car features coil springs in the back, which aids in its ride quality and comfort.

You also find yourself in a seating position that is not too dissimilar to that of an MPV. A 2.0 litre turbodiesel resides underneath the front end of the van, putting out 121 bhp and 320 Nm of torque. This is then sent to the front wheels via a six-speed DSG transmission. As a result, you get a van with decent low-end grunt, with smooth gearshifts all the way up its 70 km/h limit.

If you can tune out the echo from the cargo compartment, the NVH levels are very car-like. I’d go as far as saying that it actually outperforms some lower end passenger cars in this department. Overall, it offers a refined drive, something which you wouldn’t expect a commercial vehicle to be able to do so convincingly.

A Compelling Option, and not Just to Other Commercial Vehicles

Many modern LCVs are now electric. There are benefits of electrification, one of them being significant reductions in the running costs. However, these vans suffer from issues with range, as most of the Caddy’s competitors will only do about 280 kilometres on a single charge.

Being a diesel van, it’d comfortably clock a real-world mileage of around 800 kilometres on a full tank. And you wouldn’t be stuck for hours at a charging station too, so there’s no major downtime.

The Caddy manages to be comfortable and practical, and is a legitimate threat to not only other LCVs, but some lower end passenger cars too. That is if you have a small business and don’t mind the ‘G’ plate. It could perhaps be the ultimate LCV, and the $147,400 that Volkswagen wants for it isn’t too ridiculous too!

You May Be Interested In: 2023 BMW 216i Active Tourer – A Worthy Bavarian