Road Tests: Volkswagen Caddy TDi

Is there such a thing as perfection? In this world of ever evolving lifestyles will there be a point where people arrive at a conclusion that satisfies all their demands and ambitions? Probably not, but that's the joy of things. Life is about learning from your mistakes and using the knowledge gained for future reference. Take the world of commercial vehicles. Just when one manufacturer thinks its ironed out all the faults that blighted its previous model along comes a rival with a 'new and improved' contender to rain on its parade. The benefit is that the customer gets more choice and a constantly improving product. VW's Caddy was launched onto the British market earlier this year and the general consensus was that it was a real step forward, offering solid build quality and overall practicality. As seems inevitable with new models, it's bigger than its predecessor, offers more loadspace and higher payloads, and manages to combine more power with better fuel consumption. On the downside, it could have done with a bit more oomph.

German manufacturers obviously listen to their operators because we've now got a 1.9-litre DTI common-rail version producing 103hp and 250Nm of torque, compared with the initial 2.0-litre SDI unit which could only manage 68hp. So now that the Caddy's only noteworthy shortcoming has been addressed, has perfection been achieved? Priced at £10,550 the TDI is only £900 more than the SDI. Ford's Connect, our current favourite in the class, is £10,580 and Vauxhall's Combo is £10,469. Like rivals Ford, Fiat and Vauxhall, VW has chosen to build its contender in a low labour cost area, in this case Poznan in Poland. The result is that the Caddy is more competitively priced than the previous model. Not traditionally associated with the phrase "standard equipment", VW has pushed the boat out on the Caddy in a bid to draw in those who tend to make their judgements primarily on cost. For your money you get remote central locking, an immobiliser, ABS, EBC (engine braking control), TCS (traction control system) radio/CD player and a driver's airbag. Not a bad deal by any means. Options include air-con, £675; rubber floor covering, £70; a second sliding door, £220; sat-nav, £1,320; and, in what may be a first in the class, heated front seats for £180. Now in its third generation, the Caddy first appeared in 1982 as a Golf-based pickup; the company plans to sell around 3,900 units this year and 4,000 in 2005.

Compared with the previous generation the new Caddy is a heavier vehicle (2,235kg GVW compared with 1,760kg) so it has to justify this increase with reasonable fuel economy. On the plus side the 1.9-litre unit incorporates the company's Pumpe Duse technology (unit injector in English). This maximises the efficiency of the fuel-injection system, allowing a finer adjustment of the fuel injection process with a much higher pressure, resulting, theoretically, in higher torque with no loss of fuel economy. We recorded a respectable 43.2mpg for a laden run around the Kent test route, just beating the Connect and Fiat Doblò with 43.0 and 43.1mpg respectively, but slightly behind the Corsa's 44.0mpg. Running unladen the Caddy surged ahead with 51.4mpg, compared with the Corsa's 49.1mpg and the Doblò’s 47.3mpg. The new generation of vans in this class are unashamedly heavier than their predecessors - the Caddy follows a trend by crossing the 2,000kg mark - which reduces their legal speed on the dual carriageways from 70 to 60mph and from 60 to 50mph on A-roads. Policing these minor reductions is another issue entirely and should not be seen as a hindrance to the overall package. In the case of the Caddy the extra weight leads to a capable payload of 819kg - just short of the Connect's 825kg but better than the rest. And getting this weight into the rear is a simple affair due to a side door that opens right out with a thoroughly engineered action and a loadspace area that is completely flat and designed for maximum usage of space. Load volume is 3.2m3 which is equal best in class. The rear doors open to 180o and VW has continued the popular 'larger door-smaller door' setup that allows better access to the rear with only one (larger) door open. One small complaint is that to open the doors beyond 90o entails pushing the hinges in at the joint when a plastic device could have been used - we even got our fingers dirty! To maximise loadspace access an optional driver's side door is available and would be a useful extra if you're in and out of the rear on a constant basis. Keeping the load in the rear is a plastic bulkhead that restricts seat movement to the rear, but only slightly. It certainly wasn't a problem. The Caddy's warranty is for three years/100,000 miles. Oil change intervals are every 10,000 miles with major services every two years.