The 2022 Volkswagen Caddy Cargo Maxi; the name alone should be a giveaway as to exactly what’s on offer for this oversized long-wheel based compact van. That sounds like a contradiction in terms, but its cavernous load space is legitimately good.
To test out just how much room there is, we took whatever large boxes we had laying around to load up the Caddy. We couldn’t even fill the front half of the space, which confirms that its 3.7 cubic metre load area is more than adequate.
The Caddy is a car come van and smartly presented. We have sampled numerous light commercial vehicles over time and compared to most, this drives so very much like a car. It even has a 700+ kg load limit.
Now fitted with rear coil springs, the newest iteration of the Caddy offers a smooth driving experience as a transit vehicle. Our tester was finished in Pure Grey paint and fitted with optional 17-inch Barahona alloy wheels package.
A full sized steel spare is mounted under the rear floor. Optional body coloured bumpers and outer door handles with silver sliding door guide rails complete the sophisticated external presentation.
The grey paint separates it from its white-for-business brethren and the optional alloy wheels sparkle with individuality. The large grille badge ties it to new Golf front end look, and the (mostly) vertical tail lamps work to flank the barn doors.
Dual large side sliding doors with two stage rear asymmetrical wide opening doors with (optional) windows, show it’s ready for business too.
The cargo space of the Caddy Cargo Maxi is voluminous and the cabin includes overhead storage, dash panel spaces for clipboards and the like, two console beverage holders, roomy door pockets, several console trays, and a lower dash compartment.
The mesh covered window in the cargo partition further insulates the cabin from road noise, and the cargo space features a 50mm width increase over the previous generation. Euro3 sized pallets can be loaded through the larger side door apertures (now 840mm).
Another very practical option is the rubber cargo mat and heavy duty cabin floor mats. We think these are the kind of all-weather kit perfect for a commercial vehicle, although it may have been better as a no cost delete option, in our opinion.
Seating is comfortable, but if you are on the tall side, like your writer, driving space comfort is less than ideal. With our seat back against the cargo partition and the steering wheel pushed forward, it’s simply not great.
What you do get though that enhances the overall comfort of the driving experience is a comfortable leather wrapped multifunction steering wheel. Our test vehicle also had the Comfort Drive Travel Pack loaded in.
This affords you keyless entry and start, power folding mirrors, park assist with sensors each end and emergency brake assist (with pedestrian and cyclist monitoring). We rate these inclusions as ideal for an urban environment delivery vehicle.
The downside to them is they’re pricey, and add $5,075 to the base price. Other niceties include split central locking functionality, which lets you unlock the cabin but not the cargo area, and an electronic handbrake with auto hold.
The 2022 Volkswagen Caddy Cargo Maxi is powered by a 2.0-litre diesel engine delivering 90kW of power and 320Nm of torque, driven through the front wheels. This engine is coupled to the seven speed direct shift gearbox (DSG) with shift-by-wire operation.
It’s a good little package, with a surprisingly quiet diesel powertrain. Gear changes are smooth, and the 50-litre fuel tank is good for around 800km. There’s also optional adaptive cruise control with lane assist, but there’s no wireless phone charger.
What you do get is two USB-C ports, a four speaker sound system, and a 12v power outlet. You can option a Discover Media 10.0-inch infotainment system with navigation. If you add the wireless connection setup, you can also have cable free Apple CarPlay.
The Caddy Cargo is available in 13 paint colours, including Pure Grey (as tested), Luminous Orange, Candy White, Cherry Red, Copper Bronze, Costa Azul, Fortana Red, Golden Green, Indium Grey, Mojave Beige, Reflex Silver, Starlight Blue, and Deep Black Pearlescent.
Titanium Black cloth interior trim is standard with Soul leatherette available as an option. The Volkswagen Caddy range is covered by a 5-year unlimited kilometre warranty with one year roadside assistance.
Our 2022 Volkswagen Cargo Maxi was priced at $41,990 plus on-roads, but we think Volkswagen won’t sell too many in bare form. You can throw in a lot of optional extras that will blow out the price quite considerably.
It’s certainly a use case for those in the market for a commercial vehicle that’s configurable for personal tastes, with an extendable budget. We recommend you build one of your own on the Volkswagen website, and see where you end up.
Our test vehicle was provided by Volkswagen Australia. To find out more about the 2022 Volkswagen Caddy Maxi, contact your local Volkswagen dealer.
Would it have potential for conversion into a compact camper wagon?
Hi Colin,
You could certainly look at something like that. Volkswagen also makes a version of it that is semi-configured for such a task, and even includes an optional pop-out tent, known as the Caddy California – that’s definitely worth checking out too.
Cheers,
Mark