The Wolfsburg giant has unveiled its all-new 2021 Volkswagen Caddy van, now running on MQB architecture and set for release in Australia in the second-half of next year.
Launch-ready variants of the 2021 Volkswagen Caddy van will include practical and work-oriented trims – like the Caddy, Caddy Maxi, Caddy Cargo, Caddy Crewvan, and Caddy People Mover – and a leisure-oriented Volkswagen Caddy California camper variant set to release soon after launch.
Buyers can expect improvements to both safety and technology across the range, with Volkswagen highlighting the Caddy’s updated infotainment systems and suite of driver-assistance tech.
No specific details have yet been disclosed, but we would expect some (if not most) Caddy variants to reflect the level of specification found in the Volkswagen Golf Mk8 hatchback, such as the inclusion of pedestrian & cyclist-detecting autonomous emergency braking (AEB), rear-cross traffic alert (RCTA), lane-departure warning (LDW) and lane-keep assist (LKA), and V2X connectivity.
New turbo-diesel engines are set to make an appearance in the 2021 Volkswagen Caddy, but specs like power outputs, fuel consumption stats, engine size, and transmission pairings have yet to be disclosed.
Given the Caddy’s class, rivals and expected price-point, a 2.0-litre turbo–diesel four-cylinder unit, available in a raft of different engine tunes, is very likely.
The inclusion (or exclusion) of petrol engines is yet to be confirmed by Volkswagen, which omitted the mention of petrol-power in its brief.
It’s unknown why at this moment – possibly a move to increase buzz over the diesels before high-tech petrol-power sweeps in at a later date, or possibly signalling VW’s shift to move the Caddy away from petrol-power altogether, or even possibly because Australia’s petrol quality is rubbish – but in either case, the new TDI units should offer decent performance all around.
It should also be noted that engines used in commercial applications, like the Volkswagen Amarok, Transporter, and Crafter, are often tuned to be more durable and reliable (often at the cost of outright performance) meaning it’s unlikely the 2021 Volkswagen Caddy will produce the same 85kW/300Nm & 110kW/360Nm outputs made by the Mk8 Golf’s Euro-spec 2.0-litre turbo–diesel four-cylinder.
Note: At the time of writing, Volkswagen Australia reportedly has no plans to bring a diesel-powered Mk8 Golf variant to market.
Improvements to ride, handling, and structural rigidity should also be seen on the 2021 Volkswagen Caddy, courtesy of VW Group’s new MQB modular platform. The platform is a scalable modular unit shared by other Volkswagen Group products like the new Audi A4, soon-to-launch eighth-gen Volkswagen Golf, and upcoming Skoda Octavia (due Q1 2021).
Like all new VW models, the 2021 Volkswagen Caddy can be paired with Volkswagen’s ‘Care Plus’ and ‘ServiceX’ packages, which offer pre-paid servicing plans and 60 minute servicing in metro-areas.
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