SA Road Tests

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This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Many of the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live.

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Practical household workhorse: 2022 Volkswagen Caddy Maxi 2.0 TDI

Family wheels

Exterior pics by Motorpress
Interior pic by author
Posted: May 30, 2022

The numbers
Prices: SWB 2.0 TDI at R574 500, Maxi at R601 100
Engine: VW EA288 series, 1968 cc, DOHC 16-valve, four-cylinder turbodiesel
Power: 81 kW between 2750 and 4500 rpm
Torque: 300 Nm between 1500 and 2500 rpm
0-100 km/h: 12.8 seconds
Top speed: 180 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: About 6.6 l/100 km
Tank: 60 litres
Luggage: 629 – 1452 – 2265 litres
Turning circle: 12.1 metres
Ground clearance: 143 mm
Standard tyre size: 205/60R16
Spare: Full size, under body
Warranty: Two years, unlimited km
Standard service plan: Three years, 60 000 km at 15 000 km intervals

When is a Kombi not a “Kombi”? When it’s a VW Caddy of course.

The new Gen-5 VW Caddy is what we have traditionally called a Kombi in that all but the front seats can be folded, tipped or removed altogether, to create a load carrier with windows. But the Kombi moniker is now reserved for a plainer model.

Kombis, by name, make do with halogen lights, no roof rails, a cheaper radio and rubber floormats while Caddies get LED lamps, said roof rails, a smarter infotainment system, front and rear pdc, reversing camera, cruise control with limiter, and carpeting. There are also panel van variants but let’s just concentrate on family wheels for now.

Gen-five is built on VW’s modular framework, MQB, to allow for greater design flexibility and incorporation of up-to-date features and equipment.

The present South African range consists of the three types mentioned, 81-kW engines in petrol and diesel, short and long wheelbase and six-speed manual transmission. They’re called Caddy, Caddy Maxi, Caddy Kombi, Caddy Maxi Kombi, Caddy Cargo and Caddy Maxi Cargo.

Maxi passenger versions are 353 mm longer on a wheelbase stretched by 215 mm and seat seven although the shorter, five-chair models can be fitted, optionally, with a third row.

Our Caddy Maxi 2.0 TDI test unit was fitted with a trailer hitch, six airbags, four ISOFix mountings although only the rearmost pair had top tethers, 16” alloy wheels, standard air conditioner with repeater vents in the back, powered front windows, electric side mirrors that fold, electric parking brake with auto-hold, semi-automatic (that means you start the process and it completes the job by itself) sliding side doors and rear hatch, Composition 8.25-inch touchscreen entertainment centre with four type-C USB sockets and Bluetooth with app-connect. It starts with a key, has proper analogue instruments and both front seats feature adjustable height- and lumbar support.

Although the diesel engine develops the same power as the previous regular Trendline manual, it now develops 300 Nm of torque vs the old model’s 250. Still obviously not a racehorse, because that isn’t its intended purpose, this Caddy performs quite satisfactorily thank you. It also handles very tidily with no feeling of top-heaviness or similar stress.

There are caveats, however. Climb-in handles at each doorway would be nice. And while I’m used to ignoring unnecessary chimes and notices and gear shift indicators that have no insight into hills and corners ahead, I draw the line at being scolded for not obeying them. Further, lowering the spare wheel carrier isn’t easy, requiring that one lie on the ground in order to undo two bolts with the wheel spanner.

Despite these reservations, Caddy has much going for it: big windows for an excellent view outwards, fair ease of parking, lots of in-cabin storage and better than average people space (including right at the back), making it a family transporter worth considering.

Test unit from VWSA press fleet

We drove an earlier edition in 2016



What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.

Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads or goat tracks as well. As a result, my test cars do occasionally get dirty. It's all part of the reviewing process.

I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material.

If ever I place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with a very similar vehicle already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.

Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. There are no advertisers and no “editorial policy” rules. I add bylines to acknowledge sponsored launch functions and the manufacturers or dealerships that provide the test vehicles.  And, as quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so you can see I do actually exist.

Comments or questions?
Want to ask a question, comment or just tell me you completely disagree with what I say? If you want advice or have a genuine concern, I will be happy to hear from you. All I ask is that you write something in the subject line so I know which vehicle you're talking about.