12-month test: Volkswagen Caddy Alltrack 2,0 TDI 103 kw DSG
FROM giving CAR magazine’s team of photographers a secure place to sit while shooting the striking images you see every month and acting as a support vehicle on Performance Shootout 2017 as it kept up with scorching machinery, to aiding in house moves and carting families around the Cape Peninsula, the Volkswagen Caddy Alltrack proved itself time and again as a vehicle for all reasons. Here the ve team members who used it most recount their experiences of Volkswagen’s commercial-vehicle-that-isn’t. The most impressive aspect of the Caddy is its versatility. Even though the 2,0-litre turbodiesel powertrain connected to the DSG transmission offers compact SUVlike levels of re nement, punch and fuel economy, the fact that it’s based on a commercial vehicle is a good thing. For example, I had to transport a 1975 Ducati 860 GT to get its wiring done as part of a restoration project. With no bakkies in our eet at the time, I removed the rear benches (a process that, admittedly, could be made easier, as the seating is heavy) and moved the passenger seat forward. The rear hatch provided generous access and the motorcycle, secured with ratchet straps, was just able to t in. Try that with your run-ofthe-mill crossover!
The Caddy also excels as a family vehicle, with the sliding doors proving invaluable in trying to get the kids in and out in a tight car park. Although the high roof provides vast amounts of interior space, I found the external dimensions compact and the vehicle easy to manoeuvre around town. The fact that the Caddy is slightly more rugged adds to the appeal, as children tend to test the durability of any vehicle’s interior.
The commercial roots also allow the owner to take the vehicle on harsh gravel roads without dreading damage, as would be the case with a traditional sedan. This Alltrack’s optional parking sensors (R6 750) were great for unobservant old photographers like myself and I simply loved the heated seats for those earlymorning photo shoots. From carting hot coffee and camera equipment to on-location shoots, with the second and third row of seats removed to make space for the photographer to lie down low to get those aggressive shots you often see on the cover, there’s nothing it couldn’t do.
The tinted rear windows hid expensive, forgotten camera equipment from time to time, as well as sheltering tired photographers from the sweltering heat on Performance Shootout 2017. The sliding doors, meanwhile, make it easy to jump out on either side when the need arises to quickly capture the perfect picture. I enjoyed the fact that it can almost carry as many people as the Caravelle that’s also in our eet, but isn’t the sheer size of that bus. As with VW’S other turbodiesel products, the engine is strong in its torque delivery (320 N.m at 1 750-2 500 r/min), while the DSG transmission is smooth and does its thing perfectly. Throughout the year, I’ve taken photographs out of the back, sides and from the roof of the Caddy, proving its worth as a tracking vehicle, but for me the Caddy truly excelled as capable family transport. In fact, for a young family, I reckon the