CHILD-SEAT SAFETY

I recently purchased the April 2020 issue of CAR and was delighted to nd a road test on the Volkswagen Caddy 1,0 TSI 75 kw Trendline, as I purchased one in September 2019.

Your article made mention of the Iso x anchorages and, having had an argument with my daughter regarding this (she belongs to some sort of “car seat support group” and is also a medical doctor), I thought it might be interesting for other parents with child seats to be aware of the following:

1. Read the instructions in the manual provided by VW. There are about ve pages of information pertaining to the use of the Iso x and the kind of safety chairs VW recommends for use with it.

2. If the safety chair has a support leg which rests on the

oor in the footwell, check if there is a storage compartment there. Most Caddys have this, as well as some other models. This is not strong enough to restrain the chair in the event of an impact and VW has recommended that an insert be used to reinforce the area.

3. I approached various VW dealerships in my area with no luck and eventually reverted to VWSA. Through them and with the assistance of the original salesman, I eventually managed to purchase the required part. The part number for the Caddy and also the Touran is 000 019 720 and costs around R300, which is a small fee to pay for the safety of a child. It is little more than a shaped piece of high-density Styrofoam but this apparently provides the required support.

MARK RADUE Via email

[Great advice for parents, Mark. To thank you, there’s a 12-month subscription to CAR on its way to you – editor.]

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