The better van for the job
THE compact van segment to which the Caddy Maxi Crewvan belongs makes all kinds of sense for the city-focused courier, tradie or family buyer who needs more room luggage area than a traditional sedan or SUV will allow.
More car-like than larger vans - especially when you’re the driver - the compact segment delivers user-friendly ergonomics, some measure of comfort and exterior dimensions that make manoeuvring around the city a breeze. The long-wheelbase Caddy Maxi Crewvan is as much a work vehicle as it is a family conveyance, and if the kids are into something like BMX, or any of the sports that require the lugging of larger equipment, there’s a lot to like about that cavernous section behind the second row.
It will easily house full-size bikes, for example. The cabin, while spartan compared to a Volkswagen Golf, does have one advantage for van owners used to more tradesman-like surrounds. It’s comfortable and more car-like than you might expect. The seating position is excellent, as is visibility. The second row windows (with sliding sections for ventilation) assist here. They add rear three-quarter visibility that you would miss if you had a solid-sided panel van. The relationship between driver and the leather-trimmed steering wheel/controls is the main reason the Caddy Maxi feels so car-like. It’s really easy to get comfortable and you never feel like you’re driving a truck.
The second-row seats, which don’t slide forward and back, do flip forward to allow the Caddy to carry longer items, and there’s enough room in the second row for adults. Importantly, ‘stadium style’ seating means passengers in the second row get a really good view forward over the top of the front seat passengers. There is an ISOFIX child seat anchor-point, but no second-row airbags; it does have dual front and frontside airbags.
The rubber-lined footwells will be perfect for building sites or the post-football ride home in winter and the backrest isn’t too upright either. We had second-row passengers for some shorter trips on test and they reported being comfortable. They appreciated the windows and sliding sections in the second row too, while double sliding doors makes getting in and out of the second row a breeze.
You’ll find plenty of storage space in the Caddy Maxi, especially the very handy overhead section, which keeps valuables away from prying eyes. It’s not lined though, so objects can slide around up there, which can get annoying.
We loved the underfloor storage in the second row, too, and the big door pockets. Driving the Caddy Maxi around town is a cinch. The turning circle is tight, the steering light at low speed and the general manoeuvrability excellent. We liked the non-matching external rear view mirrors too - the driver’s side is square, while the curb side is rectangular to give a better view.
The fact the steering is so direct is yet another feature you expect from a car not a van. The flat-bottomed steering wheel is an engaging piece of kit to use.
You can absolutely picture a courier driver loving this van if they spend most of their time in the city confines. So much storage.
Door pockets can fit a two-litre bottle and more. There are drawers under the front seats and a shelf as wide as the car on the ceiling. On its way to 100km/h, the seven-speed DSG does its best to keep the revs down to 4500rpm. With mostly freeway driving, the Caddy’s fuel reading was 6.3L/100km unladen and increased by only 0.7L when laden.
Its tyres are wrapped around 16-inch rims and fitted to leaf springs with a load-dependent damper on the rear axle. It handles bumps and ruts without too much drama. Volkswagen suggests optioning the reinforced rear suspension if you plan to regularly carry over 200kg.
Vision is pretty good, with the extra rear side windows helping with head-checks, and the tall left mirror gives you added confidence. Also, the rear wing doors are asymmetrically split, so the door frame doesn’t obstruct what’s in the rear-view mirror too much. Even unladen, the Caddy settles after sharp bumps and humps pretty well and rarely feels skittish.
The body control is good, and its handling predictable. Its all-round disc brakes also have good pedal feel and ample ‘bite’. The screen in the Caddy is simple to use, and it has the requisite Bluetooth phone and audio streaming to keep businesspeople contactable on the move. It’s quick to connect and reconnect, has good call clarity, and the menus of the media system are simple to learn, while the controls are all logically placed.
Piano black highlights and smartly placed buttons, to the Polo-like dashboard and controls and the comfortable sculpted seats, no other van feels quite like it.
And it has the must-have airbag coverage, with dual front, front side and head airbags standard.