In its new California version, the Volkswagen Caddy is transformed into a small van fitted out with a kitchenette and a double bed. We tried the long Maxi version with the most powerful engine to see what this mini-California was capable of.
[Mis à jour le 21/07/2021] Volkswagen had already explored the path of the minivan transformed into a van with the Caddy Beach, but without offering it the California signature. It is now done! Volkswagen campervans play Russian dolls: in size XL with the Grand California, in L with the famous California, and now in S with the Caddy California based on the fifth generation of the small utility Volkswagen. Marketed for a few months, the new Caddy has little to envy the passenger cars of the range in road services. But what is it worth in California clothes?
Based on the MQB platform, synonymous with up-to-date behavior, the Caddy benefits from high-tech equipment on the driving aids side as infotainment. In the MPV version like here, it is the most modern rival of the Renault Kangoo and Citroën Berlingo. Our Maxi extended version has a wheelbase of nearly 3 m and is 35 cm longer (4.85 m). What to offer the maximum space in the allotted template.
With 1.80 m high, no question to ask for access to car parks. The Caddy California will sneak everywhere, and its discreet look will allow it to go unnoticed. Here is an important argument to take advantage of one of the advantages of these vans: the possibility of stopping in places forbidden to motorhomes, subject to more restrictions.
Obviously, as no water tank for the dishes or the toilet is included, a stop from time to time in a campsite to benefit from a sanitary block will probably be on the program of the trip. This will be the opportunity to deploy the auxiliary tent available as an accessory, which can accommodate four people. Self-supporting thanks to its pneumatic stakes, it is also fixed to the rear of the vehicle to create a kind of small mobile home temporary.
On board the Caddy California
In road configuration, the cabin part of the Caddy California is strictly identical to that of the Caddy VP. At the front, we therefore find a very modern and well-built dashboard. Admittedly, the ubiquity of hard plastics betrays the vehicle’s utilitarian origin, but the spectacular screens of the Digital Cockpit and the 10-inch infotainment system with Discover Pro navigation have nothing to envy those of a Golf . Moreover, the whole is simply taken from the brand’s bestseller, also with the ergonomic wanderings that we know. For example, the windshield defrost button is found in a tactile control unit for the headlights, separate from the air conditioning instructions, themselves passing through the central screen …
The rear seats are very welcoming, including the middle one, and their access is greatly facilitated by wide sliding doors (84 cm), which here benefit from an electric closing aid. The space on board is particularly appreciable, but a little less convincing on the trunk side. And for good reason: this is where both the bed folded into three, the small kitchenette unit and the outside seats and table are stored. But the Caddy retains its utility capacity because, if volume is needed for occasional transport, the bed and the rear seat can be removed.
Once the long tailgate is up, it forms a shelter high enough not to bump your head while standing and cook with the drawer unit, which houses a gas burner high up, protected by a folding screen. Below, a high drawer will accommodate food and crockery. But beware, there is no refrigerator on the program (fortunately there are compact independent 12 V models) or sink for dishes. Let’s not even talk about a shower or a toilet … Finally, flexible bags integrated into the rear quarter windows serve as storage.
As for the bed, before deploying it, you have to move the driver’s seat forward, but also fold down the passenger seat and the rear bench. The structure then unfolds easily (but it is better with two), two retractable feet resting in a notch of the pillar B. Even if it is narrow (1,980 x 1,070 mm), this bed offers a comfortable space for two thanks to its real box spring and its foam mattress, using the solutions of the California mezzanine bed. In contrast, the useful height is a little tight there, and tall builders will not be able to sit up without tilting their heads. For the night, a bag brings together the blackout curtains. These take a long time to put in place, from the windshield to the beautiful 1.4 m panoramic roof2 through the side and rear windows, even if the magnets they incorporate are well thought out to attach to the metal uprights. Two louvers with integrated mosquito nets are provided to allow life-saving ventilation at the front windows during sleep, whilestationary heating is offered.
Driving
The Caddy California should be available in 116 hp TSI gasoline and 75 or 122 hp TDI diesel, the latter fitted to our test model. This very well calibrated engine offers sufficient performance to drive at a good pace with appreciable pleasure thanks to the omnipresent torque. Be careful with radars, however: the speed indicated on the odometer is exactly the real speed, which is rare in automobile production – except at Tesla. The manual gearbox of our trial version (oddly the only choice in 4Motion) was well staged, and the result is an average consumption of 7.5 l / 100 km. Note that a plug-in hybrid version of the Caddy is planned for 2022. An interesting alternative for such a vehicle, capable of slipping silently into a natural environment.
Easy to drive and offering good peripheral visibility, the Caddy is suitable for everyone. The numerous driving aids on offer contribute, among other functions, to motorway comfort with the adaptive centering regulator in the Travel Assist line. The vehicle also benefits from Trailer Assist, which helps when driving with a trailer. In terms of comfort, the Caddy offers a very satisfying experience, both in terms of damping and the sound environment, just disturbed by aerodynamic noise on the motorway. We are definitely far from the rustic utilities of yesteryear. The same goes for the road behavior, efficient and reassuring, which forgives any increase in pace, especially in our 4Motion all-wheel drive version, serene. This 4 x 4 version is not intended for crossing, but it will allow you to venture a little further off the beaten track, which can be valuable.
Caddy California Price
The Caddy California range and prices for France start from € 34,380 for the short petrol version, which is a third less than the initial price of the “big” California classic. Enough to make the fashionable VW van life more accessible, even if the comfort of use is not quite comparable. However, prices are peaking for the best-equipped versions, and our test model (Maxi TDI 4Motion version) is priced at € 43,620. Fortunately, the presence of the kitchenette allows homologation as a motorhome, avoiding going through the penalty box.
Find the test report and the technical sheet on the following page …
