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Volkswagen’s Caddy Life seven-seater combines compact dimensions with efficient use of internal space and seating flexibility to deliver an effective combination of comfort and utility.
We recently spent a week with the premium model to see if this people-mover can meet the diverse requirements of busy families for work and play, in a people-mover segment dominated by the Kia Carnival.
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Volkswagen Caddy 5 2024: Life Maxi TDI320
| Engine Type | Diesel Turbo 4, 2.0L |
|---|---|
| Fuel Type | Diesel |
| Fuel Efficiency | 4.9L/100km (combined) |
| Seating | 7 |
| Price From | $58,790 |
| Safety Rating |
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Does it represent good value for the price? What features does it come with? 8/10?
8 / 10
Our Life test vehicle is the premium offering in the two-model Caddy range, in this case powered by a TDI 320 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-diesel engine paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
Its list price of $56,790 is considerably more than the base model Kia Carnival diesel ($52,380) which offers an extra seating position. Our example is also finished in 'Fortana Red' metallic paint, which is an extra-cost option.
As the top-shelf model, the Caddy Life comes standard with 17-inch ‘Barahona’ alloys and 215/55R17 tyres plus a full-size steel spare, heated door mirrors, a power tailgate and side/rear privacy glass.
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There’s also tasteful chrome detailing on the grille, roof-rails, sliding-door rails and body badges along with colour-coded bumpers and door-handles. Combined with the optional premium paint, this bling creates an upmarket appearance consistent with its premium model status.
Inside the carpeted and surprisingly spacious cabin are three rows of seating (the second and third rows are easily removable) neatly finished in ‘Trialog’ diamond-quilt-style fabric trim.
The driver is treated to keyless start, a multi-adjustable seat including four-way power lumbar support, a leather-wrapped multi-function steering wheel and a large left footrest.
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There’s also an 8.25-inch colour touchscreen which serves as central command for the four-speaker multimedia system, with digital radio and multiple connectivity including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Some vehicle settings, including climate control, auto stop/start etc are also touchscreen-controlled, but thankfully audio volume and tuning still use physical dials.
The family-friendly cabin also includes dual-zone climate control, heated front seats, wireless phone-charging, two USB-C ports, two 12-volt sockets, fold-down tables and heating/cooling vents for second-row passengers, LED reading lights, rear luggage compartment cover, lots of places to store stuff and more.
Is there anything interesting about its design? 8/10?
8 / 10
The front wheel-drive Caddy Life rides on a 'Maxi' 2970mm wheelbase with MacPherson strut front suspension, multi-link rear suspension, electronic-assisted power-steering and four-wheel disc brakes. It has a 12.1-metre turning circle, which is larger than some one-tonne vans.
The spacious and airy feel of its cabin belies its relatively compact external dimensions, which are shorter in wheelbase, shorter in overall length and narrower (excluding door mirrors) than the Kia Carnival.
However, the Caddy Life is slightly taller than the Kia, resulting in generous headroom for all which enhances its spacious feel.
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As a result, this cabin can comfortably accommodate passengers ranging from small kids to lanky teenagers to tall adults in all three rows, which we confirmed courtesy of my 186cm frame.
There’s ample space for the driver and front passenger and the second-row seating also offers adequate knee room, even for someone my height when sitting behind the driver’s seat in my position.
There’s less knee room in the centre position, though, due to the protruding console.
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The second-row base cushions, which are split roughly 70/30, don’t have slide adjustment but you can alter the backrest angle. Although three kids could fit comfortably here, larger teens and adults would have limited shoulder room. So, for long trips with grown-ups, the second-row would work best with two.
And even though the third-row base-cushions are also fixed, the rearmost seating is remarkably spacious. Although the flat floor results in elevated knees for someone my height, it still provides enough foot, knee, shoulder and headroom for adequate comfort, so kids would find it even more accommodating.
How practical is its space and tech inside? 9/10
9 / 10
With its 1742kg tare weight (unladen) and 2450kg GVM, the Caddy Life has a 708kg payload rating. In real world use, seven large adults would use up most if not all of that before you could add any luggage, so keep this load limit in mind if you need to carry half a rugby team to training.
However, for most urban requirements involving kids, this weight limit would be more than adequate if you need to haul them and their friends and their gear for a multitude of tasks, from weekday school runs to weekend sports to holiday getaways. And up to 100kg of that 708kg can be carried on the roof, which is ideal for storage solutions like roof-pods.
The Caddy Life is also rated to tow up to 1500kg of braked trailer. And with its generous 4213kg GCM rating (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time), that means it can haul its maximum payload while towing its maximum trailer weight, which is a handy capability for many work or play duties.
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However, given the tow ball download (TBD) limit is only 75kg, that could present a challenge for those wanting to tow 1500kg given that TBD is usually around 10 per cent of trailer weight (or in this case about double the stated TBD limit).
Even so, one of the Caddy Life’s best features is the versatility of its second and third-row seats, which can be configured to significantly expand load volume.
For example, the backrests on both rows can be folded flat to provide a raised load floor sufficient for carting many bulky items from a load of cardboard for recycling to flatpack furniture.
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However, if you need maximum load volume, the second and third rows can be easily removed from the vehicle to create a spacious van.
For starters, there’s more than half a metre of floor length and almost half a cubic metre of load volume behind the third-row seats, which is ideal for grocery shops, school bags and the like.
This expands to more than 1.4 metres of floor and more than 1.7 cubic metres of load volume when the third-row seat is removed.
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This space expands again to more than 2.2 metres of floor length and more than 3.0 cubic metres of load volume with both the second and third rows removed.
That’s in the same ballpark as the small commercial van class (under 2.5-tonne GVM) and the sliding doors on either side provide similar load access, so in terms of moving either people or cargo, the versatility of this design makes it very efficient at both.
Given its primary role as a people-mover, there’s generous internal storage for personal items, starting with a large-bottle holder and deep bin in the base of each front door. There’s also a handy driver’s drawer in the right-side dash, open storage in the centre dash-pad and a large glove box.
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The centre console has a pair of small-bottle/cupholders and there’s a lidded box at the rear. There’s also a full-width overhead shelf which can hold heaps of stuff and doesn’t feel too close to your forehead due to the generous roof height.
Second-row passengers get a small-bottle/cupholder and bin in each sliding door, plus there are pockets on the front seat backrests and some handy fold-down trays complete with cupholders which are ideal for snacks, games etc on long trips.
Third-row passengers are also well catered for with small-bottle/cupholders and storage on each side.
What are the key stats for its engine and transmission? 8/10
8 / 10
Our premium grade Caddy Life is powered by VW’s excellent 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel which produces 90kW of power at 2750-4250rpm and 320Nm of torque between 1500-2500rpm.
It’s paired with an equally refined seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, which provides the option of sequential manual-shifting in 'Sport' mode using the steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. There's also an electronic diff lock.
Worth noting there's also a TSI220 version powered by a 84kW/220Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine.
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What is its fuel consumption? What is its driving range? 8/10
8 / 10
VW claims an official combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle consumption of only 4.9L/100km. By comparison, the dash display was showing a more realistic 7.2 at the completion of our 230km of testing, which was a mix of city, suburban and highway driving with a variety of loads, from driver-only to all seven seats being filled when attending a sporting event.
The dash readout was very close to our own figure of 7.8L/100km, calculated from actual fuel bowser and tripmeter readings, which is still thrifty economy for a seven-seater.
So, based on our numbers, you could expect a ‘real world’ driving range of around 640km from its 50-litre tank.
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What’s it like to drive? 8/10
8 / 10
It exudes solid build quality and design integrity with light and responsive steering, strong braking and a typically European ride that strikes the right balance between the firmness needed for reassuring handling response and the suppleness needed to soak up bumps.
The seven-speed dual-clutch auto does a good job keeping the turbo-diesel operating within its torque sweet-spot between 1500-2500rpm for most of the time, where engine response is at its strongest in city and suburban driving.
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Even when hauling a sizeable payload, as we did with all seven seats occupied, the 2.0-litre engine’s hearty 320Nm of torque maintained good response around town, where it didn’t feel overly sluggish or require manual-shifting to sharpen its response under this load.
It’s also a relaxed highway cruiser, requiring only 1600rpm to maintain 110km/h. Noise suppression is also commendable at these speeds, with negligible engine, tyre and wind noise intrusion.
Warranty & Safety Rating
What safety equipment is fitted? What safety rating? 9/10
9 / 10
It has a maximum five-star ANCAP rating awarded in 2021 (expires Dec 2027). Passive safety includes front, side and centre airbags for driver and front passenger plus side-curtain airbags for all three rows.
The extensive active safety menu includes AEB with pedestrian and cyclist monitoring, lane-keeping, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, autonomous oncoming vehicle braking when turning, front and rear parking assist, reversing camera, tyre pressure monitoring and lots more.
There are three top-tether child-seat restraints for the second-row and two for the third-row, plus two ISOFIX anchorage points for both the second and third-rows.
What warranty is offered? What are its service intervals? What are its running costs? 8/10
8 / 10
Warranty is five years/unlimited km plus 12 months roadside assist.
Scheduled servicing is every 12 months/15,000km whichever occurs first.
Capped-price for the first five scheduled services up to five years/75,000km totals $3275, or an average of $655 per year. VW also offers pre-paid five-year service plans which offer significant savings.
Verdict
Families could easily grow to like the Caddy Life. It’s not only enjoyable and economical to drive but its surprisingly spacious cabin offers comfortable seating for all three rows, two of which can be easily removed and replaced as required. It would be equally competent serving as both a weekday family carry-all and weekend escape machine.
Pricing Guides
Range and Specs
| Vehicle | Specs | Price* |
|---|---|---|
| California TSI220 | 1.5L, 7 SPEED AUTO DIRECT SHIFT | $62,090 |
| Life Maxi TSI220 | 1.5L, 7 SPEED AUTO DIRECT SHIFT | $56,790 |
| Maxi TSI220 | 1.5L, 7 SPEED AUTO DIRECT SHIFT | $52,290 |
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