Overview of the technical characteristics of the Volkswagen Caddy
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It is probably difficult to find a more famous commercial vehicle of the German concern than the Volkswagen Caddy. The car is light, compact and at the same time able to meet the needs of the largest family. This minivan has received many awards at prestigious automobile exhibitions. For example, in 2005 the car was named the best European minivan. In Russia, the car is also popular. What are its main characteristics? Let's try to figure it out.
A bit of history
The first Volkswagen Caddy rolled off the assembly line in 1979. It was then that farmers in the United States had a fashion for pickups, which they made by simply cutting the roof off their old Volkswagen Golfs. German engineers quickly appreciated the prospects of this trend, and created the first two-seater van, the body of which was covered with an awning. The car was sold only in the USA, and it reached Europe only in 1989. It was the first generation of the Volkswagen Caddy, which was positioned as a compact delivery van. There were three generations of the Volkswagen Caddy. Cars of 1979 and 1989 have long been discontinued and are of interest only to collectors. But the cars of the newest, third generation, began to be produced relatively recently: in 2004. Production continues today. Below we will talk about these machines.
Main technical characteristics of Volkswagen Caddy
Consider the most important technical parameters of the popular German car Volkswagen Caddy.
Body type, dimensions, load capacity
The vast majority of Volkswagen Caddy cars that can be found on our roads are five-door minivans. They are very compact, but at the same time quite roomy. The body of the car is one-piece, treated against corrosion with a special compound and partially galvanized. The manufacturer's warranty against perforation corrosion is 11 years.
The dimensions of the 2010 Volkswagen Caddy are as follows: 4875/1793/1830 mm. The car is designed for 7 seats. The steering wheel is always on the left. Gross vehicle weight - 2370 kg. Curb weight - 1720 kg. The minivan is capable of carrying up to 760 kg of cargo in the cabin, plus another 730 kg placed on a trailer not equipped with brakes and up to 1400 kg if the trailer design provides for brakes. The trunk volume of the Volkswagen Caddy is 3250 liters.
Chassis, transmission, ground clearance
All Volkswagen Caddy cars are equipped with front-wheel drive. This technical solution is easy to explain: it is much easier to drive a front-wheel drive car, and it is easier to maintain such a car. The front suspension used on all Volkswagen Caddy models is independent.
It is completed with rotary racks with depreciation fists and trihedral levers. The design of this suspension is borrowed from the Volkswagen Golf. This solution makes driving a Volkswagen Caddy comfortable and dynamic.
The rear suspension includes a one-piece rear axle that mounts directly to the leaf springs. This increases the reliability of the suspension, while its design remains very simple. The chassis of the Volkswagen Caddy has a few more important features:
- the overall layout of the undercarriage is incredibly simple, because the design does not include a hydraulic pump, hoses and hydraulic fluid reservoir;
- in view of the above design, hydraulic fluid leaks on the Volkswagen Caddy are completely excluded;
- the chassis has a so-called active return, thanks to which the wheels of the car can be automatically set to the middle position.
All Volkswagen Caddy cars, even in basic trim levels, are equipped with electric power steering, which significantly increases the controllability of the car. Depending on the configuration, the following types of gearboxes can be installed on the Volkswagen Caddy:
- five-speed manual;
- five-speed automatic;
- six-speed robotic (this option appeared only in 2014).
The ground clearance of the car has changed slightly since 1979. On the first Cuddy models, it was 135 mm, now it is 145 mm.
Type and consumption of fuel, tank volume
Volkswagen Caddy can consume both diesel fuel and AI-95 gasoline. It all depends on the type of engine installed on the minivan:
- in the urban driving cycle, a Volkswagen Caddy with a gasoline engine consumes 6 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers, with a diesel engine - 6.4 liters per 100 kilometers;
- when driving on country roads, the consumption of gasoline cars is reduced to 5.4 liters per 100 kilometers, and diesel - up to 5.1 liters per 100 kilometers.
The volume of the fuel tank on all Volkswagen Caddy models is the same: 60 liters.
Wheelbase
The wheelbase of the Volkswagen Caddy is 2682 mm. Tire sizes for a 2004 car are 195–65r15.
Disc size 15/6, disc offset - 43 mm.
Power, volume and type of engine
Depending on the configuration, one of the following engines can be installed on a Volkswagen Caddy:
- gasoline engine with a volume of 1.2 liters and a power of 85 liters. With. This motor is considered basic, but it is also installed on cars with the maximum configuration, which is very unusual for German cars. A car with this engine accelerates rather slowly, but this disadvantage is more than offset by reduced fuel consumption;
Volkswagen Caddy main petrol engine, transverse - 1.6 liter petrol engine with 110 horsepower. With. It is this engine that is considered the base in the domestic automotive market;
- diesel engine with a volume of 2 liters and a power of 110 liters. With. Its characteristics practically do not differ from the previous engine, with the exception of fuel consumption: it is higher due to the increased volume of the engine;Diesel engine Volkswagen Caddy is slightly more compact than gasoline
- diesel engine with a volume of 2 liters and a power of 140 liters. With. This is the most powerful engine installed on the Volkswagen Caddy. It is capable of accelerating the car to 200 km / h, and its torque reaches 330 Nm.
Brake system
All Volkswagen Caddy models, regardless of configuration, are equipped with ABS, MSR and ESP.
Let's talk about these systems in more detail:
- ABS (anti-lock brake system) is a system that prevents the brakes from locking. If the driver suddenly and abruptly braked, or he had to urgently brake on a very slippery road, ABS will not allow the drive wheels to lock up completely, and this, in turn, will not allow the car to go skidding, and the driver completely lose control and fly off the track;
- ESP (electronic stability program) is a vehicle stability control system. The main purpose of this system is to help the driver in a critical situation. For example, if the car enters an uncontrolled skid, ESP will keep the car on a given trajectory. This is done with the help of smooth automatic braking of one of the drive wheels;
- MSR (motor schlepmoment regelung) is an engine torque control system. This is another system that prevents the drive wheels from locking up in situations where the driver releases the gas pedal too quickly or uses very hard engine braking. As a rule, the system turns on automatically when driving on slippery roads.
It should also be noted here that, at the request of the buyer, an anti-slip system ASR (antriebs schlupf regelung) can also be installed on the car, which will keep the car stable at the moment of a very sharp start or when driving uphill on a slippery road. The system is activated automatically when the vehicle speed falls below 30 km/h.
Features of the internal configuration
The steering column on the Volkswagen Caddy can be adjusted in two directions: both in height and reach. So that each driver will be able to adjust the steering wheel for themselves. The steering wheel has a number of keys that allow you to control the on-board multimedia system, cruise control system and even a mobile phone. And of course, the steering column is equipped with a modern airbag.
The cruise control system of the Volkswagen Caddy can maintain the speed set by the driver, even if this speed is very low (from 40 km/h). If the system is used when driving outside the city, then it allows you to achieve significant fuel savings. This is due to the more even pace of the ride.
All modern Volkswagen Caddy models can be equipped with a special Travel & Comfort module built into the headrests of the front seats. The module also includes an adjustable mount for tablet computers of various models. The module also includes hangers for clothes and hooks for bags. All this makes it possible to more efficiently use the interior space of the cabin.
Video: 2005 Volkswagen Caddy review
https://youtube.com/watch?v=KZtOlLZ_t_s
So, Volkswagen Caddy can be a real gift both for a large family and for people involved in private transportation. The compactness of this car, combined with high reliability, provided him with a stable demand, which, presumably, will not fall for many years to come.
