Volkswagen South Africa has added the Cross Caddy and Kombi T5 DSG to their existing ranges as additional offerings to strengthen the products. The Cross Caddy adds some style and character to the Caddy,whilst the Kombi is now available with a DSG (double clutch gearbox) in short wheelbase form.

Cross Caddy

The Cross Caddy joins the Cross family that now consists of it and the Cross Polo. The exterior style bits such as the 17-inch Canyon wheels, black trimmings on the wheel housing and side skirts, silver roof rails and privacy glass for the rear windows help add a bit of ruggedness to the otherwise utilitarian look of the Caddy. The recreational look does not come with any off road credentials though as the Caddy remains only front-wheel drive.

The only engine available for the Cross Caddy is the 2-litre turbodiesel model with 81 kW and 250 Nm. The engine is connected to a five-speed manual that feels nice and like and distinctly like a Polo shift. The combination works well, but don’t expect any fireworks in terms of acceleration, what you want to do is use the healthy torque figure to shove you through the gears and keep the fuel consumption figure nice and low. VW claim the Cross Caddy will consumejust 5.7L/100km on a combined run.

The interior has been spiced up to feel a bit more like a funky holiday van. The door panel trim is colour coded to the exterior and the seats also incorporate a two-tone design. We drove a particularly interesting Viper Green model, which is a carry-over colour from the Scirocco coupe. The other new colour to the range is Honey Orange. The Cross Caddy is also a great place to play hide-and-seek as there are up 24 hiding places around the car to hide things or store them if you’re not into playing. Standard features for the Cross Caddy include Bluetooth, rain-sensing wipers, hill-hold assist and cruise control. There is also the option to upgrade to a seven-seater model from the standard five-seater.

Kombi Short Wheelbase (SWB) DSG

The Kombi SWB is now offered with VW’s seven-speed DSG gearbox. That’s attached to the top-of-the-range two-litre turbodiesel with 103 kW and 340 Nm of torque with fuel economy claimed at 8L/100km. The Kombi seats eight people easily with a bit of room for luggage at the back which can be stacked pretty much up to the roof. Comfort is the focus though as air-conditioning is sent to all parts of the van making sure everyone is cooled adequately. There are shade-netting styled blinds on the windows as well if you feel the sun is bothering you too much.

The Kombi chugs along fairly well although light steering around the centre and high driving position can make it feel a bit floaty at higher speeds. You also have to be aware that you’re in a large vehiclewhen turning at intersections and parking spots as if you’re not careful, you can catch the rear on all sorts of objects unintentionally.

The DSG makes life in the ‘Volksie Bus’ particularly easy, I remember the old Kombis with their extremely long-throw gearboxes that were a pain to use. The DSG ‘box just gets the job done swiftly and painlessly and feels like a civilised way to shuttle eight people around.

VW Cross Caddy Pricing:

Cross Caddy 2.0 TDI 81 kW R340600

VW Kombi T5 DSG Pricing:

Kombi 2.0 TDI 103kW DSG Trendline SWB R474 300

Kombi 2.0 TDI 103kW DSG Comfortline SWB R536 500

Kombi 2.0 TDI 103kW DSG LWB R544500