We tested this Golden Green 2022 Volkswagen Caddy, a seven-seat people mover, with our family over the Easter School holidays! Will it deliver as much joy as the Easter Bunny? Let's find out how it stacks up in our BabyDrive testing…
BabyDrive Verdict
The 2022 Volkswagen Caddy is a serious contender for all the seven-seat SUVs and people movers out there. This car rocks for families big and small! It is either a really practical and spacious seven-seater for large families or for small families you can remove the two rear seats and have a five-seater with a fantastic amount of storage space for your everyday prams and dogs as well as the weekend camping trips, bikes or paddle boards. I feel like I can't recommend this car enough!
We had lots of comments over our weeks with it, people called it Postman Pat's van, they called it ‘snotto' because of the colour but I'm telling you there is nothing that puts a smile on your face like walking out of the house every morning to a Golden Green car.
Also when you know that car is so super spacious that everyone is going to fit and be comfy and whatever bike, scooter, surfboard etc takes your kids' fancy that day it is going to easily fit in the back, you also get a big smile on your face!
We took the Caddy on our Easter holiday with us and we had everything but the kitchen sink in the back there, two high chairs, bed sides, suitcases, scooters etc and it was effortless.
The first things I noticed about the VW Caddy we tested, apart from the colour, was its old school turn-key ignition! GASP!
Also, there was is no adaptive cruise control in the model I tested. Both things I really missed and I looked into it and you can add them both and a heap more safety gear for $1825. Which I would definitely add to my family vehicle.
Let's start with the seating, there are three seats in the second-row split 60:40 and two individual seats in the third row.
In the second row there are ISOFix points in the two outer seats behind zips. There are top tether anchorages for all five rear seats, which is fantastic news for large families.
I could easily install five Infasecure child seats in the back of the VW Caddy, the seats are very generous in size and it is super spacious. I installed the Infasecure Aspire More booster seat and Versatile folding booster seat in the third-row seats. The third-row seats are also suitable for tall teenagers or adults to sit too.
In the second row I had the Infasecure Attain More, Achieve More and Accomplish More child seats. The three seats fit easily across the second row and it was very comfortable with two seats and an adult across too.
Legroom is fantastic in the VW Caddy, we could easily fit a 180cm+ driver in front of a rear-facing child seat.
I like the seating options in the VW Caddy, they are very adaptable depending on family needs and size. The third-row seats are completely removable so if like us you are a four-pack family you can remove the third-row seats altogether and use the front two rows and have an enormous boot suitable for camping gear, bikes, paddle boards, prams etc.
If you are a larger family you can easily fit five children in the back no matter their age or size. You can even remove one of the second-row seats and create a permanent walk through to the third-row seats.
I am also going to throw out there that I love the way the Caddy drives, it is good fun. It feels very light to drive in comparison to SUVs and I find it doesn't have that heavy, sometimes frumpy feeling that some SUV and people movers can have.
A lot of SUVs can also be as large or bigger than the Caddy but not actually have as much internal space, flexibility or practicality for passengers.
The large windows also give the Caddy a light and bright interior and give passengers big and small great visibility, which can help reduce travel sickness. We did find we would have liked a little shade in the back and you can add tinted rear windows as an option for $405.
The VW Caddy has some fantastic storage solutions too. Like these bag hooks on the left side of the boot.
Tray tables in the second-row and an overhead storage shelf in the front to name a few. Cup and bottle holders are ample throughout all three rows of seats.
There are two USB-C sockets in the back of the central console box and an air vent.
This is the only rear air vent in the model we tested, however, you can have ceiling vents added in the second and third rows for just $35 which would be a must for my family, especially as none of the rear windows open (and opening windows cannot be selected as an option).
There are airbags in all three rows of seats and in the VW Caddy which is great for those wanting to use all seven seats.
When you are using all three rows of seats, a twin pram can easily fit in the generously sized boot with a few bags of shopping.
Or a compact pram and a small Bunnings trip fit nicely in the boot with the parcel shelf!
When using only five seats you could transport any size family dog in the back! (you can easily remove the two rear seats to make a flat surface)
22 Shopping bags will fit in the boot when only using five seats. Which is comparable to the Kia Carnival which can fit 26, the Mazda CX-9 which fits 17, the Hyundai Staria which fits 24 and Palisade which fits 21.
All sizes of pram or stroller fit easily in the boot of the VW Caddy with plenty of space for luggage or shopping around them.
The dash of the new VW Caddy is really clean and minimal, all the buttons you are used to finding littering the dashboard are now neatly within the media system, including the climate settings.
The media screen is easy to use and navigate with some nice features within it too, like being able to easily customise your sound settings with a drag and drop option…
…or your driver assist settings. I found I needed to turn the Auto Engine Cut Out off each journey in the Caddy.
The 2022 VW Caddy has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto too. You can add wireless CarPlay for just $35.
The reversing camera image is small and it's nice and clear and fills the screen giving you great visibility when parking and manoeuvring.
I love driving the 2022 VW Caddy with my family of four; it carries everything we need and more for any occasion. There is enormous legroom for all on board and it fits our Infasecure child seats and pram nicely. With a comfortable and practical amount of space for everything else daily family life and holidays require. Importantly for us, the Caddy is also a fun people mover to drive too! I thought it also has the end life result that when the kids become teenagers they can inherit it and kit it out to become their travelling car with a mattress and surfboards in the back!
The Volkswagen Caddy was given a five-star ANCAP safety rating and has six airbags as standard. (You can read more details about the safety in the VW Caddy in the expandable Safety section below).
BabyDrive Indepth
BabyDrive Indepth - Storage
How big is the boot of the 2022 Volkswagen Caddy People Mover?
Boot storage is amazing in the new 2022 Volkswagen Caddy People Mover! Whether you only use two rows of seats and have an epic boot space…
… or use all three rows and still have plenty of storage for the whole family!
When you are using all three rows of seats, a twin pram can easily fit in the generously sized boot with a few bags of shopping.
Or a tandem pram fits in the boot of the VW Caddy when using all three rows of seats with two bags of shopping.
Or a single pram fits with four bags of shopping.
Or a compact pram fits with seven bags of shopping.
When only using the first two rows of seats 22 shopping bags will fit in the boot of the 2022 Volkswagen Caddy! That is a crazy amount of shopping!
A twin pram will fit easily in the boot of the VW Caddy and you can fit 15 shopping bags around it.
A tandem pram fits in the boot of the 2022 VW Caddy with 14 shopping bags.
A single pram fits in the boot of the 2022 VW Caddy when only using two rows of seats with seventeen shopping bags.
The boot space and its functionality are really important. I like to have a big boot space and little side wells or areas I can divide things into. So something I don’t want to move around while I’m driving such as Bub’s lunch bag or her wet swimming gear can be sectioned off in a little well where it’s not going to spill or get squashed by the rest of the things in the boot.
Hooks for securing shopping bags to are also favourites of mine, I like being able to secure the bag containing more fragile things like eggs so they don’t move around on the journey.
I measure the boot space in freezer shopping bags, prams and dogs. Not because I think all there is to a mum’s life is food shopping, prams and dogs. (Although it can feel like it sometimes!!) But because these are visually mesurable items we can all associate with. For me, the car company boot measurement of litres is not an amount I can easily visualise and 400L in one car may differ in usability to that in another due to the configuration or shape of the space.
A compact stroller fits in the boot of the 2022 VW Caddy with 19 shopping bags.
Or you could transport a few small or large-size family dogs in the boot of the 2022 VW Caddy. The third-row seats are very easily removed so if you want to permanently only use two rows of seats you could take the seats out and have a nice flat boot floor.
One thing worth mentioning is how big the tailgate is of the 2022 VW Caddy, which means you have to really think about how close you park to other vehicles. It's also heavy to close again and quite a reach. The good news is that for zero extra cost you can choose rear barn doors.
For me this would be more practical but the downsides are a bar down the middle of your rear view and a slightly less slick look at the back.
How good is the storage in the 2022 Volkswagen Caddy?
Storage is exceptionally good in the 2022 VW Caddy in all three rows of seats.
In the third row there are cup holders on both sides, next to the pillar, that will hold a refillable water bottle or coffee cup.
Below that is another cup holder and box storage area and a large storage shelf suitable for an iPad or book.
Also in the boot, there are storage bag hooks which are great for school bags too.
In the second row passengers are well taken care of too, with table trays on the back of both front seats which will hold a book or iPad and have cup holders too. My eldest loved this feature because it was like being in an aeroplane but with much more personal space! There are USB-C sockets in the back of the central console box so you can keep devices charged too.
The rear door bins are generous in size, holding a water bottle and an iPad fits in them too.
There is lots of storage for the driver and front passenger too. There are two cup holders in the front of the central console that hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup.
Behind them is a small central console box.
In front of them is a phone charging area with USB-C and 12V sockets.
The glove box will easily hold my phone or wallet with my iPad and the manual.
There is lots of storage in the dashboard of the VW Caddy and as you can imagine all sorts of kids' treasures get collected up there over time!!
Also above the front passengers' heads is a fantastic storage shelf I would normally find in the cabs of trucks. I loved having this in the Caddy with my kids as their iPads and books stored neatly away and out of sight when we got out of the car.
There is a large coin drawer by the driver's right knee.
As well as large front door bins that will hold a large refillable water bottle and an iPad fits in them too.
The door pockets are all lined with thick carpeting so nothing you put in them will rattle around while driving. The front door bins will hold a large refillable water bottle and an iPad will fit in them too.
BabyDrive Indepth - Noise
How noisy is the 2022 Volkswagen Caddy? How good is the media system in the VW Caddy?
The 2022 VW Caddy is not a noisy vehicle in terms of beeps and alarms, but being a people mover based on a van you can hear the engine while driving a little.
The media system is great in the new VW Caddy, it's the same as in the 2022 VW Golf, visually modern, clean, fresh and easy to navigate and use.
There are some great features within the media system that I love, like being able to customise which speakers the music is coming out of, to easily move the kids' music and podcasts to the back…
… you can turn the auto engine cut out off…
… and control the air conditioning too.
The VW Caddy has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so you can safely access your phone's communication, navigation and listening apps while driving.
The reversing camera image fills the whole screen and is very clear, it is easy to turn the parking sensors on and off on the screen too.
The rear doors slide open and shut on the VW Caddy which are fantastic news for parents so the kids don't open the doors into other cars in carparks and also it is much easier to get kids in and out of child seats when you haven't got to swing a door open. The sliding doors do make a distinct noise when you slide them open and closed. The front windows of the VW Caddy are not noisy to open and close and would not disturb little sleeping passengers. However there are no rear opening windows at all!
BabyDrive Indepth - Car Seats
How many child seats fit in the 2022 Volkswagen Caddy?
Five Infasecure Child seats fit easily in the back of the 2022 Volkswagen Caddy!
There are three seats in the second-row split 60:40 and two individual seats in the third row.
In the second row there are ISOFix points in the two outer seats behind zips.
There are top tether anchorages for all five rear seats, which is fantastic news for large families. For the central second-row seat and the two third-row seats, they are on the seat backs.
The two outer second-row seat top tether anchorages are strangely positioned, large silver D-rings in the floor behind the second-row seats. They are labelled on the wall of the Caddy beside them but it is not too clear that they are top tether anchorages as they look more like luggage anchors. I was sceptical but the 2022 VW Caddy instruction manual says these ARE top tether anchorages!
I can easily install five Infasecure child seats in the back of the VW Caddy, the seats are very generous in size and it is lovely and spacious. I installed the Infasecure Aspire More booster seat and Versatile folding booster seat in the third-row seats. The third-row seats are also suitable for tall teenagers or adults to sit too.
In the second row, I installed the Infasecure Attain More, Achieve More and Accomplish More child seats. The three seats fit easily across the second row and it was very comfortable with two seats and an adult across too because they are properly shaped like three individual seats.
Legroom is fantastic in the VW Caddy, we could easily fit a 180cm+ driver in front of a rear-facing child seat.
The seats in the VW Caddy can be easily adapted depending on your family's size and individual needs. The third-row seats are completely removable so if you don't need them you can remove the third-row seats altogether and use the front two rows and have an enormous boot suitable for camping gear, bikes, paddle boards, prams etc.
If you are a larger family you can easily fit five children in the back no matter their age or size. Or you could remove the single second-row seat and create a permanent walk through to the third-row seats.
For a large family needing access to the third row with child seats installed, you would need to leave the single seat for your eldest child, either without a child seat in or with an Infasecure Versatile Folding Booster Seat that is easily removable on each trip as its super-lightweight design means it does not require a top tether anchorage. The seat folds forward giving a nice easy walk-through but you can only do this with need no child seat in there.
Popping Bub in and out of their child seats from outside, the VW Caddy is really nice and easy, the sliding doors mean the doorways are really big and wide. On the inside the ceiling height is really high, allowing lots of space to post from inside the car too.
Australia being a country of weather extremes blazing sun and torrential rain means you may find it easier to put bub into their seat from inside the car. If it’s hot you can get the aircon going, cool the car down and not stand out in the heat with the door open while you fasten them in or shelter from the rain and not get soaked yourself whilst you’re doing it. So it is important to test whether bub can be easily installed from either direction.
There is plenty of room in the back to feed Bub too.
BabyDrive Indepth - Drive & Comfort
How comfortable is the 2022 Volkswagen Caddy People Mover?
The front seats in the 2022 VW Caddy are very comfortable the seat bases can be extended for those with longer legs!
In the back, the seats are second-row seats are very spacious and comfortable too and with a child seat installed in both outer seats, there is room for me to travel in the central seat quite comfortably between them and I am 162cm.
The third-row seats have great head and legroom for a 180cm adult to travel back there.
The steering wheel is fully adjustable in/out and up/down in the VW Caddy.
There are four air vents across the front dash, two in the middle and one at either end.
In the second-row there are air vents in the back of the central console box.
There are not air vents in the third-row in this model I have tested but you can have ceiling vents added in the second and third rows for just $35, which I would definitely do.
The climate is controlled through the media screen.
Visibility is fantastic in the 2022 Volkswagen Caddy, the windows are enormous giving the passengers a great view out and the driver great visibility when changing lanes, manoeuvring and parking. I did find the sun can be quite strong coming in through the large windows and you can have them tinted for just $405 extra which I would do for my family.
One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and Bub has either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful. Usually I dread when we get the big cars or utes as they take longer to park, in our tight apartment block carpark, the VW Caddy has been really easy and enjoyable to drive and to park!
The 2022 VW Caddy is easy to park, the reversing camera has a clear image and the visibility through the large windows makes it nice and easy.
I really enjoy driving the VW Caddy, it has really light steering for a people mover/van and it feels fun and not serious. It's not frumpy like an SUV and when it's bright green like this one it definitely put a smile on my face 🙂 The best part about the VW Caddy is everyone having their own personal space.
BabyDrive Indepth - Safety
How safe is the 2022 Volkswagen Caddy for families?
The 2022 Volkswagen Caddy has a five-star ANCAP safety rating. In testing it scored 86% for child occupancy protection, 84% for adult occupancy protection and 79% for safety assist technology and 69% for pedestrian protection.
For the child occupancy testing ANCAP wrote:
In the frontal offset test, dummy readings indicated GOOD protection for all critical body areas of both child dummies, apart from the neck of the 10 year dummy where protection was rated as ADEQUATE.
In the side impact test, protection of all critical body areas was GOOD for both child dummies, and maximum points were scored.
The Volkswagen Caddy is fitted with lower ISOFix anchorages on the outboard seats in the second and third rows, and top tether anchorages for all rear seating positions.
Installation of typical child restraints available in Australia and New Zealand showed most child restraints could be accommodated in most rear seating positions, however one of the selected Type A convertible seats could not be correctly installed in rearward facing mode using the ISOfix anchorages in the 2nd row, and and does not fit in the 3rd row. In addition, one of the selected convertible seats could not be correctly installed in forward or rearward facing mode using the ISOfix anchorages in the 3rd row.
The 2022 VW Caddy comes with seven airbags as standard. The new Caddy is equipped with one front airbag for the driver and one for the passenger. Centre airbags prevent a collision between the driver and front passenger. And curtain airbags offer all three rows of passengers sitting on the outer seats protection in the event of a side-on collision.
Tace Clifford founded BabyDrive in 2017 after discovering a huge information gap in mainstream car reviews that left new parents and expanding families in the dark when it came to one of the biggest purchasing decisions of their lives.
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