Standard specification, as already stated, is high and our test van added electric windows and heated mirrors at £240, air conditioning at £675 and sat-nav at £1,320.

With full adjustment on both driver’s seat and steering wheel, there was no problem finding a comfortable position.

The driver’s seat is just hard enough to be comfortable on long journeys and features lots of side support.

In the roof there are grab handles on each side for when the going gets rough.

In the back

In the same week as I tested the Caddy TDI, I happened to have a Fiat Doblo Cargo parked next door and the VeeDub seemed to dwarf the funky little Italian.

But in fact, the load volumes are similar at 3.2 cubic metres, although the Caddy trounces the Doblo Cargo on payload at 819kg to 625kg.

The test van featured dual side sliding doors (£220) which operated with an uncanny silky smoothness.

In the load bay, the Caddy had a ribbed plastic floor and hardboard side panels up to half height, while the floor featured six load-lashing eyes.

On the road

At launch, the only van on offer was the lower powered SDI, offering just 69bhp, and many of the journalists at the time complained about lack of power.

But the beefed-up TDI with 104bhp on tap has no such problems – it is lusty and lively and will soon wind this van up to a top speed exceeding the magic ton.

Power steering is too light for my liking and doesn’t really give much of a feel for what’s going on between wheels and road, but handling is crisp and neat and, despite its size, the van seems to enjoy being thrown into corners.

Volkswagen has eschewed the current trend of moving the gearstick up on to the dash, but the floor-mounted item is a short throw one and snicks into place in a most satisfactory manner.

Those standard ABS brakes and traction control are a real step forward in terms of safety and Volkswagen should be praised for making them a first in the sector.

Making my fleet choice in any van road test, I mostly advise business buyers to choose lower powered models.

However, in this case – unless your business happens to be the transportation of feathers – the pick must be the TDI.

It may cost an extra £900 but it could prove more cost-effective in the long run.

Drivers in the SDI may become disgruntled by its lack of power and will be tempted to nail their right feet to the floor and leave them there.

According to Volkswagen, fuel economy at a constant 56mph is 53.3mpg for the smaller engine and 55.4mpg for the larger one, but this could suffer terribly under a heavy-footed driver.

The TDI is likely to prove more economical in real-life terms.

And don’t forget that drivers who don’t like their vehicles are likely to abuse them in other ways too.

Verdict

I promised not tomention the looks, so will ignore them for the purposes of this verdict.

There are so many plus points for this vehicle that Volkswagen could hardly fail to increase sales over the old model.

It’s a winner.