Behind the wheel

Take a peep at the latest van fleet sales and you’ll see Volkswagen sitting at No3 in the chart, with sales up 23% this year.

It’s all part of a concerted effort that has seen this already respected marque making massive progress.

And driving this new Caddy round the twisty mountain roads near Frankfurt, it’s easy to see why.

I always admired the Caddy’s smooth looks and the jaunty new set of headlights give it an even more impressive appearance.

Climbing aboard, the seats immediately feel a whole lot more comfortable.

Usually at press launches, only the higher powered models are available for driving, no doubt in a bid to con us poor journos into believing that vans are more powerful than they really are.

It’s a shame as I test for fleet purposes and that usually means more modest power outputs

But VW was happy to lend me the lowest power 1.6-litre 75bhp and having driven it the best part of 100 miles I really can’t see the need to spend extra money on more oomph.

Part of the course took in a steep mountain pass and this van never felt short of power, although to be fair we were testing it empty.

The secret lies in the fact that the power comes in a very low 1,500rpm, so while this variant won‘t exactly burn rubber at high speeds it will certain lug itself around with aplomb under trying circumstances.

We also got to try a 102bhp van with a six-speed DSG gearbox and what a smoothie it is – seamless gearchanges and an oh-so-effortless driving style.

It costs around £1,200 extra, which may put off some fleet buyers, but I’m reliably informed by CAP and Glass’s that such expenses will be recouped at selling time, as second buyers will probably be owner-drivers who desire those comfortable little extras and are prepared to pay a premium for them.

Verdict

I was one of the Fleet Van judges who voted the Fiat Doblo Cargo a winner in the small van sector over the Caddy in its old format.

Having driven this upgraded model, it will be interesting to see what happens next year.