[SS-Traveller]

Spotted in Delhi: This VW Caddy 5-seater CNG.

Salient features:
Dual-fuel (CNG & petrol) 5-seater van. Big and roomy inside. Lots of headroom and leg room all around, with huge glass area. Gallons of boot space, can put an Indigo Marina to shame.








No evidence of obtrusive CNG cylinders in boot that we are used to. Cylinders hidden away under floorboards. CNG capacity 26 kg. Petrol tank 13 litres. Convenient single filling point for both petrol and CNG. Said to average about 16 km/kg on CNG - that's an effective driving distance of over 400 km between refills.




Discreet EcoFuel badge at the rear to tell us it's CNG. Badging on sides is done by Indian importer.


Engine: 4-cylinder 2.0 litre petrol, 107 bhp, 118 lb-ft torque, 0-100km/h in 13.8 seconds. Top speed 168 km/h. FWD, manual 5 speed 'box.


Wheels and tyres:
The car seen here came with Firestone 195/65 tyres on 15" alloys. F&R disc brakes, with ABS.


Noticed later that the spare in the boot has a steel wheel with a Michelin on it.

Cabin has HVAC and integrated ICE, speedo panel is fairly comprehensive.




Neat touch: Chassis number embedded under front windscreen.


Comment: Will VW launch this in India?

Disclaimer: Data source.

[anekho]

I really love this car! It sells pretty decently here in sweden. Practicality is as expected excellent and the car is a favorite with small business owners.

If the car will sell in india?
IMO, no. As such estates are struggling and pricing would be hard for VW. also being a vw, it would sell for a min of 9-ish L. At this price most people would rather buy a sedan which is percieved as having more status.

cheers

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by anekho

If the car will sell in india?
IMO, no. As such estates are struggling and pricing would be hard for VW. also being a vw, it would sell for a min of 9-ish L. At this price most people would rather buy a sedan which is percieved as having more status.

My perception is that, with the large distances that a lot of people drive in Delhi, its citizens consider CNG (@ Rs.18.xx/kg) to be an excellent cheap alternative to petrol (Rs.40.xx/litre) or diesel (Rs.30.xx/litre). CNG is widely available in Delhi, but the limitations of the current CNG sytems available are:

• No factory fitted integrated systems available in any car
• Large external tank in boot - surplus weight and reduced boot space
• Range limited by tank capacity (usually 10 - 14 kg) - frequent visits to pumps required
• Engine not designed ground-up to run on CNG

A dedicated CNG-burning product like the Caddy should be well-accepted in this market provided the price is right (9L sounds reasonable, since the savings on running cost will be huge).

[ajmat]

VW were looking at this for the taxi segment

[pranava999]

would be great to see such a refined vehicle/taxi on the roads compared to the other minivans available. Would also be a great family vehicle as well. Hope VW seriously consider launching with petrol/diesel and the ecofuel variants

Originally Posted by anekho

If the car will sell in india? IMO, no. As such estates are struggling and pricing would be hard for VW. also being a vw, it would sell for a min of 9-ish L.

I sat in an older gen of this one when I took my Passat for 20k mile service. Build is good but I think this van cannot beat the sturdiness which Chevvy Tavera has demonstrated on Indian roads. I would say the Price can start over 9-10 Lakh for Base. The one that we are looking at has Airbags too. I think the Instrument cluster is the same as the one in Rabbit. As for the HVAC knobs/ HU its a common to other VWs.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by D-Man

I think the Instrument cluster is the same as the one in Rabbit.

I thought the Caddy is sold in different markets (the US - where 'Caddy' identifies a Cadillac) as the Rabbit.

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

I thought the Caddy is sold in different markets (the US - where 'Caddy' identifies a Cadillac) as the Rabbit.

Agreed Caddy is Caddillac in US. Its not sold as Rabbit there I forgot the Name to what it was sold as. Like i said it was a previous generation to this one.

[narayan]

the TATA WINGER i think would be a better vehicle overall from a cab operator point of view and of course would work out cheaper for customers also