The flagship of the redesigned Volkswagen Caddy range will be arriving later than the rest.
Deliveries of the California Maxi TDI320 are now set for the first quarter of 2022, even as other Caddy models reach dealerships during August 2021.
The California is, however, available to order now.
Priced at $54,990 before on-road costs, it’s the costliest member of the Caddy family, though it’s almost $30,000 cheaper than the larger, T6.1-based California Beach.
The California uses the more powerful 90kW/320Nm tune of Volkswagen’s 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine, mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
While it looks much like a regular Caddy at first glance, it has numerous additions to make it a more desirable vehicle for a long road trip or a weekend getaway.
The seats fold into a double bed, there are darkening curtains for the windscreen, doors, tailgate and available panoramic sunroof, and there are ventilation grids for the windows in both front doors that include flyscreens.
Other additions include more LED interior lighting, two storage bags for the rear windows, plus a fold-out table and two chairs.
A free-standing tent is optional.
“With the new generation Caddy we have an opportunity to once again offer a turn-key customer solution, that is every bit a Volkswagen. Just in time for Australia’s expected return to summer road-tripping,” said Ryan Davies, Australian director for Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.
The Caddy California succeeds the Caddy Beach, though like all Caddy variants it’s been completely redesigned and moved to the same MQB architecture that underpins models like the Golf.
The rest of the Caddy range is on sale now, comprising cargo, crew van and Life people mover variants, with two different lengths, two different transmissions, and two different tunes of the 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four.
For a full breakdown of the range, check out our pricing and specs article.
