The new Volkswagen Caddy 2020 will debut at the Geneva Motor Show

The Geneva Motor Show will be the stage chosen to present the fourth generation of the Volkswagen Caddy, the brand’s new compact van

The compact van segment is gaining strength, and it is that these vehicles are increasingly ceasing to be purely commercial tools and becoming interesting alternatives to MPVs and even SUVs. Something we were able to verify in our road test of the Opel Combo Life.

Now another model is about to arrive that will further strengthen the arguments for this category: the Volkswagen Caddy 2020. Everything indicates that what will be the fourth generation of the model will debut at the next Geneva Motor Show, from 7 to 17 March 2020.

The new Volkswagen Caddy will have a completely different design

This launch is no surprise, since a year has already passed since we learned of the Wolfsburg company’s plans for its commercial model. Not only that, but we already have some teasers that give us an idea of where things are heading in terms of its design.

Therefore, we can see that the front will feature the brand’s typical nose, with slit-shaped headlights and a strip that starts at them and runs across the grille. Furthermore, depending on the image you look at, the most basic variants will have plastic bumpers and the more equipped ones will have them in the same colour as the bodywork.

The manufacturer has stated that the design of the new Volkswagen Caddy is completely new. What we have not yet had the opportunity to see is the rear. However, we can see that the glow of the rear lights is quite high, so we can imagine they will have a vertical shape and a generous size that will occupy almost the entire height of the tail.

In profile, we can see a powerful rib running the full length of the side which will presumably be where the rail for the rear sliding door is fitted. In addition, it will have longitudinal roof bars that may be plastic or metal depending on the trim chosen.

Different body configurations and lengths

As with previous generations, the new Volkswagen Caddy will offer different body configurations. Therefore, there will be passenger-carrying mixed-use versions or commercial versions, with the former having rear windows and the latter being panelled. It will also have two wheelbase options: a short one and an extended one that will probably be named Caddy Maxi.

As for its engines, it will share with the new Volkswagen Golf and Seat León the 2.0 TDI diesel engine, offered with power outputs between 115 and 190 CV. For petrol engines, the new Volkswagen Caddy could fit the 1.0-litre three-cylinder with 90 or 110 CV. In addition, buyers will be able to choose a six-speed manual gearbox or the seven-speed DSG automatic.

What we don’t know is whether the Volkswagen Caddy CNG will continue to exist, which used compressed natural gas to qualify for the benefits of the DGT ECO label. This would be the appetiser for the brand’s major launch in its commercial vehicle range: the Volkswagen ID.7 electric.

We will have to wait a little under two months to get a definitive look at the new Volkswagen Caddy, but it seems the ultimate rival to the Peugeot Rifter or the Citroën Berlingo is about to arrive.