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Saw an odd new small VW with rear sliding doors

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68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#532181
Yesterday, I saw a small 4 door VW -

front looked a bit like a POLO - panel van - with small square windows and sliding rear doors...
front door handles and rear door handles close to each other..

I only saw the one side of it. so i'm presuming it had 4 doors plus the rear door...

Do they sell POLO 4 door wagens ?

Is was really an ugly little car... really a mini wagen..

I think the 4 people in it might have been midgets:P:P:P
at least the two people in the back must have been..

sunroof would be good - poke Your head out if You are too tall.... lol..:P:P

Lee

[ Edited on 17-9-2006 by 68AutoBug ]
- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---

VWMA Editor Custom Title Time!

1,086 posts · joined Jan 2004 ·

#532345
It was more than likely the new seven seater Caddy Life. The rear doors are sliders. It looks like the car Postman Pat drives. Some even say it harks back to the days of the Fridolin. Whichever way, the look takes some getting used to.

It's marketed as seating seven adults, but the last two seats are only comfortable for children. In fact it's nigh impossible for an adult to even access the rear bench. Comes as a 1.6 litre petrol (underpowered) or the 1.9 TDI, the better option.

68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#532370
Hi Craig,

I was somewhat taken back when I saw heads in the back seat...

it would have to be seven very thin short people or kids..

It must have been terrible in the rear. with those small square windows....

small parcels van OK....

put small people mover.... ??

VW Caddy used to be the VW Golf Pick up truck...

as many motoring writers pointed out,at the time, the name Golf came from the Gulf trade winds, same as Passat etc..
nothing to do with the game Golf, plus the Golf was marketed as the Rabbit in the USA...
[I'd prefer driving a Golf rather than a Rabbit]

I also read recenetly that VW in the USA has a bad reputation with reliability and quality issues, as they have been sourcing cars from their Mexician factory. They are now being sourced from Germany again...

Cheers

Lee
- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---

modulus Veteran Volks Folk

2,009 posts · joined Jul 2003 ·

#532383
68AutoBug wrote:nothing to do with the game Golf, plus the Golf was marketed as the Rabbit in the USA...
[I'd prefer driving a Golf rather than a Rabbit]

Lee
... and marketed as the "Gol" (=Goal) in Brazil.
Peter Hill
1975 Type 2 Double Cab
modulus.com.au

phaeton Seriously Crusin Dubber

160 posts · joined Jan 2006 ·

#535019
more on the Caddy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Caddy
68AutoBug wrote:VW Caddy used to be the VW Golf Pick up truck...

as many motoring writers pointed out,at the time, the name Golf came from the Gulf trade winds, same as Passat etc..
nothing to do with the game Golf, plus the Golf was marketed as the Rabbit in the USA...
[I'd prefer driving a Golf rather than a Rabbit]

I also read recently that VW in the USA has a bad reputation with reliability and quality issues, as they have been sourcing cars from their Mexician factory. They are now being sourced from Germany again...

Cheers

Lee
Only the Passat and Golf aka Rabbit in US are from Germany, previous Golfs were from Mexico and Brazil.
modulus wrote:
68AutoBug wrote:nothing to do with the game Golf, plus the Golf was marketed as the Rabbit in the USA...
[I'd prefer driving a Golf rather than a Rabbit]

Lee
... and marketed as the "Gol" (=Goal) in Brazil.
The Gol is a completely different vehicle to the Golf, the Gol is actually related to the Passat Mk1 and has an inline engine compared to the Golf tranverse layout.

Interestingly the Gol was originally an Aircooled car but was changed to watercooled engined in 1983/84.

more on the Gol
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Gol

more on the Golf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Golf

[ Edited on 17 September 2006 by phaeton ]
All phaeton Approved

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For Aussie Watercoolers

The_Bronze. Minister of Volkswagenism

1,922 posts · joined Sep 2002 ·

#535039
I saw the courier version the other day and asked the driver if he like it. He said it was very comfortable and "has plenty of stick for a diesel". It was pretty much brand new so I didn't ask about reliability.
Bronze.

Rathmines, Lake Macquarie, NSW.

Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang

9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 ·

#535056
one of the dealerships had one on display at action day the other week
i wasnt impressed by it
was very cramped in the rear

-Joel

VWMA Editor Custom Title Time!

1,086 posts · joined Jan 2004 ·

#535167
The biggest drawback with the Caddy Life is that the rear seat does not fold away completely. This restricts load capacity. It is designed to be removed, but once again, when you arrive at your destination and unpack, the seat would be handy to have back in again. Also, removing the seat requires some muscle.

Funny thing is though, the new 9 seater Kombi has a rear seat folding mechanism that would have been perfect in the Caddy. Volkswagen have never quite gotten the larger family packages just right; ie T5 Kombi is quite large and not for those that like smaller cars, and the Caddy Life is the right size and shape, but lacks functional storage space at the rear.

crewcabconnection Being Sid James

1,922 posts · joined Apr 2003 ·

#535174
its an after tought, just cashing in on the 7 seat boom. That pic flatters it. It's a pimped up van. The rear seat is also quite poorly done. Im am amazed at the 7 seat craze, add a $400 seat and you add $10k to the price. How the hell do you get prams and kid gear in them, when all you've done is remove the boot space ...

T5 or bust.
Loves a lolcat

vwjon Fahrvergnugen

914 posts · joined Jul 2006 ·

#535192
the caddy life is not just a pimped van!!! VW have upgraded the suspension and increased the sound proofing. the interior is a little better refined as well, but i'm not so sure about the net things in the roof space. i wouldn't reccomend the petrol version, it really hasn't got the grunt. the 1.9 tdi is fantastic!!! lots of get up and go.
the only real reliability issues are with the electrics, when they start to go wrong, the on board computer shuts things down.
the old caddys in germany (called the caddy cube) used to be fitted with seats so the postal service could take pensioners to the shops on their rounds!!
😀
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