VW's special delivery

Volkswagen will introduce a light delivery van called the Caddy to its commercial-vehicle range next month.

The vehicle is based on the Golf IV platform and has been a big seller in Europe. VW commercial brand manager Shane Jones wants to emulate its success here.

"We are conscious that we are now entering a particularly price-sensitive segment that has been traditionally dominated by Japanese brands," he said. "New Zealand has worked very closely with Volkswagen in Germany to deliver what we believe is value for money with a price starting from $28,000."

The new Caddy comes with standard features including electric front windows, powered and heated exterior mirrors, single CD player, driver's airbag, ABS braking with brake assist, traction control system and a full height-load partition barrier. A choice of either 1.6-litre 75kW petrol ($28,000) or 1.9-litre 77kW turbodiesel ($31,500) engines with five-speed manual transmissions will be available.

Both engines feature extended oil-service intervals of up to 30,000km. An optional six-speed automatic direct-shift-gearbox will be available with the turbodiesel engine by January.

The Caddy has a load volume of 3.2m. Access to the rear is via either a standard hinged tailgate or optional barn doors. The standard 700mm wide, left-hand sliding door also allows loading from the side.