Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles expanded the range of the Caddy, by unveiling the CNG-powered Caddy TGI, as well as the stealthy-looking “Dark Label” special edition. The MQB-based VW Caddy TGI is fitted with the familiar turbocharged 1.5-liter TGI engine that has been used in plenty of models from the VW Group, including the Golf TGI. The mill runs on compressed natural gas (CNG) producing 129 hp. Power is sent to the front axle through a seven-speed DSG transmission.

The five steel tanks are mounted under the floor, not affecting the available cargo space of the van. They can hold up to 139 lt, or 21.1 kg of CNG, allowing 400 km of range. There is also an auxiliary 8.25 lt petrol tank providing an extra 120 km of range when you can’t find a CNG refueling station nearby.

 

CNG prices have gone up at a significant rate. However, running a CNG-powered car is much cheaper to run than conventional petrol or diesel models. As noted by VW, in order to run a car as cheaply as with Bio-CNG, fuel prices should be 65 cents per liter for petrol and 75 cents per liter for diesel. Note that in most EU countries, petrol and diesel prices are currently over €2 per liter. Besides being cheaper to run, using Bio-CNG can significantly lower the van’s carbon footprint.

The VW Caddy TGI is available in Cargo, Kombi, Life and Style trims, exclusively offered with the long-wheelbase (Maxi) bodystyle. In Germany, pricing starts from € 27,430 (US$ 27,828) before tax in panel van form, and from € 35,075 (US$ 35,591) including tax for the passenger version.

 

Volkswagen also presented a new special edition of the Caddy called “Dark Label”. The model is based on the “Life” trim but brings extra features like the burnished 17-inch Columbo alloy wheels, LED headlights and taillights, panoramic sunroof, special decals, and black accents all over the bodywork. The black-painted mirrors, sliding door tracks, taillight clusters, and roof rails, are combined with a selection of four exterior shades – Black Pearl, Indium Grey Metallic, Starlight Blue Metallic, and Pure Grey.

The VW Caddy Dark Label is offered in regular or long wheelbase guises and comes fitted with the full range of petrol, diesel, or CNG-powered powertrains. Pricing for the cheaper Dark Label with the 1.5 TSI petrol starts from € 29,643 (US$ 30,078) in Germany, including tax. The VW Caddy lineup will soon be expanded further with the addition of the eHybrid model.