Caddy's job dream

The high-roofed body brings ample cargo capacity, the seven-seat passenger function can bring convenience to our large-scale outing planning activities, and the horizontal sliding door and large tailgate can also allow photographers to take photos Brings a lower angle. It has the taste of European vans and has the solid feel of German cars.

However, the one I wanted to try out for a long time was the SDI diesel version of the Caddy. First, because it was a "truck", the diesel version would be more economical and environmentally friendly. Second, I tried the gasoline version of the Caddy when the new car was launched. , I have understood the temperament of this 1.6L gasoline engine, and now I want to change my taste. However, due to the deployment of vehicles, we only got the gasoline version for trial, and only the five-seat version, which is a bit regrettable.

Crazy fuel consumption test

In order to avoid regretful upgrades as much as possible, we did a more creative thing with Caddy: an overnight fuel consumption test. The test took a long 6 hours, driving more than 400 kilometers in one night, and the whole process was carried out under full load. For the specific process, please refer to the "Technology" column of the previous issue, and now I only talk about the feeling at that time.

Since it is a fuel consumption test, let's talk about the fuel consumption level first.

Caddy uses the two-valve 1.6L gasoline engine currently used by Jetta, with low torque and high rotation. For a car like Caddy, which often needs to drive at low speed and heavy load in urban areas, the characteristics of this engine It is more consistent with the use of Caddy.

After the crazy test that night, we found that under the load condition (over 300kg), the best fuel consumption level of Caddy is 6.9L/100km, which is a very surprising figure, even better than many Japanese The car is fine.

During the night's trials, we found something else satisfying about the Caddy, and that was the power of the engine when fully loaded. With two people in the car and 300kg of cargo, there is no feeling of powerlessness at all at the start. Loosening the clutch and stepping on the accelerator seems to be no different from an empty car. In addition, according to Xiaoyan, a colleague who likes to be creative, he usually prefers to start in second gear, as if the truck has a lot of torque when it is empty. He said that the car runs more smoothly and the body does not shake easily. . In fact, this is an excuse for him to be too lazy to carefully control the clutch and control the throttle.

Besides the reason for his laziness, in addition to the good low-revving torque of the engine, there is also the fact that the first gear ratio of the Caddy's gearbox is set relatively large, which is for the sake of better starting when the load is heavy. In addition, we feel that the EFI of the Caddy engine is more intelligent, and it will always keep the flame as long as possible. If you try the toughness of the engine without giving oil on purpose, when the speed drops to about 500rpm, it can actually climb the steep slope of the underground parking lot. Still struggling to get going.

Therefore, we will feel that the Caddy is quite easy to drive, at least not easy to start and stall, which is very suitable for the actual needs of work. The low-torsion toughness is a significant advantage of the Caddy's 1.6 engine, but the lack of stamina at high revs is also its obvious feature, especially on the highway, although it can reach a top speed of 170km/h under deliberate pressure, but at 100km When overtaking with force above /h, even if the accelerator under your feet is exhausted, the speed and speed will only increase unhurriedly, lacking a sharp sprint.

Of course, we've always kept in mind that this is a "tough" work car, and we know we can't ask for too much from a car that's so purposeful. In addition, at high speed, although the towering body is obviously affected by the crosswind, the solid feel of the steering wheel can still reflect the usual heavy feeling of Volkswagen.

Playing football, overloading

After several days of all-nighters, I finally finished the new issue of the magazine, so I made an appointment with a group of old schoolmates to play football. Before I set off, I was thinking that it would be better if this Caddy was a 7-seater version, at least it could squeeze out most of the football team, and maybe even overload it "a little", without the hassle of splitting several batches or several cars, and the third Rows of seats always seem so desirable when necessary.

Unexpectedly, in the middle of the game, an opponent's player fell to the ground with an injury. It was initially judged that the scapula was fractured, so I carefully supported it and sent it to the hospital. Fortunately, the opening of the central horizontal sliding door of the Caddy is wide enough to facilitate the entry and exit of the wounded, and the high-roofed body brings enough riding height. The second row of seats is also designed to be relatively vertical. If you switch to a car at this time and sit with your body bent, it will be more difficult for the injured person to maintain a natural sitting posture.

Caddy's space is undoubtedly more suitable for ambulances than ordinary cars at this moment, but the ride comfort will be deducted for "very bouncy" body. This is because the rear suspension adopts a spring plate structure. The vibration will make the injured person feel more pain, so on the way to the hospital, I try to control the speed very carefully, especially when I encounter a speed bump, I have to pass slowly, as much as possible. Don't let the pain add to the pain. In fact, the bouncing and vibration of the front row will be much smaller than that of the rear row. In addition, when the car is fully loaded, the body will be pressed by the weight, and the vibration will be greatly reduced. However, when the car is empty, it completely shows the "truck" side of Caddy .

At the end of the competition, we will have dinner nearby. For convenience, we decided to squeeze ten people in one car for a short distance. The overload arrangement is as follows: two people in the passenger seat, four people in the middle row, three people in the trunk, and exactly ten people in the driver's seat. indivual. The overloading of the co-pilot and the middle row is very common. The rear compartment is quite special. Since there are two magazines in the rear compartment, the three people can face the rear and sit on the box with the back of the seat. It just looks like It's not beautiful enough, the scene is a bit like smuggling people and snakes... In order to experience the trunk, I also took the initiative to try the "third row", it felt fun and special, and the passengers on both sides were quite satisfied, because they each had a large The armrests, the small windows on both sides can open a gap to ventilate, and the oversized tailgate glass does not feel cramped or depressed at all. A car full of people sings and sings all the way, we seem to have returned to the days of primary and secondary school students.

However, our overload test is limited to a very short informal road. I know this method is absolutely unsafe and should not be on the actual road, but it at least proves that Caddy has another The feasibility of the use is that with a slight modification of the seat layout, it can become a very suitable manned transport vehicle for urban and rural areas.

Problem of face

After sending a group of old friends back, I don't know who left a sentence when I parted, "Hey, I wanted to say it earlier, your car is ugly". I know they despise the Caddy's high-top shape and two sliding windows without the modernity and luxury of a sedan. And from the back, the square and upright carriage feels like a 100% tool car, not a common private car or MPV.

Caddy is indeed not used as a private car. It is more suitable for banks, postal services, telecommunications and other enterprises and institutions to be used as tool vehicles, as well as for small self-employed households for daily delivery, and can be used as half a private car in spare time. Car use, but don't expect it to have the convenience of a car. The two side sliding doors that require a lot of effort to open and close, as well as the rear door that requires a lot of space to open, are purely designed for work scenarios.

Does that mean it's a shame to drive the Caddy? The answer is of course no. Although the high-roofed body is not very beautiful, it is also designed to meet the loose cargo requirements of the cabin. It should be known that the Caddy has the same texture as a German car. No matter the sound of the door closing or the workmanship of the interior materials, it will not cut corners at all. In addition, some designs are even more high-end than mid-size sedans. For example, the steering lever has the function of flashing three times with a single touch, and the atmosphere in the car light is slowly extinguished after the car is locked. Although its image is not as decent as its elder brother Touran, judging from its full-time job as a working car, if you drive a Caddy to work and look at each other with your peers, you must be the most embarrassed.

But then again, as a means of production, the price of Cady is undoubtedly expensive. The Changan Star and Wuling Light, which only sell for 50,000 to 60,000 yuan, already have most of their functions. It's hard enough to convince the boss to buy a Caddy under the principle of economic benefits. Although it is a typical work vehicle in Europe, for China's current economic level, it is obviously not time to use the Caddy as a popular tool vehicle, which is why the Caddy is rarely seen on the streets. We just want to call on all the bosses on behalf of the migrant workers here. If you want to enhance the corporate image and inspire the sense of belonging of employees, you might as well buy a Caddy as a working car!