VW is doing tricky things these days. A VW Caddy Life, which looks like an ordinary one, spotted testing in Northern Scandinavia. When underneath the vehicle checked, it has found out it is a 4WD people mover, but why does it have a solid rear axel? Maybe because it is not a VW Caddy after all.
Solid rear axles are common in commercial vehicles with longitudinally mounted engines. But the Caddy Life isn't both. The only vehicle that would fit these characteristics in Volkswagen’s world current range would be the VW Saveiro, a small pickup truck derived from the Gol, both produced in Brazil. Consumers are long waiting for a 4x4 version of these little pickup trucks. The best possibility is that this 4x4 system with a solid rear axel will be used in a low-cost commercial vehicle for emerging markets, perhaps the new Saveiro or even an opponent to the Ford EcoSport, a small SUV based on the current Ford Fiesta’s architecture.
The next generation Gol will use the current Polo’s platform, as well as the vehicles derived from it (sedan, station wagon, pickup truck and a little SUV). Since the Caddy has once used Polo’s platform, its body could now be serving as a disguise for the tests of this architecture in the other applications it will be needed for, such as in a small SUV or in a small pickup truck. We will have to wait to be sure, but if the solid rear axels, which don't fit the Caddy, will ever be used, it will surely be in something else.
Gallery: VW Caddy Life With 4WD
