The Volkswagen Caravelle has been around for a while. VW introduced the people carrier in 1950, and from there it has captured many hearts. It’s received many nicknames – fondly known as the “Cara Cara” (amongst other names) in SA. VW has sold over 12 million units since its inception, with the T6 selling over 10 000 units between 2015 and 2020.
Owners can also choose between six newly designed wheels, six new exterior colours, and seven newly combined two-tone paintwork finishes.
Styling
The Caravelle is a very good looking car. The T6.1 gets a styling change in the front and rear. At the front, you’re greeted by a new radiator grille and front bumper. It also sports new Day Time Running lights, and new rear LED lights. Being a higher-spec model, the lower bumper gets a chrome stripe that adds more charisma to the car. Finished in Candy White and Copper Bronze Metallic and paired with 17-inch Woodstock black diamond-turned alloy wheels, it’s by far my favourite colour combination. Owners can also choose between six newly designed wheels, six new exterior colours and seven newly combined two-tone paintwork finishes.
Inside
The biggest interior change comes in the form of a new digital cockpit. Discover Media Pro comes standard on the Caravelle and California models. It comprises of a large infotainment screen and a 10,25-inch virtual cockpit. One thing I was looking forward to using was wireless Apple CarPlay, no more fussy cables to compete with. It also comes with navigation, Android Auto, and optional inductive charging slot at the front should your device support wireless charging. The Caravelle comes with plenty of standard equipment, including: electrically adjustable, heated and folding exterior mirrors, centre table, Trailer Assist with Park Distance Control in front and rear and a rear-view camera. Amongst many storage spaces, VW has added more storage in the door panels to store some of your necessities.
The Drive
Powering the Caravelle we drove at the launch is a 2.0-litre BiTDI delivering 146 kW and 450 Nm of torque. It’s mated to a 7-Speed DSG gearbox. We got to drive on tar and gravel. On tar, the Caravelle offers a smooth ride, and on twisties, it was quite composed for a car of its height. Our gravel route was a mixed bag consisting of both smooth and very corrugated trail. Somehow it did a great job soaking up the majority of the bumps – but when it came to the corrugated gravel, even proper SUVs would have had a tough time tackling it. It’s a beautiful car to drive, after all, its built around driver and passenger comfort.
Safety
The T6.1 comes with a host of safety features, some standard, some optional. Standard safety features include Electronic stability control (ESC), lane change assist, Tire pressure monitoring system, crosswind assist, speed-related variable steering assist and Adaptive Chassis Control which improves ride and handling of the Caravelle.
Verdict
The Caravelle T6.1 Highline 2.0 BiTDI 146kW 4MOTION® DSG® starts at R1 149 400. Some might say it’s steep, but the LSM that VW has aimed it at won’t see the problem. It offers a lot of versatility and value for money considering the amount of standard equipment you get with it. When it comes to versatility, arranging the rear seats has to one of the easiest to set-up compared to competitors. Long live the Cara Cara.
Images: VW SA
