3 extras you should fit on a used Volkswagen Caddy

Seeing as it’s marketed as a working vehicle, your basic Volkswagen Caddy’s specification sheet is pretty spartan. Sure, you could trade up to a Trendline or Alltrack, but those are pretty expensive when new. So what are you to do if you already have a VW Caddy but desire some nice things as well? Have a look at these 3 extras to fit to a used Caddy, and then decide which ones you need.

Martin Pretorius

27 Aug 2021 · 09:45Buying a Car

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Seeing as we’re using an older, used Caddy van as our starting point, we searched the aftermarket for accessories. Genuine VW accessories will ensure that a new vehicle’s warranty remains intact, but if there’s no warranty to consider, such add-on items could be sourced far cheaper than OEM accessories.

Related: Shop for new and used Volkswagen Caddy cars for sale here.

Complete with parking sensors and a replacement mirror incorporating the rear-view camera's display, this complete kit will make parking a lot easier!

1. Rear parking sensors and rear-view camera

Regardless of whether your Caddy has a roof-hinged tailgate or two side-opening “barn doors” at the rear, rearward visibility will always be a problem – and especially so if it doesn’t have any glass in the rear doors at all! For this reason, you should seriously consider adding parking sensors and a rear-view camera to your Caddy’s equipment list (if it doesn’t have this fitted as a factory option from new, of course).

Available aftermarket systems range from an inexpensive sensor-only arrangement with a small dashboard-mounted LED array and beeper, to an integrated system which can display either on the infotainment screen (if fitted) or on a replacement rear-view mirror. Even the most-expensive camera-and-display system retails for less than R 1200 (excluding fitment), which is really small change for the added convenience and safety (and about a quarter of what the optional OEM system costs on a new Caddy).

A high-quality aftermarket head unit costs a lot less than the OEM-spec touchscreen audio system.

2. Boost your beats!

Just because your Caddy van is meant to work hard doesn’t mean that you have to go without your favourite music, or that you should be deprived of a big, colour touchscreen for the infotainment system. While Volkswagen offers various colour touchscreen arrangements as optional extras (which can even be retrofitted to a used Caddy at the dealership), the OEM system is quite pricey for its specification level.

Rather get rid of the standard-fit radio and fit a nice aftermarket head unit instead. If you opt for an Android-based replacement, you can get an up-to-date colour infotainment screen with smartphone mirroring (and display your add-on rear-view camera’s image) for a far smaller outlay than the OEM system with similar functionality. And, with the change, ditch the two low-budget standard-fit speakers as well, and have your aftermarket fitment centre install 4 or 6 replacement speakers for improved audio quality.

Just one example of a myriad of stylish aftermarket wheels that will make all the difference to your Caddy's looks.

3. Alloy wheels

Some owners might like the look of a basic Caddy’s steel wheels, but painted 15-inch rims with little plastic hubcaps probably won’t be to everybody’s liking. So, if your Caddy wasn’t ordered with a set of OEM alloy wheels (such as those fitted as standard to the Trendline and Alltrack), you could either consider a set of Volkswagen 16-inch wheels (~ R 9000), or hunt down a set of stylish 17-inchers in the aftermarket for similar money.

This is mainly a cosmetic add-on, but wider, lower-profile tyres will also bring benefits to your Caddy’s handling and stability. Just be sure that the tyres you choose have a load rating to match the original items, and don’t go too shallow on the sidewall depth, else you could end up with damaged wheels after hitting a pothole...