VW Caddy Alltrack goes where few vans have gone before

There's no doubt that applying SUV styling to a car is a surefire way to drum up sales, and now Volkswagen's commercial arm has given its smallest van an off-road makeover in the shape of the Volkswagen Caddy Alltrack. It's based on the standard Caddy van, and we've seen some details ahead of its debut at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show.

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The Caddy Alltrack will be available in both (5-seat) passenger van and (2-seat) panel van forms, and both receive slightly rugged design details. These include black trim panels on the wheel arches, side sills and bumpers, underbody cladding, and chrome fins for the front grille. It will also come with a 'Mojave Beige' metallic paint finish, smoked taillights and bespoke 17-inch alloy wheels. A slew of 'Alltrack' badging completes the exterior makeover.

The interior hasn't been spared the glitz either, as specially designed seat covers, folding tables for the rear seats, and lashings of chrome across the dash add to the premium feel. Faux carbon trim and unique floor mats are also standard.

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But it's not all show and no go, as the Caddy Alltrack is available with VW's 4MOTION all-wheel-drive as an option. This won't turn it into an off-roader to rival a Land Rover Discovery, but it should make light work of a muddy farm track. The usual array of VW Group engines is available, with petrol and diesel units, although mainland Europe recieves the interesting option of a 1.4 TGI compressed natural gas engine - the UK won't be getting that model due to a lack of infrastructure.

The Caddy will debut at Frankfurt Motor Show and is set to go on sale towards the end of the year. Unfortunately there are no current plans to bring it to the UK, but it's on sale in Germany for the equivalent of just under £14,500.

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