21/06/2008 10:07. This week's test car, the Volkswagen Caddy Maxi Life, is a bit of a mouthful, so I'd better start by breaking its name down into its constituent parts and explaining each in turn. The Caddy is a Volkswagen van; like so many other vehicles wearing VW, Audi, Seat or Skoda badges, it is broadly based on the Golf. The Maxi is a new, stretched version of the Caddy, which provides more interior space. The interesting bit is the word "Life", which signifies that this is the windowed passenger-carrying variant of the Caddy Maxi.

Model: Volkswagen Caddy Maxi Life 2.0 TDI

Engine: 2.0 litre, four-cylinder diesel

Performance: 116mph, 0-62mph in 11.1 seconds, 44.1mpg

Worth considering: Ford Tourneo Connect 8-seat LX, Peugeot Expert Tepee

A Life version of the standard Caddy has been available... // Independent