The Caddy evolved from a version of the Polo to a distinct range built by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, not by the Volkswagen car division.
The carmaker built the passenger version of the Caddy in two versions, with a short or long wheelbase. Volkswagen revised both of them in 2010. Apart from their looks, the vehicle received new engines and transmissions, including an all-wheel-drive system for the Maxi Life, which was available only for the regular wheelbase Caddy before the facelift.

At the front, the 2010 Caddy featured similar headlights as the Golf 6 and the Touran’s second generation. Regardless of the trim level, all versions got a black grille. Its bumper was black for the base levels and body-colored, starting with the second trim level. The carmaker installed sliding doors for the rear seat passengers, while at the back, it offered a choice of side-hinged doors or a wide liftgate.

Inside, the carmaker couldn’t hide the vehicle’s utilitarian roots. Its plastic dashboard and the storage areas on top of it on the passenger side provided some extra space, but they didn’t look designed for a family van. Its instrument cluster was similar to the one installed in the Touran. In the back, there was plenty of room for three adult passengers. In the Maxi Life version, the Caddy provided two additional jump seats in the trunk area.

Under the hood, Volkswagen dropped the formerly used 1.4-liter gasoline engine and installed the 1.2-liter units, following the downsizing trend in the automotive industry. Also, it retired the 1.9-liter diesel engine due to the Dieselgate scandal and replaced it with a much modern 1.6-liter TDI. The 2.0-liter TDI lost the most powerful, 140 hp version from the non-facelifted version.