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A new year, a new Volkswagen Caddy – the Typ 2K, still based on the Mk5 Golf, has been given a thorough refresh inside and out to bring Wolfsburg's little tallboy van up to date with the rest of the range.

First up, the aesthetics – new on the 2015 model are a Golf Sportsvan-inspired front end, more angular indicators, smaller door mirrors on certain models, three-dimensional tail lights, a reshaped tailgate and a reprofiled rear bumper with integrated reflectors.

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The interior has also been completely revamped. Gone are the previous round air vents – replaced by sober rectangular units – and a Mk7 Golf's flat-bottomed steering wheel also finds its place here. Also from the Mk7 Golf is VW's MIB family of infotainment systems, including Composition Colour, Composition Media and navigation-equipped Discover Media items.

Engine-wise, there are four TDI diesels with outputs ranging from 75 hp to 150 hp, a gas-powered 1.4 litre TGI mill, as well as 84 hp 1.2 litre four-cylinder, 102 hp 1.0 litre three-cylinder and 125 hp 1.4 litre four-cylinder TSI petrols. They all meet the new Euro 6 regulations and feature lower emissions and fuel consumption, with the BlueMotion model sipping under 4.0 litres of fuel per 100 km.

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The European Commission has required all commercial vehicles to be equipped with Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) as standard since 2013, so all 2015 Caddy models come with a Front Assist monitoring system, including City Emergency Braking that works at speeds under 30 km/h. Passenger versions also come with side and curtain airbags, while Light Assist auto high beam, Driver Alert, Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), a reversing camera and Park Assist are all available as optional extras.

Germans will be able to buy the new Volkswagen Caddy starting in June (order books open in March), with other markets receiving it soon afterwards. Adjusted for increased equipment, prices start lower than before – €14,785 (RM59,700) nett for the panel van and €15,330 (RM61,900) nett for the passenger model, both with the entry level 1.2 TSI petrol engine.