Poznań, 4 February 2015 - The curtain went up on an important automotive premiere, with the new Caddy taking centre stage. Today in Poznań, at an impressive gala attended by 450 guests from 30 different countries, Volkswagen Nutzfahrzeuge (Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles) unveiled the new fourth-generation Caddy to the public. A dashing urban delivery van and at the same time a family compact van, like its predecessor, the new Caddy will be manufactured in Poznań, and will be launched on the market in mid-2016. Dr Eckhard Scholz, President of the Management Board of the Volkswagen Nutzfahrzeuge brand, officially opened the premiere of the model in the presence of the Polish Minister of Economy, Vice Prime Minister Janusz Piechociński.
Dr Scholz: “The large number of guests from various countries at the premiere shows that the new Caddy knows how to mobilize people. Moreover, it is always the right choice, since for each group of customers we have the right car. The new Caddy is even more optimised to suit a multitude of applications and requirements: It has become even more solid, stronger and more practical for our commercial customers, and even more stylish, refined and full of options for all the families of this world. Overall, the Caddy offers even more benefits at a very attractive price. Go and see for yourselves.”
Joachim Rothenpieler, Member of the Management Board for Development of the Volkswagen Nutzfahrzeuge brand, explained: “The variety of our new Caddy is sure to impress. You can change it instantly from a 7-seater wagon to a 2-seater van. In every situation, the new Caddy provides the best solution. Numerous innovative solutions make this car the optimal mobile companion for crafts, services, trade and families.”
In the last year alone, about 149,000 Caddies have been delivered to customers (+ 9,000). Overall, about 1.5 million third-generation Caddies have been sold.
There are about 6,800 workers employed at the plant in Poznań. In addition to the Caddy, they also produce the Transporter model (27,400 cars in 2014) and subassemblies (3.3 million castings in 2014).
In Września a new plant is starting up in 2016 where the new-generation Crafter will be built. Up to 3,000 new jobs will be created here. The building site has 220 hectares, which corresponds to an area of about 300 football pitches.
Jens Ocksen, President of the Management Board of Volkswagen Poznań and Member of the Volkswagen Nutzfahrzeuge management: “Volkswagen Poznań is the largest employer in the region. We treat this as a challenge, because we want to be not only the largest employer, but also the best one. We are proud of our employees, who work on our Caddy with great diligence, effort and engagement. They even all signed their name on a huge canvas under a guarantee that the new Caddy will be a great car.”
The Minister of Economy, Janusz Piechociński, said: “Volkswagen is an important investor not only for the region, but for all Poland. This is why I’m so glad that the new Caddy will be produced exclusively here in Poznań, in one of the largest industrial centres. It is extremely important for our region to cooperate on technical and higher education. I wish you every success for the future.”