5 great things to love about the Volkswagen Crafter

A modern work van has to wear a lot of hats. It needs to lug heavy kit, thread through tight streets, keep you connected to clients between jobs and still feel civil after a long shift. In other words, it isn’t just about payload figures and a squishy seat any more - it’s about a vehicle that keeps your business moving, mile after mile.

That’s where the Volkswagen Crafter comes in. It blends the latest connected tech with a calm, car-like cabin, supple suspension and seriously generous load space across multiple lengths and roof heights. Choose front-, rear- or 4MOTION all-wheel drive, pair it with an optional eight-speed automatic, and add smart driver-assistance to take the edge off busy routes. The result is a van that’s equal parts mobile office, tool station and workshop.

So whether you’re a one-man band planning your next workhorse or a Fleet Manager hunting the most capable all-rounder, the Crafter makes a compelling case. Here are five reasons it stands out…

#1 Space that works as hard as you do
Open the side door and the Crafter immediately feels built by people who know what it’s like to haul pallets before breakfast. The sliding side door is an unusually wide 1,311mm, so common pallets slot straight in, and the rear doors swing to 180 degrees or – on Commerce Plus models – out to a handy 270 degrees to make loading in tight spots even more versatile.

The load bay itself is vast: in the long-wheelbase Maxi with a super-high roof there’s up to 18.4m³ of volume and 2,196mm of internal height, which means fewer awkward re-stacks and more first-time fits. If you choose front-wheel drive, the floor sits 100mm lower than comparable rear- or all-wheel-drive versions, making step-in and loading that bit easier on your back.

It’s not just about size; it’s about usability. Up to 14 recessed lashing rings help you tie down everything from boilers to band-saws, and there are pre-spaced mounting points every 100mm to bolt shelves and cupboards cleanly. In other words, you can turn the Crafter into a mobile store, workshop or parts van that’s tailored to your trade, then change it again as jobs evolve.

And when the job calls for serious weight, the Crafter rises to it. Braked towing capacity runs up to 3.5 tonnes with the right rear-wheel-drive model, with gross train weights as high as eight tonnes, while payloads extend up to 2,410kg on CR50 derivatives – useful numbers when you need to carry both kit and materials in a single trip.

#2 The power to get the job done
Every day brings a different mix of runs: town deliveries, motorway hops, muddy tracks to remote sites. The Crafter range allows you to pick the drivetrain to match. Front-wheel drive gives you that low load floor and great traction when unladen. Rear-wheel drive is ideal for towing and heavy loads, while 4MOTION all-wheel drive brings the sure-footedness you want on wet grass, gravel and wintry roads. Whatever you choose, you can pair it with a smooth eight-speed automatic gearbox that’s unusually available across front-, rear- and all-wheel-drive Crafters, calibrated for comfortable, efficient progress when you’re juggling traffic, deadlines and customer calls.

Under the bonnet sits Volkswagen’s proven 2.0-litre TDI in three outputs. There’s a 138bhp unit, the mid-range engine with 161bhp, and the high output 175bhp version, all with ample muscle to pull strongly even when you’ve filled the load bay and hitched a trailer. All three come with a six-speed manual as standard, while the eight-speed auto mentioned above is available as an option costing just over £2,000.

#3 A cab that’s a comfortable, connected office
If you spend your life in a van, the driver’s seat matters. The Crafter’s optional ergoComfort or ergoActive suspension seats offer 20-way adjustment, electric lumbar and even a massage function, carefully designed to take the sting out of rough roads and long shifts. Storage is excellent and the cab itself has been refreshed with a new dashboard and steering wheel that put key controls right where your hands fall.

Tech is properly up to date. A crisp Digital Cockpit brings key info into sharp focus, and the upgraded infotainment offers 10- or 12-inch screens. App-Connect smartphone mirroring comes as standard, with the option to step up to the Discover Media navigation system that adds wireless Apple CarPlay, natural voice control and connected services.

USB-C ports and wireless phone charging keep devices topped up between calls, while We Connect and We Connect Plus unlock app-based features such as remote locking, online anti-theft alerts and “Parking Position” to find where the van has been parked in busy yards and car parks. In short, it’s easy to get from job to job, manage your diary, and stay reachable for clients without sitting in a cab filled with paperwork and cables.

If you’re choosing trims, the range is reassuringly simple. Commerce brings the essentials most trades want straight out of the box, including the 10-inch Composition Colour touchscreen with App-Connect, Digital Cockpit, wireless phone charging, front and rear parking sensors and a full-height steel bulkhead, with robust black bumpers and manually adjustable mirrors.

Commerce Plus builds on that with the anti-theft alarm system, manual air conditioning, smarter, part-painted bumpers, heated and power-adjustable mirrors, and workshop-friendly touches such as a hard-wearing wooden floor and preparation for shelving systems. Whichever trim you pick, there’s a well-judged options list to tailor the cab and load bay: the 12-inch Discover Media with wireless Apple CarPlay and built-in navigation, LED lighting in the cargo area, the Business Pack (which adds an alarm and air conditioning to Commerce), heated and power-folding door mirrors, a towbar or tow-prep, and for 4MOTION models even a differential lock to help keep you moving on sites with tricky terrain.

#4 Safety and assistance that take the edge off busy routes
Urban jobs often mean close shaves and constant vigilance; rural routes add narrow roads and wildlife into the equation; motorways bring crosswinds and the risk of fatigue. The Crafter stacks the deck in your favour. Front Assist with City Emergency Braking is standard and can help avoid or mitigate collisions with vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists; Automatic Post-Collision Braking is also standard to reduce the risk of secondary impacts. Crosswind Assist – part of the ESP suite – applies targeted braking to keep the van tracking straight when gusts catch the side of that big box body – a particular risk for the Luton van.

There’s more help when you want it. Lane Keeping Assist can gently steer you back on course if you drift towards the white lines; Rear Traffic Alert warns of approaching vehicles as you reverse; Park Assist can take over the steering into spaces while you work the pedals; and Light Assist automatically dips your high-beams, activating above 37mph to avoid dazzling other drivers.

A rear-view camera, cruise control and a Driver Alert System are also available to make long days less wearing. The steering itself is the latest electromechanical Servotronic setup, for light effort at parking speeds and reassuring precision on faster roads. Taken together, these systems are like a second pair of eyes that are always fully alert, no matter the time of day or the pressure on your schedule.

#5 Choice, flexibility and long-term peace of mind
Although we’ve concentrated on the panel van in this article, the Crafter line is a broad family. Need an out-and-out load carrier or a walk-in loadspace? Look at a Luton conversion. Need to carry a crew to site and tip gravel or wood chippings as part of your shift? Single-cab and double-cab dropside and tipper solutions are well-catered for via Volkswagen’s conversions programme, which provides fully finished vehicles that can be purchased from a dealer for a fixed price, in other words, minimum hassle. Meanwhile the panel van provides a robust base for more specialist builds like mobility transport or emergency-service vehicles. The point is you start with the space and spec that makes sense, then configure it around your trade – both for now and down the line.

Choosing the right body size is easy too, because the figures are clear. Go for the Medium wheelbase if you work mainly in towns and suburbs: you’ll get a 3,450mm load length and up to around 11.3m³ of space depending on roof height. Step up to the Long wheelbase and that floor grows to 4,300mm with up to about 16.1m³ available, a sweet spot for longer materials without moving to an extra-long body. If you need outright capacity, the Long wheelbase Maxi stretches load length to 4,855mm, and in super-high roof form offers as much as 18.4m³ – plus that 2,196mm standing height with front-wheel drive – so you can carry taller cabinets and racking with room to spare.

Running a van is about more than the metalwork, of course. Volkswagen backs the Crafter with a three-year, unlimited-mileage warranty and three years’ roadside assistance as standard, including home, roadside or workplace cover, recovery to your preferred location and European assistance – so you can keep moving even when the unexpected happens. Fixed-price servicing plans, pay-as-you-go maintenance and extended warranty options are all on the table to help you budget cleanly across your fleet. It’s the sort of wraparound support that gives genuine peace of mind long after collection day.