Item: Volkswagen Crafter
Rating: 5
Author: What Car? Team

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Volkswagen Crafter

Introduction

Performance & drive

Interior

Passenger & boot space

Costs & verdict

As one of the latest van designs&nbsp;on the market, the current generation Volkswagen Crafter has a distinct advantage over many of its rivals. The technology is newer and many of the safety features are more advanced than its competitors offer.

The van’s new electromechanical steering is the key to this, and allows it to have extra features such as Trailer Assist,&nbsp;which helps when you're&nbsp;parking with a trailer, and the Park Steering Assist. They make it a much more appealing choice for someone looking to spend big on the best available van.

Other safety systems, including Cross Wind Assist and Lane Assist, use the more efficient steering system, too, while radar sensor systems are used for safety features, including Rear Traffic Assist and&nbsp;Side Assist. Emergency Brake Assist is fitted as standard on all models, providing automatic braking if there's the risk of a collision. As such, the Crafter successfully challenges the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/sprinter/van/review/n18217">Mercedes Sprinter</a> for the&nbsp;unofficial title of safest van on the road.

We’d suggest choosing the 138bhp model to get the majority of these features thrown in, but you can also pay to option them on other versions if they are valuable to you. For example,&nbsp;Park Steering Assist might seem like an unnecessary extra, but if you or other drivers are not used to manoeuvring such a big vehicle, it could save you thousands in repair bills.

For all the latest van reviews, news, advice, and videos visit our dedicated van section&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/class/vans">here</a>

Behind the wheel, similarities between the Volkswagen Crafter and the mid-sized <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/transporter/van/review/n18205">VW Transporter</a> are obvious. That’s definitely a&nbsp;good thing,&nbsp;because&nbsp;the Crafter feels every bit as dynamic as the smaller van.

Its steering is fast and responsive, and the ride is smooth and&nbsp;comfortable, feeling even better&nbsp;with a load in the back. We’d recommend the 138bhp engine (available across all configurations), especially as it then allows you to specify the eight-speed automatic gearbox.

The six-speed manual gearbox is slick, with a nice, clean action, so it’s pretty sophisticated for a large van and perfectly adequate for the majority of users. The eight-speeder is a superb automatic, though. It’s the only one in a large van we'd consider, other than the Himatic transmission of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/iveco/daily/van/review/n22571">Iveco Daily</a>.

The 138bhp 2.0-litre engine has almost instant power and torque, pulling effortlessly from just a few revs above idle.&nbsp;Braking performance is also impressive, and needs to be&nbsp;given that the Crafter is available in several weights and can tow up to 3.5 tonnes.

The party piece is the new electromechanical steering system, though. It means you can now get a range of driver assistance functions, including&nbsp;driver attention monitoring, lane-keeping assistance, parking assistance and trailer assistance.

The Volkswagen Crafter&nbsp;large van lived in the shadow&nbsp;of the Mercedes Sprinter for years – they shared the same platform, so many people opted for the premium brand model instead.

The Crafter's fortunes have changed, though. When the&nbsp;deal between the two German manufacturers ended,&nbsp;Volkswagen spent close to €2billion designing an all-new version and building a factory to make it in.

It's available as a panel van, with a choice of single and double-cab chassis platforms, and you can pick from two wheelbases, with three vehicle lengths and three roof heights. There are also three gross vehicle weights, 3.0, 3.5 and 5.0 tonnes.

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There are more options too... <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/volkswagen">Volkswagen</a> offers two trim levels, Startline and Trendline. Once you've decided which one to have, you can add numerous comfort and safety options to enhance your van.

Power comes from a 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine with three different power outputs, although not all Crafter models have the full range of outputs available.

First up is a 100bhp engine available only on front-wheel drive vans. This is followed by a 138bhp engine that you can get on most versions. The line-up is completed by a twin-turbocharged 174bhp unit that's available on all model types.

You can have a six-speed manual gearbox&nbsp;or, on certain versions, an&nbsp;eight-speed automatic, plus front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive.

In this review, we'll tell you more about what the VW Crafter is like to live with, including how much space there is in the load bay to how much it will cost to buy and run. We've put it to the test so you can compare it with&nbsp;the&nbsp;alternatives available in the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/large-van">large van category</a>.

There are a few rivals to consider, including the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/transit/van/review/n18188">Ford Transit</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/nissan/nv400/van/review/n18248">Nissan NV400</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/peugeot/boxer/van/review/n18206">Peugeot Boxer</a>&nbsp;and the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/renault/master-2019-new/van/review/n20295">Renault Master</a>, but the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/sprinter/van/review/n18217">Mercedes Sprinter</a>&nbsp;remains its main competitor.

Once you've decided which one meets your needs, we can help you find the best leasing deals through the free&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/car-leasing/">What Car? Leasing&nbsp;section</a>, where you can get a quote for most makes and model of&nbsp;car or van.

One of Volkswagen’s main aims for the Crafter was to reduce stress on the driver. That means reducing noise, with a more refined engine and improved sound deadening, but also making the interior&nbsp;a better place to spend time.

There’s a much greater emphasis on ergonomics, too, with a particularly comfortable driver’s seat, and there's more usable space. There are three open areas above the dashboard&nbsp;with two cupholders, while the dashboard itself is split horizontally, with cup-sized storage sections&nbsp;for the&nbsp;driver and passenger.

The infotainment screen is crisp and easily readable, even when bright light is shining across it, and the system is logical and easy to use. The door compartment storage is split into three segments, of which the largest, central section is big enough to hold folders or water bottles.

Entry-level Startline trim has storage under the passenger seat and a fold-down tray in the backrest for writing or using a laptop on. It also gets you a fully adjustable steering wheel, a 5in infotainment screen and a Bluetooth radio with USB connection.

If you upgrade&nbsp;to Trendline trim, you get&nbsp;a more comfortable driver’s seat with two-way lumbar adjustment, an armrest, cruise control, a multifunction steering wheel and electric heated door mirrors. It also upgrades the infotainment to a 6.5in system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring.

The VW Group famously spends more money on research and development than any rival – and as a result, perhaps it should be no surprise that our testers rate its cars so consistently highly.

The fact that many of those cars use the same underpinnings also helps, because it means that if they get it right once, they have the foundations to keep on getting it right.

However, the Volkswagen brand faces plenty of tough competition, often from within, because the rapidly rising Seat and Skoda brands that are also part of the group have access to the same technology.

VOLKSWAGEN

CRAFTER

Every inch the accomplished heavyweight mover and volume carrier. For many users it is the best large van on the market.

When you come to buy a VW Crafter, you’ll notice that the labelled length of the vehicle begins with an L3 model. That’s because the L1 and L2 lengths apply to the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/transporter/van/review/n18205">VW Transporter</a>.

The short-wheelbase Crafter is the L3, the long-wheelbase is the L4 and the maxi extra-long van, which&nbsp;gets its extra length through an extension to the rear overhang, is known as the L5. Roof height designations work the same. H2 is for low-roof Crafters, H3 is for standard height and H4 is for high-roofs.

All those numbers mean the Crafter can transport volumes ranging from 9.9m3 for an L3H2 right up to 18.4m3 for the very biggest L5H4. &nbsp;There are three different gross vehicle weights available, with a 3.0-tonne CR30, 3.5-tonne CR35 and a 5.0-tonne CR50 allowing payloads ranging from 784kg to 2621kg. Your run-of-the-mill 3.5-tonne van&nbsp;will transport up to a maximum of 1447kg.

Load lengths range from 3450mm to 4855mm, while standard height vans measure up at 1861mm. There's also the option of a lower roof with a 1726mm height or a super-high roof with 2196mm of head space – the largest of any van on the market.

A sliding side door with an aperture of 1311mm is standard on all models, along with 180-degree opening rear doors on Startline and 270-degree opening doors on Trendline vans.

The VW Crafter is every inch the accomplished heavyweight mover and volume carrier. For many users it is the best large van on the market.

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Volkswagen Crafter review

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Read review covering Volkswagen Crafter boot space, size and dimensions, front and rear seat comfort by the expert What Car? test team.

When you come to buy a VW Crafter, you’ll notice that the labelled length of the vehicle begins with an L3 model. That’s because the L1 and L2 lengths apply to the VW Transporter.,The short-wheelbase Crafter is the L3, the long-wheelbase is the L4 and the maxi extra-long van, which gets its extra length through an extension to the rear overhang, is known as the L5. Roof height designations work the same. H2 is for low-roof Crafters, H3 is for standard height and H4 is for high-roofs.,All those numbers mean the Crafter can transport volumes ranging from 9.9m3 for an L3H2 right up to 18.4m3 for the very biggest L5H4.  There are three different gross vehicle weights available, with a 3.0-tonne CR30, 3.5-tonne CR35 and a 5.0-tonne CR50 allowing payloads ranging from 784kg to 2621kg. Your run-of-the-mill 3.5-tonne van will transport up to a maximum of 1447kg.Load lengths range from 3450mm to 4855mm, while standard height vans measure up at 1861mm. There's also the option of a lower roof with a 1726mm height or a super-high roof with 2196mm of head space – the largest of any van on the market.,A sliding side door with an aperture of 1311mm is standard on all models, along with 180-degree opening rear doors on Startline and 270-degree opening doors on Trendline vans.,

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