Volkswagen Crafter Review 2023
The Volkswagen Crafter is a reliable and versatile commercial van that excels in performance and functionality. Whether you're using it for business or personal purposes, the Crafter offers a spacious and well-designed interior that caters to various needs.
Rivals to the Volkswagen Crafter include the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and Ford Transit.
Our Volkswagen Crafter review covers:
- Blends practicality, reliability, and versatility
- Cabin provides ample room and comfortable for both the driver and passengers
- 14.4 cubic metres standard roof height model and 16.1 cubic metres super high roof model
- Sufficient performance, effortlessly navigate through city traffic or tackle motorway journeys
- Three models available: CR30, CR35 and CR50
Pros:
- Versatility
- Spacious and well-designed interior
- Impressive cargo capacity
Cons:
- Expensive
- Fuel economy
- Limited engine options
The Volkswagen Crafter excels in practicality, offering a range of features designed to enhance usability and convenience. The interior cabin is spacious and well thought out, providing ample legroom and headroom for both the driver and passengers. The controls are intuitively placed and easy to reach, ensuring a comfortable and ergonomic driving experience.
The Crafter's practicality shines through its impressive cargo capacity and flexible storage options. It offers a variety of body styles, including panel vans, crew cabs, and chassis cabs, allowing users to choose the configuration that best suits their specific needs. The wide-opening rear doors and sliding side doors make loading and unloading hassle-free, while the tall roof height ensures that even bulky items can be accommodated with ease. The cargo area is well organized, with numerous tie-down points and optional shelving systems available, providing efficient storage and securing of goods.
The boot space in the Volkswagen Crafter varies depending on the chosen body style and configuration. In the panel van version, the load area is exceptionally generous, offering a large cargo volume that can range from around 9 to 18 cubic meters (depending on the wheelbase and roof height options). This ample space allows for the transportation of goods of various sizes, making the Crafter suitable for a wide range of commercial applications.
Furthermore, the Crafter's load area is designed with practicality in mind. The flat load floor and minimal wheel arch intrusion maximize the usable space and facilitate easy loading and unloading of goods. The wide rear door opening and low loading height further enhance accessibility and efficiency, ensuring that the Crafter is well-suited for handling bulky and heavy items.
The cabin area of the Crafter offers exceptional quality and functionality, setting it apart from other panel vans. The construction is top-notch, and the materials used are both sturdy and exude a sense of durability. The switchgear employed in the T6 Transporter and Volkswagen's passenger car range is also present, contributing to the overall high-quality experience, rather than being overwhelmed with an excessive number of buttons, the minor controls are integrated into the touchscreen infotainment system, while the major ones are conveniently operated through well-designed dials for the ventilation system or large, user-friendly buttons.
The driving position provides ample adjustability, with four seat back positions and generous seat base travel, ensuring even taller drivers can find a comfortable position before their seat back reaches the bulkhead. The steering wheel also offers extensive reach adjustment options.
For those in need of both transportation for a crew and cargo-carrying capacity, the Crafter Double Cab is an excellent choice. It features a four-seat bench in the rear, although seating four adults might become a bit snug. Despite the rear doors being relatively narrower compared to the front ones, accessing the vehicle is still convenient due to the Crafter's overall size.
Three models are available: CR30, CR35 and CR50.
There is a wide range of body styles and lengths available for selection. In the UK, you can choose from the CR30, CR35, and CR50 variants, each with a different gross vehicle weight of 3, 3.5, and 5 tonnes, respectively. These options come in medium, long, and maxi panel van sizes, catering to various needs and preferences.
The majority of the range primarily consists of front-wheel drive models, although certain models offer the option of 4Motion four-wheel drive. Additionally, rear-wheel drive is available in both single and twin-wheel configurations, with the latter being standard in the five-tonne versions.
The power of the Crafter is derived from Volkswagen's dedicated 2.0 TDI commercial diesel engine, which is offered in various guises, including 102PS, 122PS, 140PS, and twin-turbo 177PS BiTDI. All engine options are available in the front-wheel drive models, except for the 102PS engine, which is not offered in the rear-wheel drive models. The 4Motion models are equipped with two larger engines. In the front and four-wheel-drive versions, the engine is mounted transversely, while in the rear-wheel-drive models, it is mounted lengthways. Both six-speed manual and eight-speed automatic gearboxes are available across all drive layouts. It's worth noting that the automatic gearbox is a torque converter design rather than the DSG twin-clutch box found in Volkswagen's cars. This design choice is intended to handle heavier payloads and torque settings more effectively.
On the road, the Crafter delivers a smooth and controlled ride, characteristic of Volkswagen's van range. It strikes a well-balanced combination of absorbing bumps while maintaining stability to minimize body lean and pitching during changes in direction. Even when driven with haste through a series of corners or when braking and changing direction, the Crafter remains composed. Furthermore, when carrying a load in the rear, the van impressively maintains its stability and composure.
Overall, the Volkswagen Crafter is a reliable and versatile commercial van that combines functionality, performance, and safety. Its spacious interior, smooth driving experience, and customizable options make it an excellent choice for businesses and individuals in need of a dependable vehicle for transporting goods or undertaking other commercial endeavours.
The Volkswagen Crafter is now available for purchase at a starting on-the-road price of £42,918.00*, or it can be leased with monthly payments starting from £390.46.
If you're considering leasing a NAME, we proudly offer excellent van leasing services in the UK. Our leasing deals include a manufacturer's warranty, road tax, breakdown insurance, and free delivery to most areas of the UK mainland (excluding specific regions).
Leasing a Volkswagen Crafter can often be a more financially advantageous option compared to purchasing outright, thanks to the fixed monthly payments, variable mileage options, low initial rental, and flexible contract durations.
It's important to note that the 'on-the-road' price mentioned includes a year's road fund license, DVLA first registration fee, and a number plate fee. Please be aware that this price is accurate at the time of publication and is subject to change. To get the most up-to-date information, we recommend contacting your nearest Audi retailer.
