VOLKSWAGEN CRAFTER
Since debuting in 2006, the Volkswagen Crafter has rightly been considered one of the finest large vans on the market.
Volkswagen’s long history of creating sturdy, dependable commercial vehicles goes back way further than 2006, but that’s the year that the Crafter first appeared on the market. Prior to that, Volkswagen still made large panel vans but prior to 2006 it was known as the ‘LT’ – a German abbreviation for ‘Cargo Transporter’ – referencing the company’s most famous commercial vehicle.
The 2006 Crafter was actually a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter body fitted with Volkswagen running gear, but since the Crafter entered its second generation in 2017, the van has been built entirely by Volkswagen. Inside the cabin, it looks and feels very much like a Volkswagen passenger vehicle, only harder wearing materials have been used to ensure it can cope with the demands of commercial use.
Volkswagen produces many variations of the Crafter to satisfy the many needs of businesses. There’s a choice of between gross vehicle weight variants for a start – you can choose between 3, 3.5 and 5-tonne versions, and these also come in medium, long and ‘maxi’ wheelbases that feature three different heights of roof. You can also have single and double cab versions of the Crafter, as well as specialist conversions.
At this point we would normally tell you about the famous 2.0-litre TDI diesel engine, present in the Crafter in 3 separate states of tune and also available with all-wheel drive. However, the Crafter is interesting in that it’s one of the newer vans on the market that comes in a zero-emission pure electric version – known as the e-Crafter. This version of the Crafter uses the battery found in the e-Golf hatchback and because it is integrated into the Crafter’s body, there’s no compromise on load space. Volkswagen says the e-Crafter is capable of over 100-miles on a single charge, it is really intended for inner city use where we will increasingly see bans on diesel engines and clean air zones.
A quality, strong product with some comforts carried over from Volkswagen’s passenger vehicle range, the Crafter is right up there with the best vans in this category. With its useful technology and electric model, it also feels like a very 21st century commercial vehicle.