Text by Antti Järveläinen

We visited the completely redesigned Volkswagen Crafter in Austria, near Vienna.

The new features of the Crafters were presented at the international press days, and there were several dozen test drives with different engine options.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is the market leader in Finland with just under 25% of commercial vehicle sales. This represents an increase of almost 40 percentage points on the previous year and the new Crafter is a strong support for Volkswagen’s growth in the market.

The completely redesigned Crafter is highly customisable to suit a wide range of needs, with up to 69 model options to choose from. For the first time, the new Crafter is available with full front-wheel drive.

The car is now equipped with electronic power steering compared to the previous model. This allows a wide range of driver-assist systems familiar from passenger cars to be selected for the new Crafter.

Three different traction modes, lengths and roof heights

In addition to the familiar rear and four-wheel drive models, a front-wheel drive only model is now also available.

The front-wheel-drive-only model has two major advantages. This has resulted in the boot floor height being lowered by 100 mm at the rear. This is of great importance, for example, for a delivery driver who has to lift goods by hand pallet.

Another major benefit of the front-wheel-drive model is a 10 percent increase in boot space compared to the previous model. The largest configuration Crafter has a boot capacity of up to 18.4 m³.

There are also three different length options. The shortest model is 5.99 metres long and is fitted with a medium wheelbase (3.64 metres). The long wheelbase Crafters (4.49 metres) are available in lengths of just over 6.8 metres and 7.4 metres.

The longer models have the same wheelbase, but the length has been increased by increasing the rear wheelbase of the car.

The shortest model takes a maximum of four Europlates and the long wheelbase models take six Europlates.

The three roof heights allow a height of up to 2.2 metres for those who need interior space. The other two ceiling heights are two metres and just over 1.7 metres.

In the Crafter chassis package models, the car is built on exactly the same chassis and the wheelbases are also the same. The overall length of each model is increased by about 20 centimetres. The cab is available in short (3 seats) or double (7 seats) versions.

The new Euro 6 engines provide the power you need

The new Crafter is always powered by a two-litre diesel engine. Power options include 75 kW, 103 kW and 130 kW versions. A 90 kW version will also be available at a later date.

The two highest power versions are expected to be the best-selling models in Finland. In the test drives, the maximum load capacity was 500 kg. It was not possible to detect any real difference between the two highest power versions.

The maximum torque for the two highest power versions is 340 Nm. and 410 Nm. Four-wheel drive is only available with the above engines. For the first time, a combination of four-wheel drive and the traditional 8-speed automatic gearbox will also be offered.

Depending on the traction mode, the automatic gearbox will be made by ZF or Aisin. The rear-wheel-drive Crafters alone will have a longitudinal engine and gearbox from ZF, while the front-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive models will have a transverse engine and gearbox from Aisin.

The four-wheel drive increases the price by around €7 700 and the automatic transmission by €2 700. The maximum gross vehicle weight varies between 3 000 and 5 500 kg, depending on the model.

A very distinctive Volkswagen

What the new Crafter looks like, both inside and out, is a very distinctive and conservative Volkswagen.

Inside, the styling is almost identical to its other sisters. In the van, you just sit with your back straight a little more and the view out is clearly better.

Compared to other Volkswagen models, the instrumentation and controls are a carbon copy of the brand’s other base models. The spaces and buttons are clearly designed with practicality in mind. The instrument cluster is traditional Volkswagen and easy to read.

The ride is largely stable and the new electronic power steering makes steering light. On the downside, it has to be said that in larger gusts of wind in open areas the steering could have done with a little more feel as the gusts catch the big side.

On a straight motorway, the ride is very light and directional stability is good even at speeds above 100 km/h.

Auxiliary equipment to make work and everyday life easier

The electronic power steering allows you to choose from a wide range of assistance systems. The Trailer Assist system, already introduced by Volkswagen, is available to help you get your trailer into the smallest spaces.

Lane Keeping and Lane Change Assist, Parking Assist, Rear Cross Traffic Assist and a reversing camera are also available, as known from other models.

In addition to the above, Side Protection helps the driver in small and confined spaces. The system provides visual and audible warnings if the sides of the car approach an obstacle.

All Crafter models are produced in Poland, in Wrzesnia, at the new Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles plant.

The starting price for the bonnet models is just over €35 500 and for the chassis vans just over €34 500.