Van drivers are in for a treat this year - while van buyers are in for a tough time. On the basis of the new Volkswagen Crafter, driver appeal has just carved another notch on the gearshift of life. Going from the old LT series van to the new Crafter is like moving up from a Coronation Street tenement to a politician's pad in Westminster. That's no exaggeration.
Remember, the LT missed out on the final facelift that gave the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter a boost in its final days, so climbing aboard the new cab is as different as an old red telephone box to Dr Who's Tardis. On that basis, you'd think that buyers would have it easy. To keep their drivers sweet all they need to do is buy the new Crafter, but van life is not going to be quite that easy this year. For a start, there's the new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, and OK it comes out of the same factory as the VW, but a choice will have to be made based on price and dealer support. On the other hand, there is a new replacement due for the Citroen Relay/Peugeot Boxer/Fiat Ducato while comprehensive facelifts and spec upgrades are expected for Ford Transit, Iveco Daily and the Renault Master/Vauxhall Movano/Nissan Interstar.
In other words, anyone seeking a new van is going to have a big decision to make - do they hold back and wait till the new vans appear, or buy now while deals can be done on outgoing stock? Trouble is, one peek inside the cab of the new Crafter will have drivers itching to climb aboard and palms sweating in anticipation, eager to climb in and get on with the job.
Inside the Cab
The secret here is that the boffins behind the new design have reappraised the old rules. Whereas designers previously designed their accommodations to suit the averaged sized male of 1.76 mtrs (5 ft 7ins) in height, the new cab's more generous proportions have recognized that the average western male is somewhat taller. Anyone up to 1.94 mtrs (6ft 3ins) in height will find themselves spoiled for space while even taller drivers won't feel like a size 14 foot in a size ten Toetector! The secret here is the height adjustable seat and the height and rake adjustable steering wheel, while the higher roof line inside the cab means that taller drivers won't have to stoop to see out the windscreen.
And just as large bodies can be accommodated, so can large feet. The old-style uneven pedal arrangement of the LT2 series has gone to be replaced with a much more level arrangement of pedals which will suit even the daintiest of drivers.
Cab furnishings are a treat too. The central console contains all the ancillaries while the binnacle ahead of the driver contains all the necessary info and packed in all around and above are a huge array of storage spaces and cubby holes - including PV<'s perennial favourite, adequate room for drinkies!
Above the driver and passenger are two deep shelves and a central storage slot below the interior light. There are two dash top recesses with built in drinks holders and a central top hinged binnacle to hide valuables and still has room for a drop down glovebox. Door pockets are big enough for clipboards and atlases and one litre drinks bottles while a slide-out tray in the central dash provides a third cupholder for three-seater cabs.
In the Back
With the driver well sorted up front, the payload has been equally well thought out. In addition to short, medium and long body lengths, there is an extra-long body style while the standard and high roof options now have a super-high version too. This has resulted in four interior lengths of 2.6m, 3.2m, 4.3m and 4.7m. Using all the options will result in a huge van with an interior volume of up to 17 cubic metres!
Volkswagen have tried to standardize the three core weight variants at 3.0t, 3.5t and 5 tonne GVW in vans and chassis cabs on three wheel base offerings at 3250mm, 3665mm and 4325mm. For the 5 tonne variants there is a choice of super-single rear axle configuration or the more traditional twin rear wheel style and customer use will determine which is best, super singles for volume or twin rears for bulk. And for those who really need to max out, the 5 tonner has an 8 tonne gross train weight.
Under the Bonnet
Powering the new range is a heavily revised version of the existing 5 cylinder 2.5 litre engine. There are four versions of this engine with 88 hp,109 hp,129 hp and 150 hp and all four are turbocharged with common rail fuel injection and EGR (exhaust gas recirculation). A diesel particulate filter is also fitted to further reduce emissions and meet the latest Euro 4 emissions regulations. It's also worth mentioning that the VW engineers expect the DPF to last the life of the vehicle, or
at least 200,000 miles.
The drivetrain across the range is pretty similar with a six speed Mercedes-Benz derived gearbox mated up to a rear wheel drive configuration, although VW's 5 spd Multishift automatic gearbox will be an option on all models except the 88 bhp version. All models will also run on 16 inch wheels.
On the Road
There's more good news, it drives as good as it looks. Even on a short introductory drive around Hamburg's docks, the engine felt gutsy and responsive. Steering is not over-damped and the dashboard mounted gearshift enabled pretty accurate changes but was very clunky and notchety. Hopefully, this will improve with use and with miles. There is one more quibble. Although the engine is not overly noisy there is a constant, distant unmistakable 5 cylinder, but not entirely
unpleasant, rumble from under the floor, which is a surprise since there appears to be substantial sound-proofing around the cabin. For instance, the rubber floor covering has a soft and spongy underside which should help to dampen engine noise. The soft-touch flooring also helps to enhance the whole 'luxury' feel of the cabin. Instead of treading on a solid floor, the driver is welcomed by a more resilient surface. That feeling is further enhanced by the quality, fit and finish of the cab materials which would rival an executive saloon for appeal.
All round visibility is good and the side windows are larger than they look in the photographs, which helps the driver when approaching awkward dog leg junctions. And there is another nice touch. The reversing sensor display is built into the door mirrors where a series of coloured LEDs guides the driver back to within inches of any obstruction.
The seat itself feels pretty comfy and the material is so nice to touch that there could be one other problem with the new Crafter - the driver won't want to get out! This really is a step forward in terms of cab comfort and appeal.
Price
There are no price details as yet and these will be announced closer to the September launch date, but VW are predicting that new prices will be similar to the current list. The old high roof lwb 4.6 tonner currently stands at £24,000, while a dropside body adds 2 grand to the £22,700 price tag for the lwb chassis cab. If the new model can match those prices
and include all the benefits and additional safety features then the rest are going to have to play catch up.
Conclusion
Don't let the name put you off. The Crafter is a serious bit of kit for serious van users. The van feels
good straight out of the box and has a hugely practical loadpsace with full size doors. It's powerful, drives well and is comfortable - but the trouble is, you won't be able to buy one till September!
