Volkswagen Crafter 2.5 TDI 109 MWB Van

Volkswagens dont get much bigger than the Crafter and its as big on technology as it is in size. Steve Walker reports

You only need to spend a few minutes leafing through the glossy brochure for Volkswagens Crafter in order to appreciate how far panel vans have progressed. Within those pages, the vehicles technological arsenal is showcased and there are options there that would have graced a luxury saloon spec-sheet just a few years back. Presenting the average van driver with this document is much like handing him the lunch menu from the Dorchester. First, his eyes light up as the wonderful possibilities reveal themselves and everything looks so good until his gaze drifts across to the right-hand column.

A sharp palpitation in the wallet region follows and before you know it, hes ordered a small glass of tap water and asked if they do egg and chips.

Build
Comfort
Depreciation
Economy
Equipment
Handling
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Performance
Styling
Value

The Crafter options list offers buyers the potential to specify a panel van thats positively crammed with technology and clever features but in the real world of cold, hard financial reality - as lived in by the vast majority of van customers - the options list is where most of these desirable titbits will stay. The Crafters that we see on the street will be of far more modest persuasion but does that mean that their drivers should feel short-changed? We checked out a standard specification Volkswagen Crafter 2.5 TDI 109 to find out. OK, so our van wasnt exactly a standard spec model: there was a plywood load floor cover in the back that would have set us back £275, if we were paying. What the van definitely didnt have were the front and rear parking sensors with visual proximity displays in the wing mirrors, the parking brake with automatic hill hold control, the satellite navigation system with CD autochanger or the visibility pack with its rain-sensing wipers and automatic headlamps with washers. It also didnt have cruise control, an electric sunroof, alloy wheels, Climatic air-conditioning or leatherette upholstery and the reason why most working Crafters wont feature many of these items either is that when you tot them all up, they add around £4,000 to the price. This is a comparatively small hit if youre a wealthy private buyer after a top-end luxobarge but van buying businesses work to tighter budgets.

"Refinement in the cabin proved to be first class"

Our test vehicle was in poverty spec form because thats exactly how most Crafters will roll off the production line from the word go. Nevertheless, it didnt give the impression that we were missing out. Anyone familiar with Mercedes-Benz products will smell a rat as soon as they climb into the Crafters cab as the switchgear the stereo with its chrome ringed dials and even the font on the instrument dials provoke pangs of déjà vu. This is because the Crafter is part of a collaboration between VW and Mercedes that has also yielded the latest Sprinter panel van. The two vehicles are almost identical bar the badges and the interior design has a flavour thats definitely more Mercedes than Volkswagen. Even in standard form, you get a CD stereo and height, reach and rake adjustment on the drivers seat.

The build quality and design sets the standard in the panel van sector with the simple controls offering a classy look and a robust feel. Storage has been well thought out with pockets along the top of the dash to stop items sliding around, a clip on the centre console for paperwork, big door pockets and plenty of cup holders. The vast banks of blacked-out buttons hint at the gadgetry thats been left on the options list but it isnt unduly missed. One area where the Crafter does differ from its Sprinter sister vehicle is in the engine bay.

Volkswagen have plumbed their own TDI common-rail injection units into the Crafter and the 109PS version we tried was well up to the job. There are versions of the engine with 136PS and 164PS power outputs to call upon but just as most operators will leave the extensive options list alone, most will go for this more modest engine. The 109PS translates to 108bhp in old money and while this might sound like a piffling amount to shift a medium wheelbase, high roof Crafter about, the engine proved very flexible and punchy on our test. This is largely thanks to the hefty 280lb/ft torque output thats being generated at 2,000rpm.

It ensures that the van accelerates briskly up to speed and has the muscle to keep up with traffic adequately on motorway trips. We were running without a payload on the back and operators who intend to carry big weights regularly would be well advised to consider one of the more powerful engines. Refinement in the cabin proved to be first class, the engine emitting a breathy rumble when pressed but otherwise settling into an unobtrusive thrum. Wind and road noise are very well suppressed and the comfortable driving experience is also aided by what has to be the smoothest ride in any large panel van.

The front suspension irons out the worst that the road surface throws up extremely well. The rear was less composed in out test vehicle but this will improve with some cargo to weigh down the heavy duty springs. The steering is well resolved, giving an accurate turn in while remaining light enough for manoeuvring at low speeds. You soon lose track of the Crafters size while youre driving as the controls and the vans responses do much to inspire confidence.

Even on the basic model, equipment levels are generous, particularly with regard to safety. Remote central locking is standard as are electric windows and a drivers airbag. Then youve got an active safety provision that runs to ABS, electronic brakeforce distribution and a highly advanced version of the ESP Electronic Stability Control system. Storage is fairly well catered for with door pockets, an overhead shelf and a glovebox that can be air-conditioned to keep drinks cool.

The Crafters doors automatically lock once you hit 10mph to prevent undesirables stealing your lunch while youre stopped at the lights. Is there a better quality large panel van out there than the Volkswagen Crafter? On the evidence of this test drive in the kind of model that UK operators typically order, youd have to say not. The frontal styling will jar with some but panel vans arent supposed to be pretty anyway. The only serious drawback is that cost tends to be the top priority amongst cash-strapped van buyers and the Crafter is priced at a premium compared to rivals.

You can see and feel where the extra money goes with this van but in many cases it wont be the driver whos signing the cheque. Residual values will be strong, however, and Volkswagen should find more than enough willing customers, especially from the user-chooser sector.

Facts At A Glance VAN: Volkswagen Crafter 2.5 TDI 109 MWB Hi-Roof Range ENGINES: 5-cylinder 2.5-litre TDI diesel 109PS MAX PAYLOAD: 1,369kg LOAD VOLUME: 11m3 GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHTS: 3.5t