vw crafter

1
W ith all our automotive reviews of late, we feel that we have somewhat neglected our transport and logistics readers so along side our monthly look at the top car, we have decided to touch on the unstoppable VW Crafter. We worked the crafter to the bone and moved an entire terraced house in two and half loads to ensure we put the crafter through its paces. The VW Crafter comes in three wheel bases with four body lengths and three heights offering a wide range of payloads and in my opinion makes it a great all-rounder for multiple purposes, available in single and double-chassis cab, window van, drop side and tippers. The first thing that struck me was the great field of vision when reversing, as many vans lack the use of a rear window which makes reversing a tricky task but not in the Crafter. Reversing around a corner following the kerb line with millimetre precision was child’s play thanks to the great mirrors and no blind spots. The short wheel base model is very spacious inside and when loaded correctly can really move a substantial volume and when fully laden it is still demonstrates impressive fuel economy due to the regenerative breaks, low-rolling resistant tyres and of course the 2.0-litre TDI BlueMotion engine giving it a combined fuel economy of 39 MPG. As a VW GTDI owner I instantly recognized the quality of engineering under the bonnet and to be honest the Crafter felt exactly the same to drive as my Golf. The 2.0-litre TDI engine provide plenty of power and torque & great acceleration. The Crafter comes with ESC electronic stability control as standard like all Volkswagen vans along with electronic brake force distribution and traction control systems to assist in slippery conditions. The Crafter comes with a three year unlimited warrantee and three years Volkswagen breakdown assistance. Poised and easily positioned it goes exactly where you turn it without the inherent body roll you would normally expect from a van. When it comes to ride quality VW have done an impressive job, seamlessly ironing out holes in the road. We chose to test this in a very unorthodox but effective way by placing a box at the back of the van just behind the doors and filling it with glasses and breakables without any protection. When we arrived at our destination everything was intact. The interior of the Crafter is spacious and comfortable, particularly if you find yourself on long journeys and provides a good driving position with seat height, and reach-and-rake adjustment. Lots of storage with a large compartments above the front windscreen while electric windows are standard and the cruise control option (£215.00 optional extra) is a must have for motorway/duel carriageway driving although comes as standard with all BlueMotion models. The visibility pack is a great option too that includes rain sensors, headlamp washers and automatic lights and will only set you back a further £370.00. Sat- NAV is an additional £1,640.00 however it is useful, especially if you plan to use the van for the transport and logistics industry. This also includes Bluetooth integration. All in all the Crafter is a sturdy and reliable machine with the advantage of additional comfort coming in as a direct competitor to the Mercedes Sprinter that is in my opinion superior. BY DANNY EDWARDS THE VW Crafter

Upload: littlegate-publishing

Post on 29-Mar-2016

264 views

Category:

Documents


1 download

DESCRIPTION

 

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: VW Crafter

With all our automotive reviews of late, we feel that we have

somewhat neglected our transport and logistics readers so

along side our monthly look at the top car, we have decided to touch

on the unstoppable VW Crafter.

We worked the crafter to the bone and moved an entire terraced

house in two and half loads to ensure we put the crafter through its

paces. The VW Crafter comes in three wheel bases with four body

lengths and three heights offering a wide range of payloads and in my

opinion makes it a great all-rounder for multiple purposes, available

in single and double-chassis cab, window van, drop side and tippers.

The first thing that struck me was the great field of vision when

reversing, as many vans lack the use of a rear window which makes

reversing a tricky task but not in the Crafter. Reversing around a

corner following the kerb line with millimetre precision was child’s

play thanks to the great mirrors and no blind spots.

The short wheel base model is very spacious inside and when

loaded correctly can really move a substantial volume and when

fully laden it is still demonstrates impressive fuel economy due to

the regenerative breaks, low-rolling resistant tyres and of course the

2.0-litre TDI BlueMotion engine giving it a combined fuel economy of

39 MPG.

As a VW GTDI owner I instantly recognized the quality of

engineering under the bonnet and to be honest the Crafter felt

exactly the same to drive as my Golf.

The 2.0-litre TDI engine provide plenty of power and torque &

great acceleration. The Crafter comes with ESC electronic stability

control as standard like all Volkswagen vans along with electronic

brake force distribution and traction control systems to assist

in slippery conditions. The

Crafter comes with a three year

unlimited warrantee and three

years Volkswagen breakdown

assistance.

Poised and easily positioned

it goes exactly where you turn it

without the inherent body roll

you would normally expect from a

van. When it comes to ride quality

VW have done an impressive job,

seamlessly ironing out holes in

the road. We chose to test this in

a very unorthodox but effective

way by placing a box at the

back of the van just behind the

doors and filling it with glasses

and breakables without any

protection. When we arrived at

our destination everything was

intact.

The interior of the Crafter

is spacious and comfortable,

particularly if you find yourself

on long journeys and provides

a good driving position with

seat height, and reach-and-rake

adjustment. Lots of storage with

a large compartments above the front windscreen while electric

windows are standard and the cruise control option (£215.00 optional

extra) is a must have for motorway/duel carriageway driving although

comes as standard with all BlueMotion models. The visibility pack is

a great option too that includes rain sensors, headlamp washers and

automatic lights and will only set you back a further £370.00. Sat-

NAV is an additional £1,640.00 however it is useful, especially if you

plan to use the van for the transport and logistics industry. This also

includes Bluetooth integration.

All in all the Crafter is a sturdy and reliable machine with the

advantage of additional comfort coming in as a direct competitor to

the Mercedes Sprinter that is in my opinion superior.

BY DANNY EDWARDS

THE VW Crafter