Automotive

VW Crafter is smarter than your average van

VW Crafter is smarter than your average van
That nose is enough to give the Crafter a Cd of 0.33
That nose is enough to give the Crafter a Cd of 0.33
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The Crafter's driver is backed up by a range of electric assist features
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The Crafter's driver is backed up by a range of electric assist features
The new Crafter is available in three different lengths and heights
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The new Crafter is available in three different lengths and heights
It might be designed for workers getting stuff done, but the new Crafter is also designed to be comfy
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It might be designed for workers getting stuff done, but the new Crafter is also designed to be comfy
That nose is enough to give the Crafter a Cd of 0.33
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That nose is enough to give the Crafter a Cd of 0.33
The new Crafter can be front, rear or all-wheel drive
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The new Crafter can be front, rear or all-wheel drive
With lots of room for your load, the Crafter is aimed squarely at tradies
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With lots of room for your load, the Crafter is aimed squarely at tradies
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Say what you will about its ethics, Volkswagen has made big strides in making everything from the Polo to the Amarok feel more upmarket and refined. The latest vehicle to chase a more luxurious feel is the Crafter, a van with designs on offering tradies a more comfortable, car-like ride.

Available in three different lengths and heights, the Crafter is still unashamedly aimed at people who want to get work done. Depending on what that work is, there's a choice of front, rear and 4MOTION all-wheel drive to pair with the four different diesel options.

Those options are variations on the 2.0-liter EA 288Nutz TDI, which can be specced in 101 hp (75 kW), 120 hp (89 kW) and 138 hp (103 kW) guise. There's also a twin-turbo TDI option with 175 hp (130 kW), and all engines can be coupled with a manual or automatic gearbox.

With lots of room for your load, the Crafter is aimed squarely at tradies
With lots of room for your load, the Crafter is aimed squarely at tradies

Where VW has really tried to set the Crafter apart is with the range of electric driver aids on offer. A side-wind compensation system is on the options list, as is adaptive cruise control, and the fitment of electric power steering allows trailer stabilizing ESP make the spec sheet too.

Although we've seen systems like this before, the benefits of a crosswind stabilization system are likely to be more pronounced on a slab-sided van than they are on a Mercedes S-Class. With that said, the Crafter's 0.33 drag coefficient make it slicker than most vans out there.

Thus far, there's no information about pricing for the Crafter, which will be built at a new production facility in Poland.

Source: Volkswagen Commercial

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5 comments
5 comments
EcoLogical
Ugh diesel ... there's no way I'd buy one! If VW offers a battery electric version I'd be first in line!
Oun Kwon
I loved Vanagon. RIP.
Michael Wilson
Great job VW. now offer it in the US. Mercedes and Ford are killing the van market here. I know the customisers will be licking their chops to get their hands on these models and kit them out as RVs.
Don Duncan
I'm impressed VW has tested for drag coefficient. When was the last time any manufacturer put that stat in their brochure? And "side-wind compensation system"? Wow. I'd like to hear more about that. Sounds like they are getting serious about aerodynamics, which makes them unique.
"Say what you want about ethics..."? Cheap shot Scott. Study the issue. Capitalism is under fire all over the world. It is assumed to be inherently evil, needing bureaucrats to put a gun to its head to make it safe. And the bureaucrats, even when found to be irrational, incompetent, or unfair, are excused as saints who keep us safe. This myth cannot stand scrutiny. Capitalism is economic freedom. Freedom is no guarantee, but it's as essential in economics as civil liberty, if you want a civil society. VW complied with the regs, only to have them changed without warning. Were they supposed to recall at their own expense, just because a corrupt bureaucrat was trying to target them to give their US competitor an unfair advantage?
The breach of ethics is whenever an third party inserts themselves into an economic transaction (purchase of a car) using unaccountable force, paid for by stolen money (taxes).
Pres
Yeah, "freedom" and capitalism usually means corporate "freedom" to corner a needed market, reduce supply, and charge thru the nose for it. That's the main reason for so many of our laws... just to try to offset that type of abuse. Sure, it's great for the 1% that have the capital to pull it off, but not so good for the 99% that are stuck with it.