There are many large vans that claim to be all things to all people but Volkswagen's much improved Crafter comes closer than most. Jonathan Crouch drives it.

Background

A really large van is the kind of thing your business will need for its heaviest, most awkward loads. The kind of vehicle that, as a result, is likely to get the toughest day-to-day treatment. Such an LCV will also require quite a substantial initial outlay, money you'll want to preserve as far as possible in resale value when the time comes to sell. For all these reasons, when considering a van of this kind, it's tempting to stretch yourself a little and go with the quality option, even if it costs a little more. In this market, that tends to mean either a Mercedes Sprinter or this contender, Volkswagen's Crafter. Both are based upon the same underpinnings and roll down the same production lines at Daimler's Dusseldorf and Ludwigsfelde plants. The Crafter though, originally launched back in 2006, has always used its own engines, a policy that continued with the current second generation version, introduced in 2017. It sells in a wide variety of forms - panel van, drop side and chassis cab - and also forms the basis for the brand's largest camper van, the Grand California. With this MK2 Crafter, over 354,000 units were sold in the first five years of production. Volkswagen then, has every incentive to keep this big LCV up to date, but still can't offer the thing this model line really needs - a full EV version. Instead, what we've got with this mid-term update is additional safety, a redesigned cabin and extra media technology. Will it be enough? It'll be interesting to see.

Driving Experience

There are no mechanical changes as part of this update. We hadn't expected that for the combustion range but we had expected that Volkswagen might try and introduce the kind of full-EV drivetrain that just about every other contender in this segment now offers. Wolfsburg's been developing an EV Crafter for years, but there's no sign of it being production-ready just yet. Once you settle into driving a large van like this, it's a very commanding experience. You sit high up in quite a car-like position thanks to the upright steering wheel, enjoying a supportive seat that can be equipped with an armrest to prop a weary elbow on over longer trips. On the move, this MK2 Crafter has always felt a little more car-like thanks to its electromechanical steering system and its optional front wheel drive configuration - both things you couldn't have in the pre-2017-era MK1 model. Rear wheel drive and 4MOTION 4WD are still offered too and your selection of drive layout could well impact your choice between the various versions of the 2.0 TDI diesel engine on offer. There are three, with 140, 163 or 177PS outputs available mated to either 6-speed manual or 8-speed DSG auto transmission. Let's get to the drivetrain detail. The volume CR30 model is available exclusively with front-wheel drive, a 140PS 2.0-litre TDI engine and six-speed manual gearbox. The CR35 version adds the option of a 177PS 2.0-litre TDI unit with either front-wheel drive or auto-only 4MOTION four-wheel drive. The CR35 Crafter can also be ordered with 163PS 2.0-litre TDI rear-wheel driven power, which is the exclusive engine and drivetrain layout of the heaviest 5-tonne CR50 version. This TDI powerplant has always been quite a refined thing and to some extent, that's still the case, providing you don't stress the thing too much. In everyday use, the engine goes about its business with little more than a muted hum. Progress to the upper reaches of the rev range though and this diesel sounds far less comfortable. Indeed at higher motorway speeds, engine noise is more noticeable than intrusions from tyres or the wind. Ride quality remains unbettered in the class, making this an excellent long-journeying companion.

Design and Build

Not much has changed about the look of this updated SZ-series second generation Crafter. Not much needed to - which is more than could be said of some of this model's predecessors. Big Volkswagen LCVs of old really were very ugly indeed - we're thinking of the original LT of 1975, the LT2 of 1996 and the original 2F-series Crafter model of 2006. Fortunately, when this SZ-series model arrived in 2017, it was a lot easier on the eye, with wide horizontal front end lines and a raked back windscreen. There are three body lengths, this 5,986mm medium wheelbase version, the 6,836mm-long long wheelbase variant and the lengthiest 7,391mm long wheelbase Maxi derivative. There are 16-inch or, as in this case, or 17-inch wheels. The height of the bluff rear end depends on your choice of roof levels - low, High (which is what we have here) or Super-High. Climb up behind the wheel and you're faced with what Volkswagen calls an 'intuitive state-of-the-art cockpit landscape', fitted to what still remains the highest quality cabin in the segment. Inevitably, that means a screenfest, with digital instruments for the first time, controlled via buttons on the new multifunction steering wheel. Using these, you can change the screen format - from dials to info boxes - and also select full-screen mapping if navigation's been specified. The 10-inch centre monitor's also new - with a homescreen that can display either with customisable 'widget' boxes or with rows of little icons. On-board Wi-Fi, online voice control and various VW Car-Net online functions can be optionally added. A Crafter regular might also recognise the restyled gear selector and the addition of an electronic handbrake. More powerful USB-C sockets now proliferate - there are two low down to the left of the gear stick and one on the dash top. And as you'd expect in this class, the backrest of the middle seat folds down to create a work surface, with cup holders, pen trays and a securing strap for paperwork. You'll have to do without that of course if you swap the two-person bench out for a single seat. The driver's seat is multi-adjustable and with plusher trim, comes with an armrest; we'd want to upgrade to the more supportive ergoComfort chair which can even be massaged. Once you're comfortable, there's plenty of space for all your odds and ends, with storage spaces aplenty.

Market and Model

On to the rather spooky question of which Crafter. At the time of our test in early 2025, ex-VAT prices were in the £38,000 to £57,000 bracket and there's the usual wide range of body formats, including tippers and dropsides - and the brand's Grand California camper van (which we've tested separately). It's the panel vans we'll be focusing on here. The range isn't too difficult to get your head around;.there are three gross weights - CR30, the CR35 and CR50. And you can have your Crafter in the medium wheelbase length, in lengthier long wheelbase form or in lengthiest long wheelbase Maxi guise. There are two trim levels, 'Commerce' and 'Commerce Plus', and if you opt for the latter, you'll be offered the option of the lengthiest 'long wheelbase Maxi' bodystyle. A low roof body height's available on request, but most will choose the High roof height. There's also a 'Super-High' roof height available. All the engines on offer are all variants of the same 2.0 TDI diesel unit. In front-driven form, this comes with either 140PS or with 177PS. If you'd prefer your Crafter to be rear-driven, there's also a 163PS model. All those options are offered with a choice of either manual or DSG auto transmission. With the 177PS unit, there's also the option of a 4MOTION 4WD variant, which can only be had with the 8-speed auto transmission. 'Commerce'-spec includes a 'Composition Colour' DAB+ radio with a 10.4-inch touch-screen, App Connect 'phone-mirroring, a 'Digital cockpit' instrument screen, central locking, a side sliding door on the passenger's side, front and rear parking sensors and a Driver Alert System. In addition, 'Commerce Plus' trim adds an anti-theft alarm system, Climatic manual air conditioning, a 'Comfort' single driver's seat including 2-way lumbar support and an armrest, cruise control with a speed limiter, electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors and rear wing doors with 270-degree hinges. A highlight of this improved Crafter is its range of new standard and optional driver assist systems. Included on models are Front Assist (Autonomous Emergency Braking including Cyclist and Pedestrian Monitoring), Lane Assist (a lane keeping system), Dynamic Road Sign Display, a speed limiter and acoustic Park Distance Control for the rear area. The brand's 'Travel Assist' semi-autonomous driving system will be available as an option for the Crafter for the first time, as will Emergency Assist, which will bring the van to a controlled halt if you're taken ill at the wheel.

Practicalities and Costs

So, how practical will this Crafter prove to be in everyday use? Well, the twin rear doors can be swung out in the usual way - out to as much as 270-degrees if you get this plusher trim level or pay the extra to get this feature. There's a reasonably low loading height which can be as little as 570mm and once you get your goods inside, the space available will of course depend upon your choice of wheelbase length. There are two options (3.64 and 4.49-metres) and three overall body lengths (the medium version, long and long wheelbase Maxi). As usual with LCVs, your total loading volume will be determined by your chosen combination of wheelbase length, front or rear wheel drive configuration and roof height. There are three roof heights, starting with the 2.35m 'Low roof' version, which slots in below the 2.59m 'High roof' variant - the one most will want - and the 2.79m Super-High 'Long Maxi high roof' option for those who really want to super-size things. All of that means that the 'Medium' wheelbase model can be specified in load volumes that vary between 9.3m3 and 10.7m3. A 'Long' model can be specified in load volumes that vary between 13.6m3 and 16.1m3. And a 'Long Maxi' derivative can be specified in load volumes that vary between 16.1m3 and 18.4m3. We ought to give you some load space length, width and height dimensions too. The rear doors open to a width aperture of 1,552mm. And inside, there's 3,450mm of loading length in the 'Medium' wheelbase model, which would rise to 4,300mm if you selected a 'Long' wheelbase variant - and 4,855mm if you went for the 'Long Maxi' derivative. The load area width is 1,832mm, narrowing to 1,380mm between the wheel arches on models with single rear wheels - that's decently wide by class standards. Where twin rear wheels need to be fitted, Volkswagen has redesigned things this time round so that the width between these arches isn't so greatly affected; you're looking at 1,030mm in that case. What about load area height? Well, with the High roof almost everyone will want, it's 1,961mm, with 100mm less if you choose rear wheel drive. That rises to 2,196mm with the Super-High body shape. These stats are difficult to beat in the class. There's only one sliding side door and it offers an aperture 1,311mm wide and between 1,587mm and 1,822mm high, depending on your roof choice. As at the back, there's a big yellow grab handle to aid access inside, where in this Medium-length model there are up to eight tie-down points. Important options include super-bright LED cargo area lights and the protective ply-lining kit that can be applied to the interior sides and floor. There's the usual full-steel bulkhead, but unfortunately, no option for a cargo hatch built into it that would allow you to push longer items into the cab; rivals with that feature continue to score over this Crafter. As usual with any LCV, the payload you can carry depends on the drive configuration and Gross Vehicle Weight of the variant you choose. The front-driven set-up that most customers will probably go for is available for Crafter variants of 3.0, 3.5 and 5.0-tonnes in Gross Vehicle Weight (the CR30, the CR35 and the top CR50). The CR35 raises the rather feeble 729kg payload of the CR30 to between 1,139 and 2,410kg. This can give you a potential payload capacity anywhere between 735kgs and 1,301kgs. Running costs of course will depend on the engine and Gross Vehicle Weight you select but whichever Crafter you choose, you'll find the 2.0 TDI diesel engine to be extremely frugal, whether you choose it in 140, 163 or 177PS guise. As a guide, you can expect to average somewhere between 27 and 33mpg in this vehicle on the combined cycle, depending upon the variant you're in. And between 256 and 313g/km of CO2. As usual with this TDI unit, the AdBlue additive is necessary to meet Eur6 emissions regulations; you'll get about 5,000 miles from each AdBlue tank. Service intervals have been extended from 25,000 to 30,000 miles as part of this update. An oil service is ideally needed every 12,000 miles. And there's a three year warranty - with no mileage limit.

Summary

It seems as if the switch from diesel to EV powertrains will take a lot longer than the industry and European governments expected, especially in the segment for really large LCVs. Which is good news for the Crafter range, which remains solely built around diesel power. This improved model feels a lot more up-to-date inside, incorporating the technology that modern businesses now want. Otherwise though, its appeal remains much as before. Is there really a better quality large panel van out there than this? Assuming you prefer this Volkswagen's engine range and pricing structure to that of its Mercedes Sprinter stablemate, then you'd have to say not. Yes, the Crafter is priced at a premium compared to its various mainstream market rivals, but you can see and feel where the extra money goes. Forward-thinking businesses will accept this on the basis that residual values are very strong and the whole vehicle feels - and is - built to last, enabling companies to spread the up-front sticker price over a longer operating period. In ten years time, we'd wager that this vehicle will still be going strong at a point when most of its rivals are starting to fade. Enough said.