VW Commercial Vehicles Crafter Derivatives Driving Report
With its derivatives as flexible as ever
With its division from Hanover, the Volkswagen Group has more than 40 years of know-how in the construction of commercial vehicles. Since this year, the Hanoverians have shown that they can do it alone without the cooperation with Mercedes-Benz. Within 28 months VW built a completely new plant in Poland to meet the demands and wishes of its customers. Because with the new Crafter you also want to break new ground in conceptual design and development. A symbiosis of product focus and customer orientation is to be found. In a nutshell: VW wants to present the Crafter to its customers as flexibly as possible, whether small, medium or large customers. There is a high level of driver assistance and comfort systems in the “Nutzler” from Hanover, which will make working with and around the vehicle easier. The van stands in the dealers' showroom in four “basic kits” with 3 different lengths and heights as well as two different wheelbases. This results in 69 derivatives, the starting price of which starts with the smallest motorization and loading capacity at 33.815 euros.
Do not be afraid of independent development
Contrary to all experiences with cooperations of competence partners, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles separated from its long-time partner from Baden Württemberg and manages the small van division around the Crafter from a single source. Volkswagen plans to produce and deliver up to 28 vehicles (including all special vehicles) in its newly built plant in Poland, which was hoisted in a record time of just 100.000 months. What began in autumn 2016 with the Hanoverian’s world premiere is expected to end in 2018 with a vehicle that can be ordered completely flexibly and that leaves no room for further improvements in its class, at least when it goes through its specifications. Started with a front-wheel drive and a total weight of up to 3.500 kilograms, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles presents us a year later with 75 percent of its Crafters portfolio near Lake Neusiedl on the Hungarian border. In a natural quarry, designed for major events such as theater or opera, we test the "load donkey" with its superstructures, motors, drives and driver assistance systems that have been offered to date.
Flexible due to different lengths
On the body side, the Crafter, with three lengths, roof heights and weight limits each, provides the basis for every user. The offer includes a panel van, station wagon, single and double cabin and suitcase. There are also the special superstructures for platform trucks, tippers and chassis. In addition, it gains in variability with two wheelbases of 3,64 and 4,49 meters. The panel van combines overall lengths of 5,9, 6,8 and 7,4 meters with roof heights of 2,3, 2,6 and 2,8 meters. The total length of the platform truck is 6,2, 7,0 and 7,4 meters. Other possibilities arise when using the Crafter as a chassis for individualized body solutions. Its different load limits result from the combination of drive, engine and transmission. The Crafter signals this with its vehicle designation. The Crafter 30 has a permissible total weight of 3.000 kg, while the Crafter 35 increases the value to 3.500 to 4.000 kilograms. With twin tires on the rear axle, the Crafter 50 can be driven with a total weight of up to 5 tons. The expansion to 5,5 tons is up for the "user" in 2018.
Latest engine technology
The engineers from Hanover tackle the subject of drives and engines with a combination of turbo diesel, six-speed manual transmission and eight-speed automatic transmission. There is also the option of choosing between front, rear or all-wheel drive. In any case, the 2.0 liter TDI is delivered with a diesel particulate filter and SCR catalytic converter, which help reduce emissions. Its output levels of 75 kW (102 PS), 90 kW (122 PS), 103 kW (140 PS) and 130 kW (177 PS) bring engine outputs from 300 Newton meters to the road. This time the manufacturer specifies the possible combinations according to a useful performance. Explained on the basis of the panel van, the Crafter 30 and 35 links are linked to the 75, 103 and 130 kW power levels. The Crafter 50 version is therefore delivered with the 90 kW or 130 kW engine. The new one from Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is equipped with a six-speed manual transmission. If the eight-speed automatic transmission variant was previously reserved for the front-wheel drive version with 130 kW, in future it will also be possible to choose other drive types and power levels. The new Crafter derives its variability from the three different drive types front, rear and all-wheel drive. Here the people in charge from Hanover offer a compilation for your customers in order to counteract their individual transport tasks with tailor-made solutions. The 4MOTION Crafter with all-wheel drive masters the difficult ground on construction sites with ease, which we were able to test well on the quarry test site. The Crafter made its way both with and without full load. Even when maneuvering with a small trailer, we couldn't see any weaknesses.
Driver assistance systems that make it easy to drive
When evaluating its customer surveys, the manufacturer of the commercial vehicle division repeatedly highlighted one topic. Nowadays, fluctuation is very high, especially in the delivery service of medium-sized and large companies, and drivers are getting younger and younger and are using more and more of the current driver assistance and driver comfort systems. The reaction from Volkswagen didn't take long to arrive. The Crafter is now packed with systems that are intended to make working with and around the vehicle easier and more convenient. If many of the systems described below are available as options, the “multi-collision brake” is a standard feature in the commercial vehicle from Hanover. It is intended to help minimize or even prevent subsequent accidents. The sellers' order lists include, among other things, the "Front Assist" environment monitoring system including the "City Emergency Braking Function", the "Blind Spot Sensor" lane change assistant including "Rear Parking Assistant", the "Trailer Assist" trailer maneuvering assistant and the "Park Assist" parking steering assistant. We were able to test the latter again in detail in a parking simulation. The Crafter found its parking space within 40 centimeters between two vehicles that were already parked, and the system also came to our aid when we pulled out of a parking space, so that we could concentrate on the next task. Very useful and helpful for us in the list of systems is the “parking assistant”, which protects the side flanks of vehicles that are significantly longer than a car by making an acoustic noise, and not just against your own van. Expensive comprehensive damage is prevented here and not only money but also nerves are saved. Volkswagen also promises a standard lane departure warning system “Lane Assist” and automatic distance control, Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), for the Crafter 50. Both systems make it possible for the Crafter to be the first commercial vehicle in its class to be equipped with electronic power steering.
And finally ... The new, in-house designed and produced Crafter from the forge of the commercial vehicle manufacturer Volkswagen is a work tool for customers of customers. This is what the first tests promise, both on the road and in difficult terrain. At a starting price of just under 34.000 euros (including VAT), it remains affordable for small and medium-sized companies. In addition, it proves to be a useful tool, which exactly suits its purpose.
The Crafter family leaves no solution open and can be useful to any company with its derivatives. But even privately, the load donkey from Hanover does not charge any other alternative.
Text: Stefan Beckmann, Beitragsbild: Manufacturer Picture: Stefan Beckmann and Matthias Luft