On the road

I had already driven the Crafter in Germany, in left-hand drive format, but finally got my claws on a British model at the UK launch at Goodwood – a mwb high roof 107bhp model weighing in at £20,800, ex-VAT.

Firstly, let’s get the question of the Crafter’s curious looks out of the way. At first I hated it – now I love it.

It takes some getting used to but you’ve got to admire Volkswagen’s brave stance.

And, by the way, it looks much better in the metal than in print.

Climbing aboard, the cab seems huge compared to the old LT.

It’s light, airy, comfortable and spacious and has a plethora of new conveniences for the driver such as cola bins, numerous cup holders, a document clip, overhead storage and even a middle seat which folds down to reveal a handy desk.

The driver’s seat is firm and supportive and – great news – the two passengers seats are equally good.

Too many vans have uncomfortable passenger seats, in my view.

In the back, things are much as they were in the old model.

Our van had no fewer than 10 load-lashing eyes and a plastic non-slip floor, which is a £375 option and well worth it in my opinion.

My only grumble in the load area is one that affects just about every van I test – why the pathetic little lights? Anyone wishing to load or unload this van in the dark will need more than the illumination these two little items give out.

On the road, I felt immediately at home driving this van.

It may be six metres long but for all the world I could have been behind the wheel of a large car.

The 107bhp is likely to be the biggest fleet seller and manages to combine enough power without being too silly.

With a half load on board, the Crafter didn’t exactly fly along and on a couple of occasions I found myself praying for a bit of extra oomph, but with that 206lb-ft of torque there was never a suggestion that the engine couldn’t cope, even on steep inclines.

Volkswagen puts a fuel economy figure of 34.9mpg on this model, but it’s measured with the van empty and travelling at a steady 50mph.

I’d say a figure in the high twenties would be more likely, which still isn’t bad for a vehicle of this size.

Verdict

A triumph of design and engineering in my book – and a quantum leap forward over the LT.

I’ll be interested to see over the coming months whether Volkswagen can steal sales from the Sprinter and consolidate that number three position in the market.