New Volkswagen Crafter priced from £23,920

Prices have been announced for the all-new Volkswagen Crafter, with UK Van Centres able to take orders now ahead of the van’s official launch at the CV Show in April and first customer deliveries in May.

The Crafter is now an independent model, completely separately built and designed from its former Mercedes-Benz Sprinter cousin, and built at a brand new Volkswagen plant in Poland.

Crafter models are powered by a new 2.0-litre TDI (EU6) engine, developed specifically for commercial vehicles, which is available with four power outputs: 102, 122, 140 and 177 PS. The choice of engine depends on which drive system is selected. Customers can also choose between front, rear and all-wheel drive (4MOTION), as well as between a manual and automatic gearbox.

Up to three different vehicle lengths are available, depending on the model chosen: 5.9 m, 6.84 m or 7.39 m. Panel van variants also come with one of three different roof heights: 2.35 m, 2.59 m or 2.79 m.

Three trim levels are on offer – Startline, Trendline and Highline – bringing the Crafter into line with Volkswagen’s Caddy and Transporter ranges. Prices and highlights of each trim are shown below:

Panel van Startline from £23,920 (basic ex VAT)

·     Automatic Post Collision Braking

·     Cross-wind assist

·     Driver alert system

·     180-degree opening rear wing doors

·     Composition audio radio

·     Bluetooth

Panel van Trendline from £25,270 (basic ex VAT) in addition to Startline

·     Front assist including emergency braking system

·     Cruise control with speed limiter

·     Electrically heated and adjustable wing mirrors

·     270-degree opening rear wing doors

·     Composition Media Radio with DAB+

·     Multi-function steering wheel

·     Comfort driver’s seat

·     Wooden floor in load area

·     Grab handles on rear entry pillars

Panel van Highline from £29,220 (basic ex vat) in addition to Trendline

·     Adaptive Cruise Control

·     Passenger airbag

·     Front and rear parking sensors

·     Heated windscreen

·     Front fog lights with cornering function

·     Comfort-plus driver’s seat

A wide range of options is also available including a number of driver and safety assistance systems such as side protection, rear traffic alert, park assist and trailer assist.

Front-wheel drive manual panel vans are available to order now. Rear-wheel drive, 4motion and automatic transmission variants will follow during 2017, along with open-body models and factory-produced conversions.