Van Centre:
Whatever you call them, the Crafter has gained recognition from lots of respected bodies. Here are some of the most recent awards we have received.
The Fleet World Honours are presented annually to those motor manufacturers who have, in the opinion of the judges, achieved the highest possible level of excellence in their sector. In the Commercial Vehicle awards, Volkswagen's Crafter won the accolade for Best Large Van.
The judging panel is chaired by industry professional, George Emmerson, who has managed fleets at IBM, NHBC and Black Horse Agencies. Members of the panel include Ken Rogers, John Kendall, and Ross Durkin from Fleet World's editorial team, and fleet manager Jackie Pomfrett. Residual value, maintenance cost and reliability data is also provided by ALD Automotive, Masterlease and ING Car Lease.
Volkswagen's Head of Fleet Services, Vincent Kinner, said: "We're delighted to have been recognised in this way. Our products are key to the brand's popularity, but of equal importance to me is to ensure our people and the fleet back-up we provide to customers large and small are just as good, if not better."
John Kendall, Editor of Commercial Fleet World commented: "Good build quality and an expanding range of proven diesel engines are important factors in Volkswagen’s success. The company has added the Caddy Maxi range, offering a choice of cargo and passenger carrying combinations."
National Fleet Manager at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Chris Blue, added: "These awards are a great endorsement for us and add to the already impressive list of accolades given to these vans. I’m very proud of our vehicles and our network of dedicated Van Centres who serve our fleet customers across the UK."
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles have scooped two awards at the Fleet World and Van Fleet World Honours ceremony. The Volkswagen Caddy and Crafter vans collected awards as 'Best Small Van' and 'Best Large Van'.
Regarding the 'Best Large Van', Van Fleet World editor, John Kendall said: "This gave us one of the toughest choices this year, but the Volkswagen Crafter is a worthy winner. From launch last year, Crafter featured standard load-sensing ESP, recognised as a significant safety enhancement for any vehicle.
"For a large vehicle, too, Crafter is extremely user friendly, offering one of the best driving experiences of any large van," he continued.
The trophy cabinet at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles also houses two awards from What Van? magazine in 2006 which named the Crafter 'Van of the Year' and gave a 'Technology' award to the Caddy for its advanced and efficient DSG gearbox.
Ralf Schueler, head of marketing for Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles said: "To win so many awards is a great honour and underlines the strengths and popularity of the latest Volkswagen van range. The Crafter is already proving a great success since its launch last year. With a model to offer every customer, it looks like it will be another record breaking year for Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles."
For the second year running, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has received two accolades at Professional Van and Light Truck (PV<) magazine's annual awards. The Crafter was this year judged the best Van Derived Chassis Cab.
The Van Derived Chassis Cab award for the Crafter coincided with the two year anniversary of its world launch at the CV Show. As the biggest model in the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles range, the Crafter chassis and double cabs offer payloads from 1,472 kg to 3,026 kg and Gross Vehicle Weights of 3.5 or 5.0 tonnes, its "Engineered to go" range of bespoke dropside, tipper and Luton conversions from a selected range of accredited converters.
Commenting on the Crafter's award, the PV< judges said: "With its range of 2.5-litre, five cylinder engines, the Crafter has all the power and torque you could need in this size of vehicle. Add that to the spacious and comfy cab, and you have a mix that is hard to beat. The final clincher is that badge on the grille which inspires buyers to buy with confidence."
Volkswagen's recently-launched large panel van, the Crafter, has claimed the top award at the prestigious What Van? Van of the Year Awards. The Crafter also won the Large Panel Van award
A strong engine line-up, a major emphasis on safety, a huge range and standard six-speed manual gearbox all contributed to the judges' decision. In summing up, they said: "The Crafter represents the pinnacle of current large panel van design and drivetrain implementation."
The largest van in the Volkswagen range, the Crafter is designed and built to meet the ever-increasing demands of a modern load carrier. It comes with a choice of four five-cylinder engines, delivering 88, 109, 136 or 163 PS, all offering fuel efficiency and low emissions. A six-speed manual gearbox is fitted as standard, although an automated manual transmission is optional.
Inside, the Crafter's spacious cabin is ergonomically designed for comfortable and safe driving. Features include a dash-mounted gear lever, excellent storage space and a driver's airbag fitted as standard. Three wheelbases, four load compartment lengths and three roof heights boost the Crafter panel van's versatility. The Crafter range is further enhanced by the availability of a window van, chassis cab and double cab.
Commenting on the company's successes, Ralf Schueler, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles' Head of Marketing said: "We're delighted that our products have been recognised by What Van? in these awards. We strive to offer our customers the best products to enable them to run their businesses successfully. At the same time, we continue to offer them the very highest standards of customer service to keep them on the road."