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'6 3 ,7 - MR
Page 40
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With the Crafter having a similar cab and interior layout to the Sprinter, you can take it as read that whatever we like about the Marc we like about the VW, whether it's cab access, general handling, build quality, driver visibility or voluminous in-cab storage.
Like the Sprinter, the Crafter also has a fixed steering wheel as standard, but the excellent adjustment on the driver's seat means you end up with a good 'interface' to it.
The WV's 2.5-litre TDI diesel is surprisingly torquey, particularly around 1,500-1,700rpm; indeed its low-down grunt was sufficiently impressive for us to confidently bumble along in top gear right down to 30mph without any complaints from the driveline and still be able lo recover. Not bad for a tipper with 598 miles on the clock.
Interior noise levels were a tad higher than the Marc's, but given that we had to rev the slightly-less-powerful TDI engine a bit more, that's hardly surprising. Onor off-road, laden or unladen, the Crafter has predictable road manners and precise steering.
Its decent-sized driving mirrors have some neat lower wide-angle lenses that show everything down to ground (and bollard) level. Grumbles? Not many. WV should fit darker-coloured seat covers that won't show the dirt and we docked it a couple of points for the rather slow tipping cycle.
Metallic paint is available as a £1,040 optional extra. BW