Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ Crafter is adding to its trophy cabinet once more, having beaten off stiff competition from newer rivals to be awarded the title of Best Van in the Parkers New Car Awards 2019 for the second consecutive year.
The awards are in their second year, with categories designed to reflect the requirements of Britain’s vehicle-buying public, and the winners chosen based on the habits of the website’s 2.9+ million users actively involved in the buying process.
The winning vehicles were tested rigorously by the Parkers.co.uk team, which judged them on a combination of cost per month, value, quality, excellence and fitness for purpose. Following the judging the panel declared the ‘exceptional’ Volkswagen Crafter the winner, saying: “It’s a class act, and defeating tough competition from the newly revised Ford Transit Custom, a superb all-rounder, and the latest, incredibly hi-tech Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, is a highly impressive achievement that speaks volumes for the Crafter’s depth of talents.
“The Volkswagen’s supreme blend of usability, versatility and comfort continues to shine through above all rivals, thanks not just to its sheer size but also its ease of driving and brilliantly thought-out cab.”
Parkers editor Keith Adams summed up: “The Crafter is a brilliantly complete product, and as well as being a supremely-talented large van, it’s also incredibly car like to drive.”
The Volkswagen Crafter was launched at the CV Show in Birmingham in April 2017. It has picked up a host of awards since it made its debut at the IAA in Hannover two years ago, including International Van of the Year. Designed from the bottom up to meet the needs of van operators, it is available with a variety of different powertrains, drivetrains and capacities, offering maximum flexibility, and with a comprehensive suite of innovative technologies. As on all Volkswagen vans, the Crafter comes as standard with autonomous emergency braking and automatic post-collision braking systems – a first in the van sector. An all-electric e-Crafter will also go on sale in the near future.
Director of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Carl zu Dohna, said: “When we first saw the Crafter two years ago, we knew it was a class-leading product. The fact that it continues to beat off competition from new rivals and claim titles such as the prestigious Parkers Best Van award is testament to its qualities. An increasing volume of new customers from large fleets to single-van operators are now driving and appreciating the Crafter; and we as a brand continue to strive to give them the best possible in-life experience through our dedicated network of Van Centres.”
For more details on Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ award-winning range of products and services, or to find your nearest Van Centre, please visit www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk.
SOURCE: Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles
