The order books are now open for people to buy the Crafter van from Volkswagen.

• Prices announced for all-new large van; starting at £23,920 (basic RRP excl VAT)
• Order books open now, with UK debut at CV Show in April and deliveries in May
• Widest range of engines, drivetrains and sizes gives maximum flexibility
• Innovations on board bring real-world customer advantages and cost-saving

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 all-new Crafter, International Van of the Year for 2017, was designed from the ground-up, following extensive research, to provide customers with the right van for their needs. 

A wide range, which includes different powertrains, drivetrains and capacities, offers maximum flexibility, while a suite of innovative technologies is available – not for technology’s sake, but to provide customers with solutions to real-world problems.

All new 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)

• Startline, Trendline and Highline
• 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.

As, if not more, important as the product itself is the range of aftersales and customer support products and services which are being rolled out throughout the Van Centre network in preparation for launch. 

More details will follow, but examples include extended opening hours, telematics systems, preventative maintenance and bespoke service and maintenance plans.

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.

END OF YEAR UK - RENAULT VANS - The commercial arm increases sales by 1.5% & Increased market share.

• Renault van sales up 1.5 per cent to 25,842 vehicles in 2016
• Renault van market share grew to 6.8 per cent
• Renault van sales in the UK considerably outpace the van market growth rate
• Strong LCV growth beats 2015’s record year for Renault LCVs in the UK
• Renault has been Europe’s number one LCV manufacturer for eighteen years

Renault van sales experienced a record-breaking year in the UK, growing by 1.5 per cent to 25,842 vehicles in 2016 in a van market that grew by 0.5 per cent, according to official figures released today from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). 

Renault’s LCV market share for 2016 stood at 6.8 per cent – up 0.1 percentage point on 2015.

The award-winning Trafic is still proving popular with British businesses with 15,271 of the third generation model being sold in the UK in 2016 – up 11.5 per cent versus last year.

Commenting on the results, Paul Flanagan, Managing Director, Groupe Renault UK & Ireland, said: “It’s great to have yet another record-breaking year for Renault vans in the UK having beaten 2015’s record year. With our offering of an innovative and efficient range of vans to suit every business need, supported by our ever-growing Renault Pro+ network, 2016’s performance reflects Renault’s ever-increasing appeal in the UK van market.”

Renault has been Europe’s number one LCV manufacturer for the last eighteen consecutive years and was Europe’s number one electric van manufacturer in 2015.

The Renault LCV range consists of the Kangoo compact van comprising of Kangoo, Kangoo Maxi and 100 per cent electric-in-use Kangoo van Z.E, the Trafic panel van, available in both Passenger and high-roof bodystyles as well as the large Master van in Passenger, Panel and Crew Van specifications. A comprehensive range of converted LCV products are also available to order, built by Renault and Renault-approved coachbuilders. The 100 per cent electric-in-use Twizy Cargo quadricycle is also a part of the LCV line-up – a unique way of transporting smaller items around urban environments with zero emissions in use.

Groupe Renault, which comprises Renault cars, vans and Dacia, significantly outpaced the UK vehicle market during 2016, with sales totalling 137,436 vehicles for a market share of 4.5 per cent – up 7.9 per cent from the year before and outpacing a total market growth of 1.9 per cent. These results make Groupe Renault the fastest growing volume franchise in the UK, outperforming the overall market for the fourth consecutive year. 

	Volume			Market share
	2015	2016	change	2015	2016	change
Renault cars	75,618	85,102	12.5%	2.9%	3.2%	0.3%
Renault LCV	25,458	25,842	1.5%	6.7%	6.8%	0.1%
Dacia	26,228	26,562	1.1%	1%	1%	-
Total Groupe Renault	127,343	137,506	8%	4.2%	4.5%	0.3%