Read more
Facelifted Crafter's exterior changes have been subtle, but easy to spot. Image: Charl Bosch
Having confirmed the all-new Transporter from the third quarter of the year, Volkswagen’s Commercial Vehicles division sprung a surprise of its own by not only showing the facelift Crafter at its parent company’s product Indaba in Kariega this week, but also the revived Polo Vivo Xpress.
Part of an eventual range of four products, the division kicks-off its roll-out in the second quarter with an automatic two-wheel-drive version of the Ford Ranger-based double cab Amarok Life.
Set to undercut the four-wheel-drive currently priced at R794 600, the two-wheel-drive is expected to carry over the single turbo 2.0-litre diesel engine, but with its 125kW/405Nm of twist going to the rear wheels only through the six-speed automatic gearbox.
ALSO READ: Report: Volkswagen puts a market hold on petrol-powered Amarok
As a reminder, the manual two-wheel-drive Life carries a sticker of R699 200 and a four-wheel-drive tag of R754 800.
At the same time, Volkswagen also confirmed that the petrol engine Amarok, powered by the 222kW/452Nm 2.3 EcoBoost engine used in the North American-spec Ranger, will remain on indefinite hiatus, though it didn’t disclose why.
Initially planned for unveiling in the second half of last year, the petrol, which has been a smash-hit in Australia, was placed on the back burner in October, with Volkswagen only stating, “We believe the current variants of our existing engines are suitable for our market.”
Arriving in the same quarter as the Amarok, the aforementioned Crafter not only gains a revised exterior, but an extensively updated interior resplendent with a new steering wheel, type-C USB ports, a 10.3-inch infotainment system, a 10-inch Virtual Cockpit instrument cluster, new air vents and an electronic handbrake located beside the touchscreen on the dashboard.
Furthering the changes are illuminated touch sliders for the air-conditioning, a wireless smartphone charger, a steering column-mounted gear selector for automatic models, acoustic front and rear parking sensors, and a revised assortment of safety and driver assistance systems.
Locally, the Crafter range once again consists of 35 and 50 variants, the latter available with dual rear axles, an optional heavy-duty suspension package and gross vehicle mass up to 5 500 kg.
In total, three vehicle length are offered; 5.9 m, 6.8 m and 7.3 m, with panel van models having three height options for the roof; 2.3 m, 2.5 m and 2.7 m.
Up front, the 2.0 TDI remains the sole powerplant option, but with the addition of a second turbocharger that ups power to 130 kW in 35 models and 120 kW in the Crafter 50.
Remaining is the single turbo 2.0 TDI, but only on the former and mated solely to the six-speed manual gearbox.
For the 130 kW, the eight-speed Tiptronic comes standard, which also applies to the 50 equipped with the new BiTDI.
For the first time, buyers also have the option of front-wheel-drive, rear-wheel-drive and the 4Motion all-wheel-drive system, although opting for the latter requires the long wheelbase 35 equipped with the Tiptronic ‘box.
For now, no pricing details are available.
Returning after last being offered on the previous generation Vivo, the second generation Xpress officially becomes Volkswagen’s smallest commercial vehicle option below the Caddy.
Locally converted similarly to the Hyundai Grand i10 and Venue, the Xpress uses the unbadged entry-level Polo Vivo as a base with outputs of 55kW/130Nm from its 1.4-litre petrol engine.
While this and the five-speed manual gearbox remain as is, the Xpress’ biggest difference involves the removal of the rear seats replaced by a flat loading surface, plus a mesh-pattern steel partition behind the front seats.
Still with its manual winders for the rear windows, the Xpress has a claimed payload of 490 kg and is expected to undercut its donor model’s R271 900 price tag when it goes on-sale in the second half of the year.
NOW READ: Work suit straightened-out Volkswagen Crafter officially revealed
Download our app
