The all-new Volkswagen Crafter has been voted International Van of the Year 2017.
The award was announced at the 2016 IAA Commercial Vehicle Show in Hanover, where conventional versions of the new Crafter have been making their public debut alongside an all-electric e-Crafter concept. VW van boss Dr Eckhard Scholz (above right) was on hand to receive the accolade from IVOTY chairman Jarleth Sweeney.
What is the International Van of the Year award?
The International Van of the Year award is voted for by an independent panel of commercial vehicle journalists from 24 European countries; the new Crafter follows on from the VW T6 Transporter’s victory in 2016 – we predict there may be some sore heads at Volkswagen in the morning.
Why did the VW Crafter win?
The new Crafter was only fully officially unveiled earlier in September 2016, but it still managed to beat four other finalists (in alphabetical order):
- Ford Transit Custom Euro 6 (EcoBlue)
- Hyundai H350
- Iveco Daily Euro 6
- PSA Peugeot Expert / Citroen Dispatch & Toyota Proace (all the same vehicle)
You might think it strange that a van no-one outside of VW has driven yet could possibly be voted van of the year in any capacity, but the IVOTY competition places a particular emphasis on efficiency and safety – two areas where the new Crafter certainly seems to excel.
All-new VW Crafter revealed in full
Everything you need to know about the 2016 IAA Commercial Vehicle Show
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