Volkswagen Crafter vs Nissan Navara

What's the difference?

If you need space and size, but don’t want a van, then the VW Crafter cab-chassis could be a terrific option for your business. With so many variants and derivatives to choose from, there’s one for just about every user case. 

It is missing a few technology items for safety spec, but as a work vehicle there really is no other offering out there that offers the personalisation and customisation the VW Crafter cab-chassis range does.

The Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior is a purpose-built adventure vehicle and it’s ready for action as is.

It drives nicely on-road – making those long necessary road-trip days on bitumen less of a chore – and is impressively capable off-road.

Buyers benefit when companies such as Premcar complete top-quality conversion work on vehicles with their design, development and testing undertaken in Australia and all of that work and the fitment of accessories are then covered by a comprehensive warranty.

There will always be 4WD enthusiasts who prefer to cherry-pick their own aftermarket accessories for their off-roader – because researching and hunting is a lot of fun. But there will also be just as much demand for the convenience of adventure-ready 4WDs that are capable of being driven straight out of a car dealership and into the Simpson Desert.

And the Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior is one of those vehicles.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about the design of the VW Crafter cab-chassis range is that there are so many options available.

You can have it as a single cab in three different lengths - Medium Wheelbase (MWB) spanning 5996mm total, Long Wheelbase (LWB) spanning 6846mm, and Long Wheelbase with Overhang (LWBO) stretching 7211mm.

Plus there are two double cab models available, the MWB and LWB, and both have seating for seven occupants - three up front, four in the rear.

And then there’s the fact you can have the Crafter in FWD, 4Motion all-wheel drive, or rear-wheel drive like our test vehicle. Both the FWD and AWD models have transverse mounted engines, while the RWD model has a north-south longitudinal engine. 

The design of the vehicle varies based on that, with the FWD and AWD models offering better load-in height as they manage to package all the mechanical hardware down lower in the chassis. The RWD is more a heavy-duty option, and indeed is available in up to 5.5-tonne GVM configuration, meaning you need a truck licence to drive it. That’s not the case with our 4.49t GVM version, which is legal to be driven on a regular car licence. 

It’s this availability of options that gives customers with very specific needs more choice to configure the vehicle they really want - and that is certainly an excellent design trait. 

But one thing to consider is that all Crafter cab-chassis variants come with an Alloy Tray standard, and it’s fitted at the factory, rather than at the dealership. 

The tray features a flat load-in space at the side, meaning you don’t need to contend with a rim or lip when forklifting items in, plus there are 10 recessed lashing eyes for tying down, and there’s an integrated rear step on the tailboard. The tray itself features a wooden floor (multi-layered birch plywood) which varies between vehicle types - you get the 15mm thickness for single rear tyre models, while dual-rear tyre versions get 21mm thickness.

The surface is designed to be non-slip via VW’s ‘screen-printed’ development, and on test we noted a little bit of slippage, so beware that items need to be well secured. 

The tray’s sides are light and offer about 400mm of depth for storage, and there’s a side underride guard to stop other vehicles from pitching under the tray - and that also doubles as a handy step if the sides are up, but is not usable if the sides are dropped.

While the plastic latches are easy to operate I fear the forgetful apprentice may one day leave one unlocked, which could easily lead to it being smashed off in narrow confines. We also had some issues tying down to the front lashing eye with a ratchet strap because the ladder rack got in the way, and the recessed tie-downs collect leaf litter and worksite debris very easily. 

And if you want the figures: the load area is 8.8 square metres, measuring 4300mm long, 2040mm wide and 400mm deep, with a load sill height of 1035mm. 

The exterior cabin styling is Teutonic and fuss free, and it’s easy to determine this is a Crafter at a glance. One thing I wasn’t so taken by was the body-paint-coloured chassis rails, which had a number of rather messy looking welds that - if I was buying one for my business - I would prefer were black.

And if customising your vehicle to suit exactly your needs is important to you, here are some of the things you could add to your Crafter, if you want it: black steel wheels instead of silver; heated seats; a heated steering wheel with leather trim; a suspension seat for the driver and/or passenger (replacing the three-seat bench with a two-seat layout); a second battery setup; second alternator setup; sat nav media; tyre pressure monitoring; mechanical differential lock and hill descent control (4Motion models); active lane keeping assist; adaptive cruise control and more. More on the safety specs in the safety section below.

As you can probably tell from the interior images, there’s a bit to cover off for cabin practicality and design in the next section.

This is the coolest and toughest Navara on the mainstream market.

The Warrior is 1895mm high, 1920mm wide, 5350mm long (with a 3150mm-long wheelbase) and has a listed kerb weight of 2298kg.

It is taller than a standard Navara, with 40mm more ground clearance than its Pro-4X stablemate and the wheel track has been extended by 30mm (from 1570mm to 1600mm) giving it an aggressive posture.

The bullbar, eye-catching red steel bash plates, wheel arch flares, chunky Cooper Discoverer All Terrain AT3s and black stainless-steel double tube sports bar with sail panel all add to that tough appearance.

Very. If you use your vehicle as a mobile office, the Crafter’s cabin could be a very handy space for you.

There are storage caddies above the driver and passenger head areas, as well as a trio of folder holders on top of the dashboard, and multi-level door pockets with the lowest, largest ones offering bottle storage. There are also two cup holders each for the outboard passengers, the larger of which can fit a 600mL fizzy. 

There are other storage sections, including spaces under the bench seat (individually openable by pulling the tab at the back of the seat base), as well as a glovebox and a shelf above it for smaller items. 

One interesting thing to note is the placement of the USB port, which is up on top of the dash - clever if you plan to fit a phone older accessory as you could just leave the cable in at all times. There are also two 12-volt sockets for additional charging.

In terms of media there is an 8.0-inch touchscreen system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but no sat nav. It has USB/auxiliary/SD card inputs, and is teamed to a sound system with four speakers and also has Bluetooth phone and audio streaming. It’s a really simple and quick system to use, making living with it super easy. There are audio controls on the steering wheel, too, so you need not lean over and reach for the buttons or knobs.

All the controls are simple, in fact. There are easily learnable positions for all the main functional components, including the manual air conditioning dials and - in our test vehicle - a switchable reversing alarm, which is great if you start work early and don’t want to annoy the neighbours.

Oddly, though, the vehicle we had didn’t include a reversing camera, though it is possible to have one fitted (ours missed out due to COVID-19 delays). It’s hard to see out directly behind you; I had to rely on a bystander when reverse-parking in a spot and it was a game of inches. 

Those who want a comfier drive experience may wish to option the ErgoActive Suspension Seat, and I would probably do so if I was buying this vehicle for myself, as the ride can be tedious on country roads - more on that below. As standard, the driver’s seat is a Comfort Seat Plus, and it comprises height and slide adjust, four-way electric lumbar adjustment, and it has two adjustable armrests as well. 

Inside the cabin, the new updated dash – with an easy-to-use 8.0-inch multimedia screen, which has wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – is the focal point.

The cabin is a well designed space, a neat combination of nice materials and good build quality. But even with leather accents, ‘Warrior’ branding and other nice touches, the cabin feels a bit old and a little smaller and squeezed for space inside than some rivals.

The driver's seat is eight-way power-adjustable, but the front passenger seat is four-way manually adjustable – and that’s disappointing in a circa-$71,000 vehicle.

There are plenty of storage spaces, cupholders, bottle holders and receptacles in which to place your everyday carry gear.

There’s a USB-A charge point in the console tray, and a USB-A and a USB-C in the centre console proper, as well as a 12V outlet in the console tray and one in the centre console.

The seats are quite comfortable and though some people might whinge about them being undersized I reckon they’re okay.

The rear seat, while comfortable enough, is really the realm of two adults only or three children. It’d be a bit squeezy for three adults.

There is a fold-down armrest with cupholders, as well as bottle holders in the doors, map pockets on the seat-backs, directional air vents but only one USB-A charging point on the back of the centre console.

Get ready for the teenage arguments over that!

The Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior, based on the SL Navara, only comes in dual-cab guise with either a six-speed manual gearbox ($68,265, excluding on-road costs) or a seven-speed automatic transmission ($70,765, excluding on-road costs). 

For your reference, the Pro-4X automatic is $61,405 (excluding on-road costs) and Pro-4X manual is $58,905 (excluding on-road costs).

Standard features on our test vehicle – a Pro-4X Warrior with a seven-speed auto – include an 8.0-inch multimedia touch-screen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as sat nav, dual-zone climate control, AEB, lane-keeping assist, around-view monitor and a rear diff-lock. 

Standard paint is 'Black Star'. Premium paint choices are 'White Diamond' and 'Stealth Grey' (on our test vehicle) at a cost of $650. As always, check with your dealer on up-to-date pricing.

As part of the Premcar engineering upgrade more than $9000 worth of extras in the Warrior (over the standard Pro-4X) include a winch-compatible bull bar with integrated light bar, a Nissan Genuine Warrior-specific tow bar, a larger 3.0mm steel bash-plate, Cooper Discoverer All Terrain AT3 275/70R17 tyres (and a full-sized alloy spare), a 100kg GVM upgrade (now 3250kg), 260mm ground clearance (up 40mm, with springs and tyres making up 15mm and 25mm, respectively), 30mm wider tracks (to 1600mm), revised suspension with new spring rates and dampers (aimed at improving ride and handling), and a larger and taller jounce bumper for less impact harshness at full suspension travel.

But, beyond the engineering upgrades, what’s also interesting about the Pro-4X Warrior is what has had to happen behind the scenes, under Premcar’s direction, to get the vehicle to this stage.

Australia has some of the harshest driving conditions and road/track surfaces in the world. Chopped-up bitumen back roads, soft spirit-sapping beach and desert sand through to spine-rattling corrugations. 

And those surfaces and conditions put immense stress and strain on vehicles, drivetrains and components.

Premcar designs, manufactures and validates its vehicle work here in Australia in the harshest of conditions those 4WDs may face day in, day out for the term of their vehicular ‘life’. It’s not testing, it’s punishment.

Australia’s aftermarket sector is great – thriving and always innovating – but unfortunately, as in any industry, there are ‘cowboys’ out there and some of the modifications done to vehicles may be, shall we say, less than ideal and even illegal or non-compliant in terms of engineering approval. The work done to your 4WD may even void your vehicle’s warranty.

But, with Premcar’s Nissan collab, any engineering work or accessory fitment on the Pro-4X Warrior is all covered by a Premcar warranty that matches Nissan’s five-year/unlimited km cover.

As is the case with pretty much all the elements of the Crafter, there’s plenty of choice when it comes to engine and transmission choices.

I pointed out in the design section that you can have front-, all- or rear-wheel drive, depending on your circumstances, and all three versions are also available with the choice of a six-speed manual gearbox or an eight-speed automatic transmission.

As for engines, there’s two tunes to choose from: the entry-level 2.0-litre TDI340 turbo, which has 103kW of power (at 3500rpm) and 340Nm of torque (at 2000rpm); or the motor tested in this vehicle, the TDI410 which runs a 2.0-litre bi-turbo producing 130kW (at 3600rpm) and 410Nm (at 2000rpm). 

There is no petrol model, no petrol-electric hybrid, no plug-in hybrid, no electric and no LPG version. So maybe there isn’t that much choice, really - well, not in Australia. There is an e-Crafter in Europe, though. Maybe we’ll see it here one day, too.

Towing capacity for the Crafter cab-chassis models is pegged at 750kg for an unbraked trailer and 3500kg for a braked trailer, but only if you buy the “50/55” RWD model - and take note, the download for the towball is not great, at 150kg. Crafter “35” FWD and AWD versions can tow 750kg/2500kg, again with a 150kg downball limit.

The gross vehicle mass for cab-chassis Crafter models depends on the drivetrain, too. The 35 models have GVM ratings of 3550kg, while the 50 and 55 models are rated at 4490kg and 5500kg respectively.

Gross combination mass (GCM) isn’t quite as straightforward - it depends on the model and configuration. But for the model tested here, the GCM was 7077kg, with an unladen weight of 2539kg and a maximum payload of 1951kg (hence the 4490kg GVM). 

The Pro-4X has the Navara line-up’s 2.3-litre four-cylinder twin-turbo-diesel engine, which produces 140kW at 3750rpm and 450Nm at 1500-2500rpm.

That's okay because that engine and auto work really well together, yielding more of a subdued, quietly effective partnership than an exciting one.

This ute has a part-time four-wheel drive system with high- and low-range 4WD, and a rear diff lock.

Because of the class of vehicle, it doesn’t have a claimed fuel consumption rating. And while I have been impressed with the fuel consumption in prior Crafter FWD high-roof van loans (10.9L/100km), the RWD cab-chassis was considerably more thirsty on test.

I covered more than 1200km in the vehicle, some of those kays with a pallet load on board and then with light-but-not-aerodynamic outdoor furniture set stacked up, while other driving was done as highway stints unladen. Over the entirety of that drive, I saw an at-the-pump return of 12.5L/100km. 

One thing I noted was that the fuel tank capacity of 75 litres is quite small for a vehicle of this size and intent - and there’s no long range fuel tank option, either.

Plus buyers need to be aware that the Crafter runs Adblue after treatment tech, which is another consumable cost to keep in mind.

Fuel consumption is listed as 8.1L/100km on a combined cycle. 

Fuel consumption on this test was 9.9L/100km. That’s fine considering we included a lot of high- and low-range 4WDing during this test’s hours-long off-road section.

The Warrior has an 80-litre fuel tank, so, going by those fuel-consumption figures I’d expect an effective touring range of about 778km, but remember that figure includes a built-in 30km safe-distance buffer.

That's a fair travelling distance for a contemporary dual-cab ute, but keep in mind that your fuel-consumption will be higher than that because you'll be carrying a lot more gear than we had onboard during our test.

That included vehicle-recovery equipment, a portable air compressor, tool bag, puncture-repair kit, a tyre deflator as well as food and water.

The Navara line-up had the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing in 2015, but that rating has now expired. 

Safety gear includes seven airbags (dual front, front-side, curtain and driver’s knee SRS items), AEB, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, intelligent lane intervention, blind-spot warning, a surround-view monitor (with moving object detection), rear cross traffic alert and more.

The rear seat has three child-seat anchorage points and one ISOFIX point each on the left and right seats.

Off-road driver-assist tech includes off-road monitor, tyre pressure monitoring system, hill start assist, trailer sway control, hill descent control and an electronic locking rear differential.

This top-spec variant is missing adaptive cruise control and is not quite as comprehensively equipped with driver-assist tech as some of its rivals. 

The VW Crafter comes with a pretty good promising ownership experience, and it’s not as expensive as you might be thinking for a Euro vehicle, too.

The company offers a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty plan as standard - none of those promotional offers like some rivals.

Then there’s the choice of either pay-as-you-go servicing, with intervals pegged every 12 months/20,000km, whatever occurs first, or you can prepay you servicing and roll it into your finance payments with VW’s Care Plan choices.

There are two pre-paid Care Plan options: three years/60,000km, which costs $1450 and makes for a saving of between $250 and $649, depending on the model; or the five-year/100,000km offer which is $2300 (meaning your first service is free), and saves you between $898 and $1428 compared to PAYG servicing. VW Australia states “all items in scheduled service, such as labour, parts and fluids” are covered.

That makes a lot of sense, and if your vehicle is an essential tool of trade, the brand also offers roadside assistance for the life of your Care Plan prepay servicing option, while you can also book “60 Minute Service Express” maintenance.  

The Navara range is covered by a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and capped price servicing. That’s adequate in terms of years, not the best, but the unlimited km factor is in its favour.

Service intervals are set for 12 months or 20,000km. Capped price servicing is available for up to six years, with prices ranging from $574 for the first service through to $916 for the sixth service. The annual average is $703.50. Not particularly cheap.