2023 Volkswagen Crafter Kampervan pricing and features

UPDATE: 2023 Volkswagen Crafter Kampervan pricing and features

The 2023 Volkswagen Crafter Kampervan will arrive in Australian showrooms by Christmas.

It is priced from $133,390 before on-road costs, with three variants available.

Volkswagen says the initial allocation of 69 units for the Crafter Kampervan sold out in less than 12 hours, with more examples set to become available in mid-2023.

A production-ready example was displayed at Volkswagen’s Conversions Day media event in Melbourne last week, with various changes in response to customer feedback since April.

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This includes two lithium-ion batteries with a 240Ah total capacity, and a 240-volt inverter. It has also fitted the Crafter Kampervan with a portable rear entry step, table and two chairs, and external accessories such as a water hose, wheel chock and power extension lead.

Our original story, below, has been updated to reflect the latest information.

Jordan Hickey

This is the latest vehicle release from Volkswagen built in partnership with Australian manufacturer Jayco, and it’s certainly something a bit different as it is backed by the marque’s five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.

It was unveiled as a final-stage prototype at this year’s Sydney Caravan Camping Holiday Supershow at Rosehill Raceway in April. Unfortunately, we couldn’t drive it, but we hope to change that in the next few months.

JUMP AHEAD

• Pricing
• Features
• Options
• Crafter Kampervan revealed

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2023 Volkswagen Crafter Kampervan pricing

Prices exclude on-road costs.

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2023 Volkswagen Crafter Kampervan features

Kampervan

Kampervan Style

Kampervan All-Terrain

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Options

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Story continues…

Evan Spence

The first thing you notice is the size … it’s big, measuring 6.8m long, and two metres wide. The rear section when folded up is a large couch area that forms a large bed suitable for two people to sleep on comfortably.

The front seats can also be configured into a sleeping area; however, we were told this suits children, not adults. There is seating for four occupants though, meaning someone in your travelling convoy will be sleeping outside in a swag or tent.

The Crafter Kampervan features VW’s 4Motion all-wheel drive system, and was wearing all-terrain tyres on the day, indicating that this is a suitable camper to take on mild dirt road and forestry tracks. There is even the option of adding a snorkel to prevent water ingress during river crossings.

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Under the bonnet, the Crafter Kampervan is powered by a 2.0L bi-turbo diesel motor that produces 130kW and 410Nm.

Fuel capacity is 75L, which seems on the low side to me considering this is a vehicle built for long-distance adventures; however that 2.0L motor should be fairly frugal in operation.

Inside the Crafter, you are greeted with various dining and seating options, as well as a full internal bathroom with a toilet and shower. The kitchen is near the large sliding door on the passenger side, which is a practical place to put it for internal and external access.

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This kitchen is well-equipped too, with a microwave, fridge, sink with freshwater from the on-board water tank, a two-burner gas cooktop and loads of storage to stow cooking items.

Other luxuries include a roof-mounted reverse-cycle air-conditioning unit, a television with a DVD player that has speakers positioned both inside and outside of the van, powered off an 120amp/h lithium house battery and solar system which is all included in the package. Diesel heating warms the van in cooler months and a hot-water system has also been installed for hot showers or to do the washing up.

There will be seven colour options in the range, including two-tone paint jobs which will certainly make the big Crafter Kampervan stand out on the road.

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Pricing is expected to be between $135,000 and $155,000 depending on which of the three specification levels you choose. The internal fit-out remains the same across these three trim levels, the vehicle itself is optioned up.

These trim levels are Standard Specification, Full Specification and Full Specification + Seikel Equipment. The latter includes a 30mm lift kit, underbody protection, AdBlue tank protection, rear differential protection plate, rear shock absorber protection and steel wheels with all-terrain tyres.

Brand director of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle, Ryan Davies, tells us: “Just as Walkinshaw took the Amarok to the next level, Jayco as the leading brand in its field is making the Crafter Kampervan the perfect choice for those who want to drive a brilliantly engineered vehicle – then live and sleep comfortably across endless Australian destinations.”

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Jayco has been building RVs and caravans for more than 45 years, and are Australian owned and operated. It has sold over 225,000 RVs, employs over 1200 people and has 150 dealers in its network, so it’s easy to see why it was selected for this project.

Jayco Motorised Division national sales manager, Bruce Astbury, added: “Jayco is proud to be associated with Volkswagen and the touring lifestyle that both brands embody. This is a partnership that will enhance the depth of the Volkswagen range and continue to support local employment at our state-of-the-art, 50-acre, Dandenong South facility.”