If MAN’s latest TGE looks somehow familiar, then that is because it is based on sister brand Volkswagen’s Crafter, and is assembled in the same factory in Poland. Promoted under the Next Level banner, the smallest model in the heavy truck manufacturer’s line-up became available last year and shares the Crafter’s updates.
They include a redesigned dashboard with a new infotainment system
with a 10.4in touchscreen, new digital instruments, keyless starting and an electronic parking brake.
Onboard safety and driver assistance systems featured on all TGEs include Emergency Brake Assist, Active Lane Keeping and Traffic Sign Information. On the options list is Cruise Assist Plus, which will bring you to a rapid halt if you are heading towards an obstacle in urban traffic – the back of a stationary car, for example – and forget to brake.
Customers can choose from three variants of the standard 2.0-litre TDI diesel at 140hp, 163hp or 177hp. The TGE is additionally up for grabs with a tuned version of the diesel powerplant that is good for 202hp, and is not offered in the Crafter.
A six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic gearbox are the transmission options, and you can order a TGE with front-wheel-drive, rear-wheel-drive or as a 4×4. TGE vans are produced in three overall lengths and with three roof heights, with MAN citing an 18.4m3 load cube for the biggest model.
Chassis cab and chassis double-cab variants are listed too along with
chassis cowls.
While you can order a Crafter 3.0-tonner, the TGE line-up starts at 3.5 tonnes.
It finishes at 5.5 tonnes – the Crafter stops at 5.0 tonnes.
The TGE is sold through MAN truck dealerships, many of which have workshops that stay open round the clock. Hauliers expect to be able to get their vehicles serviced outside normal working hours, and the same facility can be accorded to TGE buyers should they need it.
The TGE is offered with three different levels of specification – XS, XC and XP. MAN’s Individual Lion S initiative is certainly worth noting, embracing as it does a variety of embellishments.
They include black alloy wheels, a three-piece roof spoiler and stainless steel exterior trim among other goodies.
Performance and drive
We got to grips with a 3.5-tonne medium-wheelbase high roof front-wheel-drive TGE powered by a 140hp diesel married to a manual box. Although it’s the least-powerful engine in the line-up, we didn’t in the least feel short-changed.
It delivered strong acceleration and the slick gearchange enabled us to get the best out of it. That said, the automatic box is even better, and worth opting for if you are willing to spend a bit more money.
Admittedly, our van was lightly laden. The only burden it carried was a load area racking and binning package installed by Bott, but bereft of the parts and tools it was designed to hold.
We were agreeably surprised by how good the ride was.
It has to be said that we experienced it on German roads, which are considerably better than the pitiful collection of glorified cart tracks we have to put up with on this side of the Channel. However they are not perfect, and when TGE encountered the odd uneven section, it coped just fine.
The TGE handles competently, too, with a slight twitch on the steering wheel warning you to back off should your cornering get too ambitious.
Loading and interior
Entry to the 11.3m3 cargo compartment is through twin rear doors and a sliding nearside door. For your money you get umpteen lashing points plus a full-height steel bulkhead, with a window in it in our case.
The three-seater cab offers plenty of storage space, with wireless charging for your smartphone, and we like the intelligent instrument display which delivers all information you are likely to require.
However we’re not quite so wild about the fiddly sliding switches that control the heating and ventilation system. They need scrapping and replacing with something that is a lot more user-friendly.
Our TGE was equipped with a rear view camera and what MAN describes as a ‘Light & Visibility’ package. It includes LED headlights and LED daytime running lights, front fog lights and cornering lights.
Fitted too was a Media Van Navigation Business system with a 12.9in touchscreen, satellite navigation with mapping that is continuously updated via MAN Connect, media streaming and voice control with ChatGPT support.
MAN doesn’t cite a standard service interval. It argues that maintenance requirements can vary widely depending on the nature of the work the vehicle is on – going in and out of a dusty quarry every day is a lot more arduous than delivering flowers in the suburbs – and the van’s onboard computer will tell the owner when a workshop visit is due.
As guidance, however, we would estimate that the TGE will require servicing at least every two years/30,000 miles.
Despite all the positives, there’s a yawning, unavoidable gap in the TGE/Crafter line-up that cannot be ignored. There’s no electric model, and there won’t be one until 2027/28 – an astonishing omission given that Ford, Stellantis, Renault and umpteen other manufacturers have had battery-powered rivals available for some time.
Chinese manufacturers such as Maxus and, more recently, Farizon are promoting zero-emission competitors too. While MAN can extoll the virtues of its aftersales support, that may not prevent rivals gobbling up at least some of its lunch long before it gets round to unveiling a zero-emission eTGE.
| Model | MAN TGE 3.140 FWD MWB High Roof XC |
| Price (ex VAT) | £43,047 |
| Price range (ex VAT) | £40,776–£52,879 |
| Insurance group | 39 |
| Warranty | 3yrs/unlimited mileage |
| Service intervals | In line with vehicle usage |
| Load length | 3,450mm |
| Load width (min/max) | 1,380mm/1,832mm |
| Load bay height | 1,961mm |
| Gross payload | 1,297kg |
| Load volume | 11.3m3 |
| Engine size/power | 140hp at 3,500–3,600rpm |
| Combined fuel economy | 32.5mpg |
| CO2 | 228g/km |
| Key rival | Mercedes-Benz Sprinter |
| Verdict | Quality workhorse with plenty of plus points, but you’ll have to wait a while for the electric model. |
| Score | 8/10 |
