Van drivers spend extra time than most on the street.
Whether or not they’re small enterprise homeowners operating round valuable cargo or posties delivering Amazon orders, they’re an important a part of the financial system that for a very long time was undervalued, lacking out on essential security tools customary on even a few of Australia’s most cost-effective vehicles.
Instances are altering, although. One of the best-selling Toyota HiAce was overhauled in 2020 with a full suite of lively security options throughout the vary, and its rivals have fallen into line since then – together with the Renault Trafic.
It was given a nip-and-tuck in 2022 bringing a brand new look, an up to date inside, and a broader suite of lively security options on some fashions.
Renault additionally says the Trafic stays a car-like choice to drive, with a punchy turbo-diesel engine and refined manners on pimpled metropolis streets.
How does it form up in 2024?
How does the Renault Trafic examine?
View an in depth breakdown of the Renault Trafic in opposition to equally sized automobiles.
Renault
Trafic
How a lot does the Renault Trafic value?
Costs for the Renault Trafic have been raised by $800 in 2023 – our Professional Van SWB auto sits on the backside of the vary.
2024 Renault Trafic pricing
- 2024 Renault Trafic Professional Van SWB handbook: $49,000
- 2024 Renault Trafic Professional Van SWB auto: $51,000
- 2024 Renault Trafic Professional Van LWB handbook: $51,000
- 2024 Renault Trafic Professional Van LWB auto: $53,000
- 2024 Renault Trafic Premium Van SWB auto: $54,000
- 2024 Renault Trafic Premium Van LWB auto: $56,000
- 2024 Renault Trafic Crew Professional LWB auto: $58,000
- 2024 Renault Trafic Crew Way of life LWB auto: $63,000
Costs exclude on-road prices
To see how the Trafic strains up in opposition to its rivals, take a look at our comparability software.
What’s the Renault Trafic like on the within?
The cabin of the Trafic holds few surprises. You sit excessive, wanting down over a stubby bonnet, and the dials and central display are shared with loads of different Renault fashions.
As was beforehand the case the driving place is usually good, with sufficient house for tall drivers to get snug behind the wheel and loads of help for lengthy stints on the street, and the foremost contact factors are surprisingly good.
The leather-wrapped wheel is lifted from high-end variations of the Captur, for instance, as are the click-clack local weather controls and the soft-touch dashboard. There’s plenty of onerous plastic and material round, however there are some good touches for tradies who just like the finer issues in life.
Renault’s in-house 8.0-inch touchscreen sits on a high-set mount atop the dashboard, and is purposeful and full-featured. Together with inbuilt satellite tv for pc navigation on some fashions (not our Professional), it options wi-fi (new for 2024) and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto permitting you to reflect your smartphone.
Though it’s clear and fast sufficient, the display appears to be like fairly squished – as if it isn’t fairly adjusted appropriately for the facet ratio, or it’s been transformed from old-school analogue TV to widescreen. We’d wager most homeowners gained’t care, however it’s a bit odd.
The straightforward journey laptop and analogue dials are completely in line with what’s on provide elsewhere within the section, and the digital speedo makes it simple to maintain beneath the authorized restrict for those who’re operating late for a job.
Our tester featured a three-seat entrance bench, with a folding central seat. The chunky seat again has an enormous vary of storage areas for paperwork and cups, however it’s fairly a clumsy armrest if that’s how you actually need to use it.
The hard-backed clipboard that slots into the central armrest and is angled in direction of the driving force is a neat contact, and exhibits the give attention to real-world customers right here. Likewise the 54L of storage beneath the passenger seats, which is a good place to cover valuables for those who’re typically hopping out and in of the automobile.
There are numerous locations to retailer bottles, snacks, paperwork, and oddments, plus there are each USB-A and USB-C factors to maintain your gadgets juiced on the transfer.
Rear load house within the new Trafic stays unchanged from the earlier iteration.
It has a class-leading load size of as much as 4.15 metres utilizing the load-through bulkhead hatch within the passenger seat footwell within the LWB, or 3.35 metres within the SWB variations.
Complete load capability within the SWB is 5.8 cubic metres, whereas the LWB stretches that to 6.7 cubic metres and a most payload of as much as 1280 kilograms.
Night time work is catered for by LED lighting within the load space, whereas there are 16 tie-down factors again there for a number of varieties of freight.
What’s beneath the bonnet?
Just one engine is obtainable within the Trafic, mated with a six-speed handbook or a six-speed dual-clutch transmission.
| Mannequin | Renault Trafic Professional SWB |
|---|---|
| Engine | 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo-diesel |
| Energy | 125kW |
| Torque | 380Nm |
| Transmission | 6-speed dual-clutch auto |
| Pushed wheels | Entrance-wheel drive |
| Weight | 1796kg (kerb) |
| Payload | 1224kg |
| Gross car mass (GVM) | 3020kg |
| Unbraked towing capability | 750kg |
| Braked towing capability | 1680kg |
| Gross mixed mass (GCM) | 4700kg |
| Gas financial system (declare) | 6.5L/100km |
| Gas financial system (as examined) | 7.8L/100km |
| Emissions (CO2) | 183g/km |
| Gas tank dimension | 80L |
| Gas requirement | Diesel |
To see how the Trafic strains up in opposition to its rivals, take a look at our comparability software.
How does the Renault Trafic drive?
The concept of a dual-clutch transmission in a van mightn’t appear significantly intuitive, given they’re often utilized in high-performance vehicles or metropolis hatches with a watch on financial system… however the Trafic makes it make sense.
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Trafic Premium SWB proven
Gone is the 1.6-litre engine supplied within the final Trafic, leaving solely the brawnier 2.0-litre unit on provide right here. Peak torque is on faucet from simply 1500rpm, and the transmission is sensible sufficient to maintain you inside that peak torque band when you have to get shifting in a rush round city.
There’s nearly no hesitation off the road, and shifts between first and second gear are handled easily even on a light-weight or inconsistent throttle. Even low-speed creeping on hills, the place clean take-up is crucial, are dealt with with aplomb.
It could sometimes be a bit gradual to hook up after begin/cease engages, nevertheless. Shifts are snappy on the fly, each up and down, making the choice to manually shift with the lever barely redundant.
Refinement is fairly spectacular, too. Typically, turbo-diesel engines in vans really feel fairly tough and prepared, however you don’t get an extra of engine noise or vibration on the go right here.
The bulkhead in our tester helps to isolate you from the echoey, uncomfortable noises that are inclined to echo across the load bay in most vans, enhancing the sense of refinement.
Trip high quality is superb unladen. The rear axle doesn’t hop awkwardly over potholes and velocity humps, as an alternative settling rapidly, and also you don’t get distinguished shuddering or shaking by the body whenever you smack into sharp bumps.
Having pushed a Trafic with a load on board earlier than, including 200kg to the load bay settles issues down additional. The disc brakes in any respect 4 corners are greater than able to protecting issues in verify, and the two.0-litre engine doesn’t really feel harassed with additional weight on board.
An enormous a part of this improve boils all the way down to the lively security tools now customary on the mid-range Trafic Premium… however not the bottom Professional.
It’s an actual disgrace it’s a part of an choices package deal, given how a lot time van drivers spend on the street.
Why can we care? Blind-spot monitoring makes it a lot simpler to alter lanes confidently on the town in a small automobile with a full window line, not to mention a blocky van with no aspect home windows and restricted imaginative and prescient out of the rear.
It’s value noting even with the additional security package you continue to don’t get adaptive cruise or a correct lane-keeping help system, with Renault as an alternative providing you with customary cruise and a lane departure warning that buzzes whenever you stray in direction of the white strains.
The Toyota HiAce has featured each adaptive cruise and lane-keeping since 2020, and it’s supplied them throughout the entire vary. Though the very fact the Trafic is an older automobile beneath explains their absence, it doesn’t excuse it in 2024.
What do you get?
There are a selection of various configurations the Trafic is out there in. On check right here is the mid-spec Trafic Professional Van SWB.
Trafic Professional comes customary with the next tools:
- 16-inch metal wheels (covers on Crew Van)
- Automated LED headlights
- 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Wi-fi Apple CarPlay, Android Auto
- 8-way manually adjustable driver’s seat with armrest
- Energy home windows
- Leatherette-wrapped steering wheel
Peace of Thoughts Pack (Professional, $1500) provides:
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Visitors signal recognition
- Automated high-beam
- Entrance and aspect parking sensors
- Energy-folding exterior mirrors
Consolation Pack (Professional, $1000) provides:
- Entrance fog lights
- Tyre stress warning
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Fingers-free key card
- Huge-view mirror
- Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
Is the Renault Trafic secure?
The Renault Trafic stays unrated by ANCAP, although Euro NCAP has a three-star score from 2015 for the folks mover variant not bought right here.
Previous to that, ANCAP examined the Mitsubishi Categorical, a rebadged Trafic, in 2021 and gave it zero stars, although notably it had no lively security expertise customary – one thing that not applies to the Trafic.
Customary security tools consists of:
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Lane departure warning
- Driver and passenger, entrance and aspect curtain airbags
Premium and Way of life fashions additionally get:
- Adaptive cruise management
- Entrance, aspect parking sensors
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Visitors signal recognition
How a lot does the Renault Trafic value to run?
The Renault Trafic is backed by a five-year, 200,000km guarantee with 5 years of roadside help.
Servicing is required each 12 months or 30,000km, whichever comes first. The primary 5 companies are capped at $649 every.
CarExpert’s Tackle the Renault Trafic
The Trafic hasn’t strayed from its core strengths in 2024.
It nonetheless drives with actual polish and trip high quality that stands out from the gang even with no load on board. There’s additionally a way of refinement that’s extra car-like than van-like.
Renault additionally nonetheless gives color and trim choices, which is one thing rivals are shifting away from. There are some omissions nevertheless which have gotten more durable to disregard.
Though the current addition of autonomous emergency braking is a win for tradies, who spend extra time than most on the open street, the dearth of adaptive cruise and lane-keep help stands out alongside the HiAce particularly.
That’s particularly noticeable given you’ll pay a really related quantity for both.
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