New Renault Trafic

The new Trafic is a bold, characterful design that combines Renault's new brand identity with the latest safety engineering and capacious carrying capacity and payload. The new interior is practical, attractive, comfortable, quiet and welcoming. High quality materials and thoughtful layout make it an attractive workspace. Trafic's robust, dynamic lines embody Renault's new frontal styling concept with the large central diamond logo. A steeply raked windscreen, and side profile replete with taut lines lead to large rear doors opening to 270-degrees. Wraparound bumpers and broad, side protective mouldings imply strength. “My aim was to achieve a dynamic, assertive stance without sacrificing the robustness or user-friendliness customers expect of their van,” says its designer, Kihyun Jung.

Many customers rely on the Trafic as their main business tool and place of work. It transports them and their tools/stock/work crews, acts as an office and represents them as a mobile billboard. New Trafic offers increased adjustment for the driver's seat, a bulkhead for safety and reduced noise, and a unique laptop holder built into the back of the fold-forward central seat. A clipboard can display the day's orders conveniently. Curtain airbags are now standard. A mobile phone cradle and power point, and a dash-mounted adjustable cradle for a tablet are available. The cabin's 14 cubbies areas provide 90-litres of stowage. The flip-up passenger seat reveals under-seat storage for high value tools and equipment.

Renault has a long history of engineering vehicles to the highest crash standards. Trafic has a reinforced body structure, front, side and curtain airbags as standard (from 2016), plus seat belt pre-tensioners, load limiters and anti-whiplash head restraints, and anti-submarining seats. The steel bulkhead meets the 'refrigerator test' whereby a fridge-sized cube stowed inside during a crash test must not deform or penetrate the bulkhead. Trafic has new-generation ESC, Grip Xtend, Hill Start Assist and Trailer Swing Assist, plus rollover prevention and Load Adaptive Control. The front mounted powertrain provides a deep crush zone in frontal impacts, and the design reduces injury during pedestrian impacts. A reversing camera is standard.

The new Trafic was designed for low running costs, low emissions and long service intervals (up to 30,000km). Downsizing the engine and boosting output via turbocharging gives the 1.6-litre engine excellent performance and fuel economy in both single and twin turbo models, using just 6.2-litres of diesel per 100km on the combined cycle. Stop&Start technology stops idling time fuel waste. ECO mode shaves up to 10% more off fuel use. Electric Smart Management deceleration energy recovery plus low rolling resistance tyres and reduced front disc brake rub when not braking combine with electric power steering to minimise fuel use as far as possible. Extended service intervals cut oil use over the van's working life, while many components are recyclable.

Renault has invested significant resources in refitting its Sandouville factory in France to built new Trafic to the very highest standards. This vehicle is rebadged under several famous global brands, so it truly meets global best quality standards. Panel fit is exceptional, and attention was given to appearance quality, how the components line-up and fit flush. Material quality is vastly improved, as is consistency. Built since 1980, the two generations of Trafic to date clocked up 1.6 million sales, underlining its suitability for its intended purpose. Renault has been Europe's leading LCV supplier for the past 18 years straight.

The new Renault Trafic has been designed to meet the needs of a broad community of users, and includes a collection of unique and useful features, enhancing its customer appeal. Some of these include: A special bulkhead through-loading flap that allows extra long items to be carried inside, reducing OH&S risks associated with roof loading, and increasing security of load transportation. The flap lines up with the passenger foot-well allowing load up to 4150mm to be carried, an increase of 800mm. Trafic is the only van in its class that can carry items this long with the rear doors closed. Trafic comes with a 3-year/200,000km-factory warranty that can be extended to 5-years.

Bulkheads typically restricts rearward vision, so Renault's new Wide View Mirror is a boon for manoeuvring. The mirror is fitted to the reverse of the passenger-side sun visor and more than doubles the angle of vision towards the rear-left side of the vehicle. It removes a massive blind spot. Further assistance comes from a double aspherical driver's door mirror, reducing RHS blind spots, while the lower part of the mirror provides a view of the wheels and lower body side. A hands-free card replaces the tradition door and ignition keys. It acts as a proximity key to unlock the front or rear doors when the button on the handle is pressed, and can also allow the engine to be started and stopped without a key.