Renault Trafic 2015 Review

Let's be honest: light commercial vehicles rarely turn heads. The humble delivery van's utilitarian purpose was never intended to ignite imagination – which is why the response to the latest trucksales.com.au test vehicle, Renault's new Trafic, caught us by surprise.

The bright 'Bamboo Green' paint helps. In a sea of LCV white, the colour makes a bold statement, and it's one of 10 on offer. But it's the fresh styling too, and over the course of a week the Trafic received more than few approving glances.

The new Trafic continues the evolution of Renault's LCV range and sit between the compact Kangoo and larger Master. While the chassis is essentially a carry-over the latest Trafic is a comprehensive revision, with the new look complemented by a new cab, new instrumentation, and new power.

The Trafic's front and rear overhangs have been increased to marginally boost the model's internal volume – now 5.2 cubic metres for the short wheelbase and 6.0 for the long wheelbase. Payload limits span 1235-1274kg, while the Trafic has a braked towing capacity of 2000kg.

The old 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four has made way for two 1.6-litre engines. Both Euro 5 four-cylinder turbo-diesels, the entry-level single-turbo dCi 90 – available only in the short wheelbase – produces a claimed 66kW at 3500rpm and 260Nm at 1500rpm. The twin-turbo Energy dCi 140, meanwhile, available in both wheelbases, ups the ante to 103kW and 340Nm.

Renault says all Trafic models have a combined ADR fuel economy of just 6.2L/100km. That's a 25 per cent improvement, it says.

We were impressed with the Trafic at its national press launch in May but were keen to sample the model under 'real world' conditions.

As such, we loaded our test vehicle – the L2H1 long-wheelbase model with top-spec Energy dCi 140 engine – with a test weight of 650kg, or half of its available payload. We then covered around 500km on Melbourne's city streets, with some motorway thrown in for good measure.

As a mobile office, the new Trafic covers almost all bases. Renault has been Europe's top-selling LCV manufacturer for years and that experience shows. A solid performance base is enhanced by a high level of comfort and refinement, while there are thoughtful features at every turn.

Having said that, the lack of an A-pillar grab handle as standard was surprising – it’s a $109 factory option. The Trafic's H-point is on the high side and a grab handle will assist cabin entry and exit.

Once behind the wheel, however, life is good. The driver's seat is supportive and the attractive dark fabric upholstery appears durable. There's six-way manual seat adjustment and the leather-wrapped steering wheel is adjustable for tilt and reach.

The ergonomics are good and we appreciated the adjustable folding armrest, the lumbar support and our test vehicle's optional ($390) driver's seat heating.

Vision is generally good too. We liked the side mirrors – they're fairly compact but feature a split standard/convex arrangement – but vision through the rear-view mirror is interrupted by the centre seat headrest.

This can be addressed by folding the centre seat back forward, which reveals a neat central workstation. There's an A4 run-sheet clipboard that can be angled either towards driver or passenger and there's internal storage for a compact laptop.

It's just one of numerous practical cab appointments, which also include a smartphone holder, tablet bracket and heaps of storage. There's 54 litres of room beneath the twin passenger seat, a large glove box, a concealed dash-top tray and a massive open tray, along with generous door side pockets.

There are a total of four cup holders and two bottle holders, too, but no overhead sunglasses storage.

The multimedia unit with 7.0-inch touchscreen and sat-nav is an option ($990) but it's easy to use and pairing a phone is simple, while sound quality from the twin-speaker Arkamys system is decent.

On the road the Energy dCi 140 twin turbo impressed for its near-instant response and spirited urge. It pulls well from around 1750-4000rpm, and in sixth gear at 100km/h it pulls a relaxed 1900rpm. An Eco mode and an accelerator pedal detent help promote fuel-efficient driving.

The sole choice of a six-speed manual may deter some but, like the engine itself, it's refined and flexible. It shifts cleanly and the clutch is light, its take-up progressive.

The Trafic is notably quiet, the engine and wind noise nicely subdued. Our test vehicle was fitted with the factory bulkhead (standard in twin-turbo models, a $704 accessory for the dCi 90), which helps. But vibration is also absent, making the Trafic a thoroughly pleasant driving proposition.

Handling is secure and composed. The 650kg test weight saw the Trafic settle nicely, but while body roll is controlled well the suspension can be a fraction harsh over sharper road imperfections. We're splitting hairs here; it's a workhorse, after all…

Manoeuvrability? A sub two-metre roof height means multi-storey car packs are fair game, but as a front-drive, long-wheelbase van out test vehicle's 13.2m turning circle isn't brilliant in tight confines. At least the Trafic has a fairly short steering box, at 3.2 turns lock-to-lock.

Parking is aided by a reversing camera and rear parking sensors as standard. While this is to be applauded, in our test vehicle the tiny camera display pops up in the rear-view mirror  – on R-Link-equipped models the camera display is shown on the integrated (but optional) 7.0-inch multimedia touch-screen.

The Trafic's features list is extensive. All the basics are covered, like cruise control, air-conditioning and power windows and mirrors, but then there's the auto lights and wipers, daytime running lights, foglights (with cornering function), switchable idle-stop mode and hill-start assist – all as standard. There's a massive array of factory options too, many grouped into a variety of packs.

The well-appointed load bay measures 2937x1662x1387mm and there's 1268mm between its wheel arches; access is via a single sliding side door or 50:50 rear barn doors, which open to 90 or 180 degrees. A second side door, 270-degree barn doors and rear tailgate are also available.

A clever load-through flap allows longer items up to 4150mm to be fed through under the front passenger seat. The load floor height is low at 552mm while the cargo bay is fitted with no fewer than 18 tie-down anchor points, plus two overhead lights, a 12-volt socket and half-height plastic protection.

The basic load bay is a bare painted steel affair and we found one or two sharp edges, but the finish is typical of the genre. A full plywood lining is also available ($990) and the segmented external plastic protection shows Renault's thorough understanding of the LCV category.

The Trafic hasn't been rated by ANCAP for safety but it does come with two front airbags and optional side airbags. You also get stability control with load adaptive control, plus Grip Xtend – a more advanced traction control that can assist in particularly slippery conditions.

With the weight on board, at the pump we achieved an average fuel economy of 8.6L/100km, which bodes well for on-going running costs. Throw in a three-year/200,000km warranty, 12-month/30,000km service intervals, capped-price servicing ($349 for the first three services) and the backing of Renault's Pro+ network of factory LCV specialists, and the Trafic's TCO (total cost of ownership) appears to stack up well.

Renault has made huge in-roads into the LCV segment in Australia in recent years and this new Trafic will surely add to that momentum. Competitive pricing, comprehensive features, solid back-up, healthy payload, impressive comfort and capable performance; if the six-speed manual transmission isn't an issue, there's a whole lot on offer here to make van drivers – and fleet owners – smile.