Ford Transit Custom v Renault Trafic 2017 Comparison

Garish promotional wraps aside, at first glance there appears to be little separating the Ford Transit Custom from the Renault Trafic.

Both medium vans are powered by four-cylinder turbo-diesels, are designed to shift a tonne or more with maximum efficiency and both offer more than a passing nod to driver comfort and safety.

They're also both produced in Europe, the Trafic in France and the Transit Custom in Turkey (a bona fide member of the EU), and adopt a front-drive format.

Dig deeper, however, and differences emerge. This Trafic is powered by Renault's Euro 5 compliant 1.6-litre twin-turbo engine - an alternative to the 1.6-litre single-turbo base unit - while the Transit Custom now sports Ford's 'EcoBlue' 2.0-litre single-turbo-diesel which is Euro 6 compliant and runs SCR (selective catalytic reduction), requiring AdBlue.

The Ford is also notable for the belated arrival of a six-speed automatic transmission, which was included in the most recent model update. At the recent launch of the revised model Ford said the lack of an auto meant 85 per cent of target market buyers had previously excluded the Transit from consideration.

In the first half of 2017 (FCAI VFACTS data), the Ford Transit Custom accrued 606 registrations, while Renault's manual-only Trafic achieved 953.
The two models sit fourth and fifth respectively in the medium van segment, behind Toyota's top-selling HiAce (3711 units), Hyundai's iLoad (3359), and Volkswagen's T6 Transporter (1050).

The test vehicles
Our big brothers at Trucksales.com.au spent a week with the Transit Custom and Trafic, running around town largely empty, but also loading each with 650 kilograms to conduct a fuel economy run.

Our Trafic is a short-wheelbase, twin-turbo model (103kW/340Nm) with the six-speed manual transmission.

Our Transit Custom, meanwhile, is a 290S short-wheelbase model with the new EcoBlue engine (96kW/385Nm) and the six-speed automatic transmission.
While the $4450 price difference between these two models initially seems large, the gap shrinks to $1700 when you compare the manual Trafic to a manual Transit Custom.

Functional load bays
Shifting goods between locations is the prime focus of these vehicles, so naturally we'll start our comparison in the load bay.

The Renault boasts the bigger payload (1237kg versus 1035kg), but the Ford's cargo area comes with full-height protection (mid-height for the Trafic), a sturdy floor liner (bare steel in the Trafic) plus side and rear grab rails (none in the Trafic).

Both score two load bay lights, a 12-volt power outlet, a full steel bulkhead with window and low load-through flaps to accommodate longer items.

For loading/unloading, both have rear 50/50 barn doors which open to 180 degrees. Our Ford is fitted with a second side sliding door (a $1000 option). Top-hinge tailgates are available for both, as is a second side door for the Trafic.

The Ford's load bay is 2555mm long and there's nearly an extra metre available through the load extension. We measured the distance between its wheel arches at 1330mm, so it will easily accept a standard Australian pallet - but you won't fit one through the side aperture, which is 980mm wide at its narrowest point. Load space ceiling height is 1406mm and the load floor height, when empty, is 550mm at the rear, and you get eight sturdy tie-point points.

Moving to the Renault, our Trafic provides a load bay measuring 2537mm in length, but has an extra 1213mm available via its load-through flap. It's significantly narrower than the Transit between its wheel arches – by 70mm – but it will still take a standard pallet.

Again, measuring 990mm at its narrowest point at the side door, you won't be able to fit a pallet through the side. The cargo bay has a height of 1387mm and the load floor height at the rear is 10mm higher than the Ford.

While the Renault comes with double the number of tie-down anchor points (16 in total), they’re smaller and appear to be less robust.

And the Renault has a braked towing capacity of 2000kg, 200kg more than the Ford, while Renault quotes a load bay capacity of 5.2 cubic metres , compared to 5.4 cubic metres for the Ford.

Performance and economy
We loaded each up with 650kg in the back for a drive route taking in industrial estates, motorway and country roads – a bit of everything.

On paper we expected the Ford to triumph in terms of grunt – 45Nm of torque is a fair advantage – but the reality was quite different. While the Ford went about its business with little fuss, and took the load in its stride, the Renault felt more sprightly on the road – it has a 7kW power advantage over the Ford – whether accelerating from a standing start or carrying out a highway overtake.

Ford's automatic transmission likely robs some of the Transit’s grunt compared to the Renault Trafic's manual – lining up Ford's manual against the Renault could possibly deliver a different outcome.

The Ford's six-speed auto certainly shifts as smoothly and quickly as you'd expect of an LCV. One the downside, as mentioned in our launch review, we're not fans of the fact 'Drive' is located one position up from the bottom of the shift pattern – we found ourselves pulling the shifter all the way down to the bottom and then pushing it up a notch to ensure we'd selected ‘Drive’, lest we select ‘Manual’ mode by mistake.

While the Renault Trafic only comes with a manual transmission, it is a sweet shifter. Light, smooth and precise, this has to be one of the best manual LCV transmissions we've sampled.

After a day of mixed roads, and with the 650kg load, the Renault came out on top for fuel consumption, sipping 7.7L/100km compared to a relatively thirsty 10.9L/100km for the Ford.

Again, comparing a manual to an auto isn't comparing apples with apples, but even considering the difference in Ford's official combined-cycle figures between its own auto and manual models (0.6L/100km), the Renault still appears well in front.

With the Ford's 72-litre tank and the Renault's 80-litre equivalent, those fuel figures give safe working ranges of around 600km and 950km respectively.

Handling and braking
While both vans offer reasonably precise steering and acceptable body roll, the Renault is just that little bit better when it came to soaking up the bumps.

The Renault is marginally more composed than the Ford, which seems a little underdamped – the Transit was more likely to oscillate after a decent impact and was a little more 'fussy' over smaller road imperfections, while the Trafic recovered from bumps faster.

Overall, the Renault's suspension is just a little more compliant and composed. Pleasingly, both offer a surprisingly comfortable ride when empty, and the ride only improves with a load.

Both vans excel in terms of braking, offering good power and excellent feel – no complaints there.

Turning to turning circles, the Ford is a narrow winner at 10.9 metres (11.8 for the Renault). Both are low enough to access typical multi-storey carparks, with the Renault measuring 1971mm high and the Ford 2007mm (with its roof racks – a handy standard feature – folded).

Cabin comfort and features
While the Renault is certainly comfortable (the driver's seat offers all the usual adjustment plus lumbar support, an armrest and heating), the armrest can’t be adjusted.

The leather-wrapped steering wheel is adjustable for reach and tilt, but there's no dead pedal.

The Ford has all the same adjustment but the armrest is adjustable, while the passenger seat also has heating (not the case in the Trafic). There is a dead pedal for the driver, but the brake pedal seems just a touch too high for comfort.
NVH (noise/vibration/harshness) is all but absent in these two vans. Granted, there's still a bit more engine/road/wind noise than in a standard passenger car, but not much more.

Both are on par with respect to noise, and it’s easy to listen to the stereo or talk on the phone.

Under your feet, both cabs have durable flooring and a mix of plastics of different textures and hues. The Transit’s dashboard is more angular than the flowing lines of the Trafic, but the latter's plastics have the odd sharp edge here and there.

The Ford wins for oddments storage, with large, twin-deck door side pockets, an overhead cubby hole for a CB radio, a large concealed dash-top area with 12-volt and USB outlets plus a good array of cup and bottle holders. Both vans have cavernous storage areas underneath their passenger seats.

But the Renault has a large dash-top tray plus a concealed dash-top tray. We appreciated the optional ($49) smartphone dock fitted to the Trafic, however the USB and 12-volt outlets are on the front of the dash, meaning a mess of wires leading to them.

A handy workstation with a concealed laptop/tablet storage nook (and a bracket enabling the tablet to be angled towards the driver or passenger) is revealed when you fold the Renault's middle seat forward.

It's far better than the small workspace which folds out of the middle seat in the Ford. And folding the Renault’s middle seat forward delivers improved rear vision – because the headrest no longer blocks said vision, and the Renault's bulkhead window is wider than the smaller (arguably safer) Ford equivalent.

Speaking of vision, the Ford's side mirrors are far superior – larger and with more effective spot (convex) mirrors.

Fitted accessories and features
Our Ford Transit is fitted with the optional City Nav Pack ($2100), which comprises a reversing camera, a (now larger) 5.0-inch TFT colour display, plus satellite navigation, fog lights, and parking sensors.

The Ford still makes do with the first-generation SYNC multimedia system, but it has all the usual conveniences, plus digital radio – a feature absent in the Trafic.

Our Trafic scores Renault’s ‘Lifestyle Pack’, comprising the 7.0-inch multimedia touchscreen with satellite navigation, premium cloth upholstery, colour-coded front bumper, climate control (standard air-conditioning in the Ford), pushbutton starting, LED strip lighting in the load bay and more.

Annoyingly, the Renault's reversing camera display is limited to a cramped window within the rear-view mirror. It has fixed guides too, unlike the predictive guides of the Ford's camera, but at least it's a standard feature in twin-turbo models (unlike the Ford, where the camera is only available as part of the ‘City Nav Pack’).

Fitted with their accessory packs as they are, both vehicles benefit from parking sensors front and rear.

The Renault's touchscreen is a bit more intuitive than the Ford setup which includes a large array of buttons. But it doesn't take long to get familiar with Ford's menu system. Pairing a mobile phone is easy in each van and the voice command systems work well.

Both have hill hold assist, cruise control and speed limiters, but the Renault also scores auto lights and rain-sensing wipers, plus daytime running lights. Both feature idle-stop technology to lower fuel consumption and the Renault has an Eco mode.

Safety
The Ford Transit leads the way for safety with the maximum five-star ANCAP rating. It comes standard with six airbags plus stability control, anti-lock brakes, traction control, electronic brake force distribution, rollover mitigation, load adaptive control, trailer sway control and – new for 2017 – side wind stabilisation.

Renault equips the Trafic with most of those features but it misses out on the cross-wind assist and trailer sway control, and comes with four airbags. Sure the Trafic doesn’t match the Transit in this department, but it's still a comprehensive safety package and well ahead of vans of not so long ago.

Options and accessories
For accessories and options, it’s a hands down win for the Renault Trafic; there are ‘Premium Packs’ for both single-turbo and twin-turbo models, a ‘Lifestyle Pack’ (as tested here) and a ‘Crew Lifestyle Pack’ (with double side doors, among other upgrades). It also has a long list of accessories available separately.

Ford serves up the ‘City Nav Pack’ plus the second side door, the rear tailgate, the auto transmission and non-standard paint. Both prestige and SVO (Special Vehicle Options, $1150) paint are available – over 100 hues of the latter can be ordered direct from the factory, and within the standard lead time.

Warranty and backup
Not so clear cut is the all-important TCO (Total Cost of Ownership). While the Renault Trafic wins on purchase price, there are many more issues to consider…

With the Transit now powered by Ford’s 2.0-litre EcoBlue engine, its warranty and service intervals have both received a boost. So now both vehicles on test are covered by three-year, 200,000km warranties, and both have 12-month, 30,000km service intervals.
Of course, the Euro 6 engine means you have an AdBlue tank to consider, but Ford says the Transit Custom should be right for between 9000 to 11,000km between fill-ups.

Renault owners have the option of extending their warranty coverage to four or five years, while both brands offer complimentary roadside assistance (Ford for 12 months, Renault for the duration of the warranty).

Of particular note, Renault offers three years of capped price servicing for the Trafic (Ford offers no such scheme) and has the backing of its Pro+ network of LCV specialist dealers.

Summing up
Choosing a winner here is no easy task. Both these vans will get the job done in comfort, safety and even style (not a word regularly applied to this segment). Ford should be applauded for its proactive stance with regards to safety – it really is setting a standard for others to follow – and its Transit Custom is certainly very comfortable and feature-packed.

However, here we're handing the victory by a nose to Renault's Trafic. While its lack of an automatic transmission will deter some, the Trafic triumphs on the basis of fuel consumption, payload, extensive accessories list and more comprehensive, LCV-focussed backup.

2017 Ford Transit Custom 290S pricing and specifications:
Price: $42,440 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 96kW/385Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.2L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 186g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP

2017 Renault Trafic SWB pricing and specifications:
Price: $37,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder twin-turbo-diesel
Output: 103kW/340Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Fuel: 9.0L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 164g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: N/A