When you’re on the road, you see a lot of traffic… and if you’re lucky you’ll also see a lot of these vans. Say hello to the Renault Trafic! The new Renault Trafic is a facelift of the previous version that platform shared with the Vauxhall Vivaro before Vauxhall was bought by the PSA Group and began platform sharing with Citroen, Peugeot and Toyota.
But against that backdrop, the Trafic, and particularly this one right here - an L2H1 version at the Sport trim level - still feels modern and relevant and a prime choice for van drivers looking for an overall bigger medium van that packs luxury AND practicality.
At the front of the vehicle, check out that big grille with brilliant black, high gloss logo surround and chrome grille. On the bonnet, check out the metallic paint before admiring the body coloured front bumper and door mirrors, the 17” ‘Cyclade’ alloy wheels and the door mirrors that are fully heated with electric adjustment and external temperature sensors.
Let’s head around the back for all the details at the business end:
Rear-door width: 1.4m
Rear-door height: 1.3m
Bay width: 1.6m
Bay width between arches: 1.2m
Bay height: 1.3m
Loading length: 2.9m
Loading length (including load-through): 3.3m
Payload: 1200kg
Braked towage: Up to 2000kg
Unbraked towage: Up to 750kg
Side-sliding door width: Just under 1m
Side-sliding door height: 1.2m
Let’s get in and have a look at the cabin, which features a great driver's seat and passenger bench seat with under-seat storage, note the JAVA fabric trim on seats. Check out the mobile Office (fold down middle passenger seat, with detachable A4 clipboard and laptop storage). With all these added extras too: Leather steering wheel, Smartphone cradle, premium dashboard with closable upper dashboard storage and 2 spot reading lights (driver/passenger). In the middle you have the Renault MediaNav 7” touch screen multimedia & navigation system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Radio with DAB, Bluetooth and USB sockets, and an AUX input.
The 2.0-litre diesel engine outputs 120ps allowing a 0-62mph speed in 13.9 seconds with a top speed of 103mph. This is all thanks to a 6-speed manual gearbox and efficient Stop-Start engine. The maintenance intervals are 2 years or 20,000 miles and is a great drive.
So, how do we finish this one. Well, the Renault Trafic is a veritable office on wheels alongside being tough as nails and capable of carrying big heavy loads. Its payload is nearly class leading and at the SPORT trim level it really does have all the bells and whistles I know drivers look for today. It’s the whole package, a phrase I don’t use lightly, and when the whole package is available for such competitive prices, that’s what makes me sit up and take notice. How about you?
Vanarama.com