2023 Renault Trafic assessment | CarExpert

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It’s nonetheless a third-generation mannequin, however the 2023 Renault Trafic will get a recent face, new tech and extra lively security package, which ought to give it a combating probability towards seasoned Euro rivals just like the Mercedes-Benz Vito and Volkswagen Transporter.  

In spite of everything, the Trafic has been round for 40 years servicing the wants of companies, whether or not that be sole merchants or bigger firm fleets. Greater than 2.2 million have been offered thus far, so it’s basic to the Renault model. 

Thoughts, the category chief remains to be the Toyota HiAce, adopted by ongoing threats from the comparatively new Hyundai Staria Load and LDV G10 that proceed to seek out loads of favour from the hordes of tradies and small enterprise homeowners on the lookout for the most important bang for buck.

However, the facelifted Renault Trafic has bought lots going for it, because of a raft of styling adjustments, a set of recent options, and much more of its trademark journey and drive consolation that so many house owners appear to swear by.

However because the saying goes: “you get what you pay for”, and within the Trafic’s case, so much greater than earlier than. Costs are up considerably, with the most cost effective Trafic now costing $48,200 earlier than on-road prices – up a whopping $8610 on the outgoing base mannequin.

Nonetheless, Renault has dialled in additional worth, with the stated entry-level mannequin benefiting from a extra highly effective turbo-diesel engine, together with added security options together with autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and lane departure warning.

Premium Trafic fashions additionally achieve adaptive cruise management, blind-spot monitoring and site visitors signal recognition to their help armoury.

Australia can be considerably late to the celebration with new the Trafic, which was first revealed to the world in September 2021, not lengthy after native distributor Ateco took over the model right here.

Timing is all the things, they are saying, as a result of the made-in-France Trafic is now much more presentable with a recent face incorporating new chrome-rimmed grille, LED lights and C-shaped daytime operating lights, entrance bumper and bonnet. Down again, there’s little if any adjustments.

Furthermore, the new-look Trafic additionally will get a extra up to date cabin design, incorporating a brand new soft-touch dashboard, whereas all variants rating an 8.0-inch touchscreen with wired Apply CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s additionally a 4.2-inch supervision cluster show for the motive force, which is basically customisable.  

In a daring, however comprehensible transfer, (apparently homeowners of the outdated 1.6 wished they’d purchased the bigger motor), Renault Australia has axed the much less widespread diesel motor in favour of the extra highly effective 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine, paired with both a six-speed dual-clutch auto, or six-speed guide transmission when you select the bottom Professional.

Enterprise homeowners will like the very fact new Trafic additionally comes with a typical 80-litre gas tank, and claims common gas consumption as little as 6.6L/100km on the mixed cycle with the automated – giving it the longest vary in its class.

As anticipated, the most recent Renault Trafic is available in a variety of variants together with short- and-long-wheelbase cargo vans plus Crew Van fashions with second-row seating for as much as three folks.

Actually, Renault additionally declare a class-leading load size of as much as 4.15 metres utilizing a intelligent load-through bulkhead beneath the beneath the passenger seat.

How a lot does the Renault Trafic price?

Together with a recent new look, and a stack of different options, the 2023 Renault Trafic additionally wears a much bigger sticker worth.

The vary kicks off at $48,200 earlier than on-road prices, up $8610 on the earlier base Trafic.

2023 Renault Trafic pricing:

  • Renault Trafic Professional Van guide SWB: $48,200
  • Renault Trafic Professional Van auto SWB: $50,200
  • Renault Trafic Professional Van guide LWB: $50,200
  • Renault Trafic Professional Van auto LWB: $52,200
  • Renault Trafic Premium Van auto SWB: $53,200
  • Renault Trafic Premium Van auto LWB: $55,200
  • Renault Trafic Premium Crew Van auto SWB: $57,200
  • Renault Trafic Life-style Crew Van auto LWB: $62,200

Key rivals embody:

All costs exclude on-road prices

What’s the Renault Trafic like on the within?

Step aboard the most recent Trafic for the primary time and other than the high-rising, console-mounted shift lever, it merely doesn’t really feel like a piece van – like so many others on this class.

The three-spoke steering wheel is leather-based wrapped with distinction stitching and contours, and there are many tasteful metal-look accents to offset the assorted shades of gray all through the cockpit.

The spotlight, although, is the brand new 8.0-inch touchscreen, sitting entrance and centre on the sprint. Whereas the interface isn’t as intuitive as some, you’ll get the grasp of it moderately rapidly and there’s sharp response going from one operate to a different.

Immediately beneath sits a small row of shortcut buttons for steadily used features like cease/begin, drive modes and lock/unlock, whereas beneath are three massive chrome-rimmed dials for temperature and fan changes.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are wired, and whereas initially the connection proved considerably shaky, it turned out to be an iOS replace problem – from then on it proved faultless on the drive again to our Sydney base from our ultimate method level at Brooklyn on Hawksbury.

There’s no full-size digital instrument show as we half suspected with this replace, simply the usual twin analogue dial setup with a 4.2-inch show sandwiched in between.

The driving force’s seat is by far essentially the most comfy of the three chairs up entrance on this Premium configuration, offering ample cushioning and bolster that make longer stints behind the wheel appear easy-peasy. Not so for the outer passenger pew that provides simply half the help, although much better than the just about flat centre chair.

The Trafic additionally has a number of nifty methods up its sleeve, not the least of which is the hidden storage space beneath the 2 passenger seats. You simply elevate seat cushion to disclose an area massive sufficient (54L) for 2 backpacks and a few jackets, or laptops even.

One other splendidly sensible function is the hideaway work bench on the again of the centre seat when folded flat. Ingeniously, it additionally features a hard-shell clipboard that simply slots into the bench, and will be angled in direction of the motive force.

There are ample cupholders, bottle holders, together with numerous storage nooks, and a big wi-fi charging pad instantly left of the shifter.

For people who go for the additional seating within the Crew Van, in both Professional or Life-style specification spec, there’s a second row of seats for as much as three passengers. Select the Life-style, and also you get three particular person seats with adjustable headrests, twin armrests and under-seat storage.

Moreover, rear-seat passengers additionally profit from additional audio system, a 12V energy socket and a extra bulkhead insulation for a quieter cabin and enhanced heating and cooling properties.

Renault tends to ditch cumbersome key fobs in favour a hands-free keycard, which additionally robotically locks the car as you stroll away, whereas unlocking it as you stroll in direction of it. It’s extremely handy and a failsafe anti-theft measure as effectively.

Furthermore, drivers can use zoning mode on the identical key card to lock both the cabin or the rear load space, individually, if they want for additional piece of thoughts whereas away from the car whereas unloading, as an illustration.

Rear load area within the new Trafic stays unchanged from the earlier iteration, which isn’t actually a problem.

Quite the opposite, it’s bought 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 at least 16 tie-down factors again there for a number of kinds of freight.

What’s beneath the bonnet?

The 2023 Renault Trafic is powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel making 125kW of energy and 380Nm of torque.

It’s mated to a six-speed guide or six-speed dual-clutch computerized transmission. All fashions are front-wheel drive.

Now not are guide transmissions extra economical automatics, with Renault claiming 7.2L/100km on the mixed cycle with the guide or 6.5L/100km with the automated. All fashions have an 80L gas tank as well.

We noticed 7.4L/100km with the Premium SWB tester, which was good contemplating the kind of driving and workout routines we have been doing with Trafic.

CO2 emissions additionally favours the Trafic with auto emitting simply 171g/km and 188g/km for the guide gearbox.

How does the Renault Trafic drive?

If the earlier Renault Trafic was an excellent factor to drive, it’s even higher (enjoyable, even) with the replace.

A lot of the development in tractability – and dare I say, driving pleasure – comes all the way down to Renault Australia’s resolution to scrap the 1.6L engine in favour of the considerably extra versatile (and highly effective), 2.0-litre turbo-diesel in a single tune.

It’s a superior motor in each method, with its full complement of torque arriving from simply 1500rpm – making ahead progress merely  easy, if not refined.

That is an engine that by no means feels or sounds as if it wants a number of extra herbs to get correctly transferring. Shifts are easy, but decisive, however you’ve additionally bought the selection of varied drive modes when you require extra pressing throttle response.

Even then, there aren’t any noisy protests from this powertrain – it simply will get on with enterprise with a stage of refinement that feels extra car-like than van-like. However, that’s most vans within the class nowadays.  

The Trafic rides notably effectively. We intentionally sought out the nastiest potholes (not exhausting in Sydney) and loads of cracked roads with a small load within the rear of simply 20 kilos or so, and suspension compliance remained wonderful.

Not solely that, the steering is strong with good weighting about-centre, but in addition responsive both facet of straight-ahead place. It feels reassuringly planted, with physique motion stored in test, even with no respectable load.

The brakes are discs all spherical and do an honest job of reining within the Trafic’s velocity down from the authorized restrict, although they felt a bit spongy to me.

Manoeuvrability and visibility is one other space the place new Trafic shines. We ran some timed challenges in tight confines and have been stunned by its efficiency beneath fast adjustments of course by hard-to-see site visitors cones.

It’s an excellent factor new Trafic will get facet mirrors that are 30 per cent bigger than its predecessor that additionally electrically fold for security. 

What do you get?

Trafic Professional highlights:

  • 16-inch metal wheels (with covers on Crew Van)
  • Computerized LED headlights
  • 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
  • Apple CarPlay, Android Auto (wired)
  • 8-way guide driver’s seat with armrest
  • Energy home windows
  • Leatherette-wrapped steering wheel

Trafic Premium provides:

  • Entrance fog lights
  • Physique-coloured entrance bumper and mirrors
  • Energy-folding exterior mirrors
  • Idle cease/begin
  • Wi-fi telephone charger
  • Rain-sensing wipers
  • Tyre strain monitoring
  • Keyless entry through key card
  • Fold-down centre seat with A4 doc shelf, laptop computer storage

Trafic Life-style provides:

  • 17-inch alloy wheels
  • Semi-painted rear bumper
  • Chrome grille
  • Satellite tv for pc navigation
  • Rear solar blinds
  • Rear roof lining
  • Rear anti-slip ground masking
  • Local weather management
  • Heated driver’s seat

Choices

Enterprise Pack (Premium): $2200

  • Local weather management
  • Further tinted home windows
  • 17-inch alloy wheels
  • Heated driver seat
  • LED cabin lights
  • Satellite tv for pc navigation
  • Painted entrance bumper, door mirrors, tail gentle column
  • Chrome grille trim

Commerce Pack (Professional, Premium): $2000

  • Wood ground
  • Full-height wooden wall lining
  • LED ceiling lights
  • Heavy-duty battery
  • Spare wheel safety basket

Peace of Thoughts Pack (Professional): $1500

  • Blind-spot monitoring
  • Visitors signal recognition
  • Auto high-beam
  • Entrance and facet parking sensors
  • Energy-folding exterior mirrors

Consolation Pack (Professional): $1000

  • Entrance fog lights
  • Tyre strain warning
  • Rain-sensing wipers
  • Arms-free key card
  • Broad-view mirror
  • Auto-dimming rear-view mirror

Glazed bulkhead (Professional): $400
Proper-hand facet sliding door (Professional): $600
Rear barn doorways (Professional): $400
Glazed sliding doorways (Premium): $400
Passenger bucket seat (Professional): $100

Colors

  • Cumulus Blue*
  • Carmin Purple
  • Comet Gray
  • City Gray*
  • Highland Gray
  • Jet Black
  • Glacier White

*Not out there on Trafic Life-style

Is the Renault Trafic secure?

The Renault Trafic stays unrated by ANCAP, although Euro NCAP has a three-star ranking from 2015 for the folks mover variant not offered right here.

Subsequent to that, ANCAP examined the Mitsubishi Express – a rebadged Trafic – in 2021 and gave it zero stars, although notably it had no lively security expertise commonplace.

Customary security gear contains:

  • Autonomous emergency braking (NEW)
  • Lane departure warning (NEW)
  • Driver and passenger, entrance and facet curtain airbags
  • 4-wheel disc brakes

Premium and Life-style fashions add:

  • Adaptive cruise management
  • Entrance and facet parking sensors (NEW)
  • Blind-spot monitoring (NEW)
  • Visitors signal recognition (NEW)

How a lot does the Renault Trafic price 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

With out delving into particulars and acknowledging the most important enhancements made to the most recent Renault Trafic, the considerably larger costs are more likely to elevate a number of eyebrows.

However, the up to date 2023 Renault Trafic is a noticeably improved van that provides a car-like driving expertise, improved expertise, intelligent storage options and loads of package.

All of which, ought to discover favour with small enterprise homeowners on the lookout for a contact of sophistication past the same old suspects.

Click on the pictures for the complete gallery

MORE: Everything Renault Trafic



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