The refreshed Renault Trafic will not be on the market until early next year. We were able to drive for a while with a variation on the yellow license plate, the group carrier Trafic Combi. He will be accompanied by the luxurious VIP version of SpaceClass. Prices should now be known, but are now only available on request.
Although delivery vans are often referred to as vans, the term actually makes no sense: a bus is a vehicle for transporting people. And if it’s not that big, you can call it our best van. How does this work out with the new Renault Trafic? It wouldn’t be nice to call this a van, it’s too big and stately for that. Even as a Combi it is a decent appearance, especially when you choose a nice color, like the new one Rouge Carmin which can also be seen in the photos. Renault refers to the Trafic Combi as a car for large families, in the same way that Opel renumbered the Vivaro as Zafira Life for that purpose, and of course as a means of transport for companies and governments. It competes strongly with models such as the Ford Tourneo Custom. The Trafic SpaceClass is new to the Renault range and plays the role of a VIP luxury transporter, in the style of the Mercedes-Benz V-Class. Obviously no cars that come on the road in large numbers, but which you as a company car brand cannot do without in your portfolio – the Renault seller does not want to have to say no during negotiations with a fleet manager who needs one in addition to a fleet of vans. Both Trafic versions have three rows of seats and can accommodate up to nine occupants and are available in two lengths (508 and 548 cm).
Ease of use
The Trafic dates from 2014 and was put back on the drawing board two years ago. And now again, under the pressure of increasing competition. For the occasion, the front has been tightened as it was done on the Master: the bonnet has been laid flatter and the grille is more upright. The large headlight units have been stripped of their pointed extensions. Inside, more has changed. There is now a normal, round clock as a speedometer instead of the central, digital indication and the now very dated round shapes of the dashboard made way for sharp lines. It is so beautiful and the ease of use has become better rather than worse. The new central display has grown over the previous one and is easy to operate, although the graphics are not of the highest level. Physical buttons for the heat management are placed underneath: fine, so no searching on that screen. The steering wheel is also new, now with many more control functions, the operation of which is soon clear. And yes, finally the cruise control can also be fully operated there. In short, a significant improvement compared to the old situation – the car has become years younger, also because most common assistance systems have now become available. And in terms of safety, we would like to mention the passenger airbag, which from now on absorbs both co-drivers.
Shake
We make a short trip with the Trafic Combi Blue dCi 150. This is the new 150 hp version, which is supplied in addition to engines with 110 hp (only with 6-speed gearbox) and 170 hp (only with EDC 6-speed automatic). The 150 hp engine is available with both transmissions. The driven manual transmission has the same driving qualities as the existing Trafic models; nothing changed on the chassis and the steering. That was not necessary, because the car still drives pleasantly, with a sufficiently light operation and in the case of the 150 engine reasonably smooth performance, although the Renault does not get it all for free. Unfortunately, the French have not seized the opportunity to control the infamous ‘shaking’ of the powertrain; at not even full throttle at low revs, if the powertrain has to deal with a lot of torque, shudders run through the car. The remedy is to slow down a bit. But yes, passenger buses are sometimes in a hurry, aren’t they?