Renault Master Quickshift 6 Van Range
You could be forgiven for wondering why automatic gearboxes have never appealed more strongly to van buyers. The sluggish, performance-sapping nature of older auto systems was always going to deter the keen car driver but in a van your priorities are different. Most light commercial vehicles dont readily lend themselves to spirited driving and the labour-saving benefits of a good auto-box would really be felt during a long day behind the wheel. Advances in technology mean that things are better still today.
| Build |  |
| Comfort |  |
| Depreciation |  |
| Economy | |
| Equipment | |
| Handling | |
| Insurance | |
| Performance | |
| Styling | |
| Value | |
Revolution might be too strong a word. Renault set modest targets for their Quickshift6 transmission system, expecting it to be specified in 5% of the Master vans sold and the same proportion of Trafic models. Its not going to set the sales charts on fire but with other van manufacturers having also brought semi-automatic gearboxes to market, theres definitely an upward trend where this technology is concerned. The Quickshift6 is a 6-speed clutchless gearbox so youve only got the two pedals to busy your feet with and the Masters usual dash-mounted manual shifter is replaced with a dinky joystick.
When driving, its either in fully automatic mode where it operates like a standard automatic gearbox or its in semi-automatic mode where the driver uses the joystick to flick up and down the ratios as he or she deems appropriate.
"the Quickshift6 actually enhances fuel economy to the tune of 8%..."
The automatic mode is fairly self-explanatory: you potter along with the computer system taking account of speed, acceleration, braking, road gradient and the vehicles load to identify and engage the optimum gear. The semi-auto setting is a little more complicated. Once selected (by sliding the joystick to the left), it allows the driver to push the lever forward to change up and pull it backwards to change down. In both modes, reverse is engaged manually buy sliding the lever right into neutral then down.
Semi-auto shifting isnt as autonomous as this suggests however. The Quickshift6 transmission computer doesnt retreat into itself to complete that game of solitaire or search the web for cute pictures of babies. It remains on its toes, ready to intervene should the driver do anything ill advised. There are all sorts of settings within the system to prevent you coming to grief.
An up change will be cancelled if the accelerator is quickly released and Quickshift6 wont let you shift down if doing so at your current speed would result in the vans key components turning themselves inside out. Likewise, if youre going too slowly for the gear it will make a downshift on its own and first gear is automatically selected at speeds below 7kph. Theres more too: the Quickshift6 gearbox can be set in load mode which adapts the shifting characteristics for a heavily laden van. This setting reduces clutch slip and changes the gear-change thresholds to account for the extra weight. Also useful is snow mode, a setting which limits wheelspin when pulling away in icy conditions. It all sounds like clever stuff but how does the Quickshift6 system perform in real world conditions? From the start, its hard not to embrace the idea of automatic gearboxes in vans.
These are large cumbersome vehicles and theres no real pleasure to be derived from the extra control that a manual box gives you. In urban areas where jams, traffic lights and junctions have a manual van driver constantly clutching and de-clutching, the Quickshift6 is a huge bonus. In auto mode it moves smoothly between ratios and is rarely caught-out. There are rare instances, as youre trying to pull out of a junction sharply or accelerating away up a steep hill, when the gearbox seems unsure of the best gear in which to proceed.
This can be a little disconcerting when youre floundering in the path of oncoming traffic but the beauty of the semi-auto option is that the driver can intervene in tricky situations like these. With the driver doing the shifting, progress is less smooth initially but the systems responses are brisk and you soon become more proficient with practice. Ultimately, it becomes the preferable way of driving a Quickshift6 Master but the auto option is always there when you fancy a break. Theres a kickdown function so you can quickly drop a cog to overtake slow moving traffic and the creeping that takes place in 1st and reverse gears is also a big help.
When manoeuvring, you can simply release the handbrake then control the vehicles progress using only the footbrake and it allows the van to be held stationary on shallow gradients without the danger of rolling back. The Quickshift6 gearbox is offered with Renaults Master and Trafic panel vans and the Master model we tested was equipped with the mid-Range 115bhp 2.5-litre common-rail diesel engine. The system is also available with 100bhp version of the same powerplant and the 136bhp 3.
0-litre unit but in our model, there was no significant drop-off in performance when compared to the manual equivalent. Renault also claim that in auto mode, the Quickshift6 actually enhances fuel economy to the tune of 8% when compared with the manual Master. Multiplied over years of use, thats a big benefit to offset against the £800 premium you pay for the Quickshift6. Semi-automatic gearbox technology still hasnt reached a level where its preferable to a manual transmission for most car drivers but in a van it makes much more sense.
Renaults Quickshift6 system delivers negligible penalties in terms of impaired performance, it actually improves fuel efficiency and it makes journeys considerably less taxing on the driver. There isnt the control you get with a proper manual but the semi-auto mode gives the extra input you need in certain situations. Some buyers will never entertain anything other than manual transmission but for the sake of £800, its well worth trying the Quickshift6 to see how far automatics have come. You might just be converted.
Facts At A Glance VAN: Renault Master Quickshift6 van Range ENGINES: 100bhp 2.5dCi, 115bhp 2.5dCi, 136bhp 3.0dCi LOAD VOLUMES: 8.0-13.9 cubic metres MGVW: 2.8, 3.3 or 3.5 tonnes BODY OPTIONS: panel van, chassis cab, chassis double-cab, platform cab, minibus
