Renault TRAFIC VAN range
Renaults Trafic Van, Winner Of The International Van Of The Year 2002, Is One Kind Of Trafic That You Wont Mind Getting Stuck In. Jonathan Crouch Takes A Closer Look.
Take a close look at the
Renault Trafic. Does it look familiar? It should do the design is virtually identical to the
Vauxhall Vivaro and
Nissan Primastar, not that this is a problem. In fact, thanks to substantial investment from Renault, Nissan and GM, the Trafic/Vivaro/Primastar platform is recognised to be one of the leaders in the compact van sector. Hence the bulging trophy cabinet that includes the International Van Of The Year and What Van? Van Of The Year.
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Slotting into the companys light commercial vehicle range just above the Kangoo and just below the well-respected Master van, it completes head-on with rivals like Fords Transit for buyers wanting a maximum payload of up to 1.2 tonnes. Thanks to wide opening doors, your load is always easily accessible and can even be loaded from a fork-lift truck. Hows that for convenient?
"a complete package that gives
Renault the strongest presence its ever had in this sector"
Driving the Trafic forward is a quartet of engines. First up are the common rail 1.9-litre diesels, producing 82bhp or 100bhp. Able to return 38mpg on a combined urban/extra-urban run, these Trafic engines are among the most economical to run in their class.
A 120bhp 2.0-litre 16v petrol unit is also available and can return 29.1mpg. At the top of the range is a 2.
5-litre oil-burning unit of the same common-rail injection configuration as the 1.9-litre diesels. With this you get 140bhp on tap. Mated to every engine bar the 82bhp dCi is Renaults PK6 six-speed gearbox the first of its kind on the market.
The box offers users a slick shift and more than enough flexibility to meet any requirements so even if youre loaded to the roof heading up hill into driving rain you can be certain that youll have the gearing to cope since the torque curve is better optimised by the sixth ratio. For ease of use, the gear lever protrudes from the dashboard and, although it looks odd at first, it produces a very natural driving position, ideal should you be caught in the kind of stop-start of urban motoring where frequent shifting is the norm. Even better for some will be the optional Quickshift semi-automatic gearbox which will take the strain for you. If youre talking torque, then the Trafic wont disappoint.
The 82bhp 1.9dCi churns out 190NM at 2,000rpm, the 100bhp version produces 240Nm also at 2,000rpm, the 140bhp 2.5-litre manages 310Nm at 1,750rpm and the 2.0-litre 16v petrol is pushed by 190Nm at a higher rating of 3,750rpm.
By getting the torque curve low in the rev range, Renault have ensured that it can be used where and when it matters most ie on pulling away and at low speeds. In total, there are more than numerous versions of the Trafic, with two wheelbases (3098 or 3498 mm), two payload ratings (1000 or 1200 kg) and four types of body (panel van, crew-cab, minibus and platform-cab) to better adapt itself to the needs of different users. A high-roof version has also been developed to increase capacity further. In short wheelbase form, the Trafic offers a load volume of 5m3 and a 2.
41m long load space with an interior height of 1.38m. The long wheelbase version offers a load volume of 5.9m3 and is 40cm longer while the high-roof option extends this dramatically to 8.
3m3. To secure loads, the Trafic is equipped with a new system of slide-adjustable tie-down attachments. At the wheel, theres a very MPV-like feel to the way everything is laid out and some clever ideas have been included. Like a hood to cover documents (which also prevents windscreen reflections), shelves installed beneath the instrument panel and the glovebox, a card-holder and a an illuminated, refrigerated glovebox linked to the air conditioning system and capable of holding two 1.
5-litre bottles - an idea first seen in the Renault Scenic. Theres also a height-adjustable steering wheel and the usual cupholders. All Trafic variants come as standard with power-assisted steering, tinted glass and an air recycling mode. In addition, you can also specify air conditioning, central door locking, electric windows, electrically adjusted door mirrors, a new version of the Carminat navigation aid system, a choice of radio/cassette or CD systems and mobile telephone pre-equipment.
In the area of vehicle security, Renault has paid close attention to the steering column lock, and the spare wheel which is secured in place by a coded latch. As for safety, well as youd expect, a driver airbag is standard, as are three-point safety belts with pretensioners and load limiters for all the front seats, as well as head restraints on all seats. These features can be optionally supplemented with a front passenger airbag and with front
seat thorax side airbags. Impressive fuel consumption figures arent the only reason why the dealers are claiming exceptionally low operating costs as a particular strength of this vehicle.
It has long service intervals (with oil changes every 18,000 miles/2 years) and features engines and gearboxes designed to guarantee a life of 150,000 miles. Moreover, the vehicle structure is entirely galvanised, with all box sections completely sealed and wax-treated, allowing Renault to offer a 12-year anti-corrosion warranty. For your complete peace of mind, Renault also supplies the Trafic with a 3-year/60,000 mile warranty, including 3-years roadside assistance from the AA. In addition, the cost of repairing minor impact damage has been reduced thanks to the small number of components which need to be changed during the repair process.
This has resulted an insurance rating of only 4E. Improvements have also been made to repair times - lower by a factor of four. In summary then, a complete package that gives Renault the strongest presence its ever had in this sector.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
VAN: Renault Trafic range ENGINES: 1.9dCi (82bhp or 100bhp), 2.5dCi (140bhp) 2.0-litre 16v petrol (120bhp) PAYLOAD: 1,023 1,217kgs
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