Renault Trafic Cargo, what we like and what we don't | pros and cons

Renault Trafic Cargo

The van segment is one of those that has not undergone huge changes in recent years, yet Renault with its Trafic has introduced small innovations that have made the experience of the driver and his passengers much more comfortable and is suitable for modern times. These improvements have allowed a decidedly dated platform to be in step with the times and to be able to clash with the main competitors in its segment. Starting from the dimensions, Renault Trafic can boast a length of 5080 mm in the normal version and 5490 mm in the long wheelbase version, as regards the height instead it goes from 1970 mm to 2500 mm for the larger version.

What convinces us

The dominant driving position is a characteristic of vans, and in this case it allows you to easily see ahead and be able to better predict the moves of other drivers, as well as the presence of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in the system navigation allowed the simple and intuitive use of the vehicle even during long journeys. The presence of compartments under the seats helped during the movement phases with small luggage that otherwise we would have had to place in the cargo part of the van.

What does not convince us

Not everything is perfect, in fact the cargo configuration of this van is not allows you to have large space behind the seats in the cabin forcing the occupants to also use the space in front of the seat to place objects if the compartments under the seats are full and the space available does not exceed 88 liters. The lack of the central mirror is obviously to be taken into account but we would have liked a digital solution to help with the perception of the dimensions; in fact, in city traffic or on the highway we repeatedly found ourselves looking for the rear-view mirror to get a clearer image of what surrounded us and even if after a few days we get used to it it is always quite disorienting I had no reference in that position. Furthermore, as regards lateral visibility, we are certainly compromised due to the configuration without rear windows, this means that in the inputs on the right you have literally zero visibility on the oncoming traffic and this could cause very stressful situations if you are not familiar with this type. of means.



The side mirrors do not help in a particular way in these cases even though they have a more rounded external part to help in this type of situation. The presence of the blind spot sensor helps in a very important way in lane changes. The lack of adaptive cruise control also does not allow you to relax while driving and we believe that in an industry such as delivery it could be very useful in order to avoid unpleasant accidents.

How to do it driving

Driving pleasure has never been one of the strong points of this segment, yet Renault Trafic manages to be comfortable and effective in many situations. The engine we tested is the 131 hp 2.0 diesel which allows consumption of about 6.8 l / 100 km - without load - in addition, the torque of 330 Nm allows you to tackle even steep climbs without any problem. This engine can also be chosen in a 150hp and 170hp configuration, with the option of an automatic dual-clutch gearbox. The 110 hp version is also available for purely urban use.

Is it worth it?

The segment is full of proposals at similar prices, the range offered by the French house starts at € 27,810 for the dCi 110 version up to € 31,760 for the dCi 170 EDC version. As for the test specimen, we find an ICE Plus trim that adds some comforts such as electric rear-view mirrors and some elements both aesthetic - such as the chrome grille - and functional such as Cruise control and full LED headlights. The Easy Link 8 ”multimedia system with navigation is also an option in this configuration and is available at a price of € 360.

The configurations available for this work vehicle are endless, including options never seen on a car traditional such as the roof rack with walkway (€ 1910), the wooden load compartment lining (€ 710), the propylene load compartment lining (€ 630). In short, Renault Trafic can be customized to your liking from top to bottom and therefore allows it to be adapted to any type of commercial use. In the coming months we will have the pleasure of testing the Passenger version of this vehicle to compare its potential.