Renault Trafic Review (2014-present)

The humble Renault Trafic has been around for 40-odd years, and in that time it has served as everything from a road-tripping campervan and minibus to a refrigerated container for delivering milk.

Despite the fact you’ll likely find a Renault Trafic that has been converted for pretty much every use imaginable, there have actually only been three generations in its long and servitorial career, with the second generation putting in a 13-year stint before its maker went back to the drawing board.

Today’s third generation has been on sale since 2014, but it received a major refresh in 2019 so it fell in line with Renault’s updated design language, while the engines and interior tech were swapped for something more frugal, efficient and current.

Inside, Renault has done a lot to make its cabin feel more modern, bestowing upon it lots of switchgear and technology that has clearly been influenced or directly pinched from its range of passenger cars. There are plenty of tough but scratchy plastics, which cheapens the inside somewhat, but lots of attention has been paid to making the interior as much like a mobile office as possible in the latest generation.

For example, the front middle seat folds forwards in Business- trim and above, revealing a quasi desk and clipboard, so you can operate a laptop while looking at documents. There are also cupholders and other little storage spots, although it doesn’t feel as practical inside as a Ford Transit. The door bins, for example, are tiny and there are just not enough holes or sculpted surfaces for chucking keys, phones and other items

As with many other similar vans, there’s the option of a regular panel van, which comes in a variety of roof heights and chassis lengths, as well as a Crew Van variant that offers windows and seats in the rear. On top of this, you’ll be able to spec bulkheads, lashing points and numerous other elements to suit whatever task you have in mind.

Previous models offered slightly more choice in terms of engine displacement, but more stringent emissions regulation means Renault now only offers the one 2.0-litre dCi turbodiesel engine in various states of tune.

Badged 120, 145 and 170, they relate to the PS (or Pferdestärke) horsepower output, which equates to 118-, 143- and 168bhp in old money. All engines are incredibly refined and reasonably frugal, with even the entry-level 120 models delivering a decent glut of torque in order to shift heavy loads.

Naturally, the 170 model offers the most power and actually starts to feel fairly brisk when pushed hard. Pair this with the new EDC (Efficient Dual Clutch) automatic gearbox and you have a van that accelerates with gusto and swaps cogs slickly. A six-speed manual gearbox is fairly standard across the range and it's perfectly slick and easy to use.

Granted, the driving experience has some way to go before you can properly compare it to a Volkswagen Transporter, which is often cited as the rival to beat in terms of the most “car-like” driving experience. Ford’s latest Transit Custom also proves more engaging to drive, if that’s even a concern of yours.

This is down to the Renault’s incredibly light steering, which is a boon around town but feels very disconnected and vague through the steering wheel on faster, twister routes. The suspension, although largely excellent at soaking up lumps in the road, feels tall, which doesn’t do much to iron out the body roll when travelling with an empty stowage area.

Drive it normally and it proves extremely comfortable, with incredibly supportive driver and passenger seats and a raised driving position that allows for a commanding view of the road ahead.

All Trafics, regardless of the trim level, receive DAB radio and Bluetooth, as well as air-conditioning as standard, but walk up the levels and you’ll soon be greeted by a fairly basic touchscreen infotainment system. Later models support improved connectivity in the form of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and are also available with Renault’s own nav system built into it.

The major refresh in 2019 brought with it some nice chrome-effect trim elements, which have lifted the interior somewhat, while the upholstery that covers the seats is now more hard-wearing and the 3D effect graphics look far better than the plain black cloth of old.

Another new standard feature is what Renault calls Grip Xtend that, unlike a traditional traction control system, allows the wheels to skid in order to remove the snow, mud or sand from the tyre and thus regain grip and slowly pick up speed. It’s selectable via a button on the dashboard.

The introduction of all new Euro6 diesel engines sees new, much lower levels of fuel consumption and much lower CO2 emissions compared to the 1.6-litre diesel engine that powered older Trafic models. The least powerful dCi 120 engine is the most efficient, returning up to 52.3 mpg on the combined cycle. However, it’s not that much more efficient than the most powerful dCi 170 engine, which can return up to 48.1 mpg, so unless you are obsessed with fuel economy, it could be worth plumping for the extra power.

All of these new 2.0-litre engines are impressively efficient and the official numbers quoted by Renault aren’t wildly inaccurate either. This efficiency is aided by stop/start technology, which comes as standard across the range.

Service intervals for the new Trafic are 24,000 miles or two years between servicing, whichever comes first, meaning there’s a decent amount of miles before you have to fork out at your local garage or dealership. On top of this, Renault offers a variety of servicing plans and extended warranties that take the uncertainty and headaches out of maintaining a vehicle once it's out of its standard warranty period.

Renault passenger cars, especially older ones, don’t have the best track record for reliability, but its commercial vehicles seem to fair much better. Many of the Renault Trafic models are fairly basic, so there’s not a huge amount to go wrong inside, while the general build quality is fairly robust.

The latest model is arguably too new to get a decent overall picture of long term reliability, but there are plenty of customers still going strong in the pre-facelift model, which was on sale between 2014 and 2019. If buying a van of this age on the used market, check for a well-known fault in the sliding rear passenger door on crew vans, while turbos on these older models have been prone to failing for various reasons.

The fact that the updated 2019 models received all-new engines, interior tech and safety functions should give greater peace of mind that something won’t go spectacularly wrong when going about your business. If it does, Renault's PRO- network of van centres offers a very competitive service to keep the wheels turning. This includes a van-for-van courtesy vehicle while yours is off the road, a diagnostic report within the hour and a maximum 48-hour lead time for servicing and repairs.