The market may have a really good van in hand in the shape of Renault Trafic but the thing is to maintain that place which is a difficult task these days. Vans should have a practical load area or a seating area as the configuration may be.
And there must be a good seating position for the driver. But another thing much important these days is that the driver should feel good to drive a vehicle. Renault certainly fits in the criteria giving as much comfort as well as practicality at the same time.
The exterior has been changed for the present upgrade since its launch in 2014. There is now a more square effect to the headlights and grill. The rest of the backside is a box shape providing more space and feasibility to load and unload items.
This is a mid-size van so things according to the size can fit in; still, there is a lot of space inside. The trim levels remain the same as before with Business, Business + and Sport. Things get added according to the tri-level in the interior technology and cabin as well as the exterior also.
The engines are economical and environment-friendly. Renault Trafic engines reconditioned proves to be reliable if it comes from a proper source. The Renault Trafic engines rebuild will never disappoint performing as the original one did before failing.
The reason for this change is to get in line with diesel emissions and also these engines come with improved fuel economy. This dCi 2.0-litre engine gets three power outputs; 118 bhp, 143 bhp and 168 bhp.
The bigger size of the engine is installed to improve efficiency. With this new engine, there is also the stop-start function which is a great help to reduce fuel consumption further.
The amazing Eco mode of this van helps to keep in control according to the capacity of the engine. If you try to push hard the light of the indicator for the purpose starts to turn yellow from green and then red. This also assists the driver to rev to a certain limit and increase the efficiency.
There are things in the driving side for handling that has also been improved. The higher-powered engines are a good fit as they generate more power which makes to drive a big vehicle easier.
Turning the vehicle is not much problem now as it is more refined now to do it. Precise steering is what makes things much easier either loaded or unloaded. The issue of unsteadiness has also been addressed in the new one and now it is more surefooted even when empty which relaxes the driver more.
The engine, as well as the tires, is not noisy. It is quite van to drive as the engine and road sound is well suppressed. But there is a considerable amount of wind noise present but like other things, it might also improve with those fruitful upgrades coming it’s way.
There is a manual six-speed transmission linked to the engine which works pretty well. For the trims in the higher rank, there is an option of six-speed automatic transmission also.
The cabin is a nice place to be in. The upholstery is given an improved material which is said to be more reliable than the previous one but it hardens things up more. The interior has not received many upgrades this time as much has taken place with the previous one.
There is a really good outer visibility for the van which is a very important trait for the big vehicles. There is a wide-angle passenger mirror which improves road visibility to get a better view at sudden or awkward turns. The storage places inside are limited with only one at the dashboard and another normal size glove box.
This trait has to be improved as there are many things the van drivers have to keep and it is not appropriate if they jump here and there while on move. There is another box added in the Business + trim but first, you have to afford it to get that far.
