Renault Trafic

Renault Trafic at a glance

The Trafic is one of Europe's most widely used vans, offered as a panel van, crew van, minibus with up to nine seats, platform cab and chassis cab. Renault's commercial vehicle range also includes the smaller Renault Kangoo and the larger Renault Master. Renault's own story is covered in the history of Renault, and all its current and past models are in the Renault catalogue.

First-generation Trafic (1980–2001)

The first Trafic was offered as a van, minibus, platform truck and chassis cab with front-wheel drive. Its engines were mounted lengthways, which put more weight on the driven front axle. Versions such as the T800, T1000 and T1200 (later T1300) covered gross weights of about 2.1 to 2.7 tonnes and payloads of 800 to 1,300 kg. The van's loading height was only 475 mm. Petrol engines included 1.4 (about 35 kW / 48 PS), 1.65, 1.7 and 2.2-litre units, and diesels a 2.1 with about 48 kW (65 PS), later joined by 1.9 and 2.5-litre diesels. Because the 2.1 diesel was bulky, the grille was moved forward on diesel vans. A part-time 4x4 version with a five-speed gearbox and a diesel engine arrived in late 1984.

The May 1989 facelift brought a rounder front end with a plastic bumper and a longer body. According to the old 1cars text, it also changed the bonnet, wings, headlights and grille, improved the seats and the cabin's sound insulation and raised payloads by about 100 kg. A further update in 1995 added a new grille, tail lights and interior, and around that time a radio with door speakers became standard. The dashboard remained plain and rectangular, but the Trafic earned a reputation as a tough and practical workhorse that stayed in production for more than two decades. Besides France and Spain, the first Trafic was built in Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and China, and as the Inokom Permas in Malaysia.

Second-generation Trafic (2001–2015)

The second Trafic was developed by Renault with Opel and Nissan, styled by Renault's design team and engineered at its light commercial vehicle centre. It was sold as the Opel/Vauxhall Vivaro from September 2001 and as the Nissan Primastar, built at GM's plant in Luton and Nissan's plant in Barcelona, which built the high-roof versions. Two wheelbases (3,100 and 3,500 mm) were offered, payloads reached about 1,200 kg and the van's load volume about 6 m³. Minibuses seat up to nine, with seat belts and quickly folding seats in the second and third rows, and every second-generation Trafic has a wide sliding side door on the right. Numerous combinations of side and rear doors and seat layouts were available, and the luggage area could be extended by folding the third row.

Engines were paired with a six-speed manual gearbox, and the 2.5 dCi arrived in 2003. Front airbags and three-point belts with pretensioners were offered. The Trafic II won International Van of the Year 2002, and production ended in June 2015.

Third-generation Trafic (2014 to today)

Design and cab

Launched in September 2014, the third Trafic has a sharper front with large headlights reaching up towards the windscreen and a big trapezoidal air intake. The cab is designed as a mobile office. The middle passenger seat folds to become a desk for a laptop of up to 17 inches with a clip for A4 documents. The cab also has 14 storage compartments with a total of 90 litres, plus an optional 54-litre box under the bench. Minibus versions seat up to nine, with two rows of three seats behind the cab; the luggage area holds about 1,800 litres and up to 3,400 litres with the rear bench removed.

Engines

The 2.0-litre diesel, introduced with the 2019 updates, is about 11% more fuel-efficient than the 1.6. The Trafic E-Tech, presented at the 2022 IAA, charges at 7 kW single-phase or 22 kW three-phase AC and up to 50 kW DC. Styling updates followed for the 2019 and 2021 model years, and a 2024 update introduced the new Renault logo. Since 2022 Renault Trucks has also sold the Trafic under its own badge.

Equipment

Even basic third-generation Trafics come with ABS and stability control, central locking, a heated rear window with a wiper on the rear doors, a heater and, on later vans, air conditioning. Higher trims add cruise control, more airbags, heated front seats and electric front windows. Climate control vents for the middle row are placed at foot level, and minibuses have a separate climate panel in the roof for rear passengers.

What owners say

Owners describe the third-generation Trafic as practical, comfortable and easy to drive in town, with excellent visibility, two spacious rows of passenger seats in the minibus and very economical engines. The galvanised body resists corrosion well, and the van suits work, large families and travellers alike. Criticisms include the relatively high cost of maintenance and spare parts and a firm suspension. Some owners also miss an all-wheel-drive version and find the manual gearbox that some drivers find tiring in heavy traffic. Front-wheel drive, on the other hand, gives good traction in winter when the van is lightly loaded.

Safety

ANCAP results vary. The Mitsubishi Express twin scored 55% for adult occupants in 2021, the Trafic received a Silver rating with 45% in 2022, and an updated Trafic reached Gold with 69% in 2024.

Rivals: how the Trafic compares

The Trafic competes with the Ford Transit Custom, Volkswagen Transporter, Mercedes-Benz Vito, Hyundai H-1, Toyota Proace and Citroën Jumpy. Its strengths are the practical mobile-office cab, economical diesels and a wide choice of bodies. Its weaknesses are basic seats without side support or electric adjustment and the lack of opening rear side windows for ventilation in minibus versions.