The 2027 Renault Master comes with a three-person bench arrangement and a solid steel bulkhead with window, though a two-seater walk-through configuration without the bulkhead is available on select models.

Also fitted as standard are a left sliding windowless door and barn doors, whilst inside you will find air conditioning, remote central locking, power windows, a reverse camera, rear parking sensors, rain-sensing wipers, auto headlights, a 10-inch central touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, two USB-C ports, overhead and under seat storage, paddle shifters, a full-sized spare wheel and a host of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) including AEB Autonomous Emergency Braking. Missing are adaptive cruise control and digital radio.

An optional Business Pack adds conveniences like a climate control upgrade, keyless entry, push-button start and folding centre armrest/work table. That last item is also part of an $800 Trade Pack that also brings LED cargo lighting, a rear step board and a reversing buzzer. Both packages can be bundled together, too.

The 2027 Renault Master comes standard with '1+2' seating arrangement. This means the driver’s seat is a regular, full-sized bucket seat with manual rake, height and lumbar support adjustment. Beside it is a larger bench seat fixed in position, providing a narrower space for two people. These prioritise functionality above comfort.

There is large storage space beneath, accessible from the cabin footwell. The optional Trade or Business packages enclose that space completely and add a front-hinged tilt mechanism for each cushion, for easier accessibility and more secure storage. This also brings a folding armrest/table arrangement that stores into the middle-seat backrest when not required. 

With certain models, the bench seat can be swapped out for a regular, far comfier fully-functioning passenger seat. All seat facings are finished in a hardwearing fabric material.

The 2027 Renault Master uses a new 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-diesel engine, pumping out 125kW of power at 3500rpm and 380Nm of torque from a low 1500rpm. It is paired to either a six-speed manual or nine-speed ZF torque converter automatic transmission driving the front wheels. The latter is the first of this type of transmission for the Master, replacing the old robotised semi-automatic item.

The 2027 Renault Master’s passenger compartment is a high quality, thoughtfully presented, beautifully made and welcoming environment.The Renault Master is a large van with a high-set cabin that requires people to step up into and down out of it. The three-person seating position are thus lofty, providing commanding forward and side views via a vast windscreen and deep side windows.

Modern and solid in a Germanic manner, the Master’s dashboard is layered and horizontally presented. It features a centrally located 10-inch touchscreen, a part-analogue/part-digital instrumentation display directly ahead of the driver, ample ventilation outlets, several areas for storage, a reach/height adjustable steering column with paddle shifters, a column-mounted automatic transmission stalk and a mechanical hand brake lever.

There is also storage beneath the passenger bench as well as a deep shelf above the windscreen, while the door cards are also large and accommodating, reflecting Renault’s five-decade experience in creating a workspace away from the office.

With certain models, the bench can be swapped out for a normal passenger seat, turning the Master into a two-seater van, while the solid, flat rear bulkhead can also be removed for walk-through load-area access. Buyers can also choose an optional folding centre armrest/workbench, which also adds the convenience of keyless entry/push-button start and walk-away locking, among other features.

Issues include an oddly-shaped cupholder protrusion that fouls the driver’s and middle passenger’s knees (in manual models that is the housing where the gear lever would jut out), while the lack of traditional grab handles to help haul yourself in and out is an oversight, though Renault insists the cupholders at either end of the dash can double up as these. We are not convinced.

In European tests, the 2027 Renault Master with the 125kW 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine accelerates from zero to 100km/h (0-100km/h) between 10 and 12 seconds according to configuration and load. Top speed is officially rated at 177km/h.

The 2027 Renault Master does not come with an ADR 81/02 combined average fuel consumption figure, because there is no requirement for vans at 3.5 tonnes or over to do so. However, the trip computer averaged 8.0-litres per 100km during our driving stint in an unladen L2H2 with two people on board. Back in Europe, using WLTP protocols, the Master with the same 125kW diesel/auto combo as Australian models average around 9.0L/100km, which translates to a range of about 880km.