Renault Master vs Ford Transit

What's the difference?

The Renault Master range has been refreshed, and this was our first chance to see what changes have been made. 

You should be able to tell just by the look of the 2020 Master that there’s a new design with a more modern looking front-end. And the inside has been thoroughly modernised, too.

But with contemporary rivals such as the VW Crafter and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter - both of which launched in all-new generation guises in 2018 - the question is whether the ageing, yet facelifted Master is worthy of consideration. 

We spent a week with it - and covered plenty of kays in it - to find out.

Meet Ford’s electric pioneer for Australia - the E-Transit.

It may not be as exciting as a Tesla Model S, Porsche Taycan or Audi e-tron, but this electric version of the Blue Oval’s large van will help create a new market for zero-emissions commercial vehicles. 

This is seen as a major opportunity by Ford to provide an electric alternative to typically diesel-powered vans, which will no doubt prove popular with fleet operators looking to cut fuel costs and corporate emissions. While unlikely to suit all van buyers, thanks to its limited range and recharging restrictions, for those companies with shorter delivery routes it will certainly have appeal.

Ford’s research (performed by YouGov) suggests up to 58 per cent of business “can see EVs becoming part of their vehicle fleet in the future".

But it’s just Ford’s first step into the larger world of electric vehicles. We’ve already had confirmation the smaller E-Transit Custom is headed our way and there are good odds the Mustang Mach-E will eventually find its way to Australian showrooms, so there’s plenty of exciting models in store for Ford.

In the meantime, though, the E-Transit isn’t due in Australia until sometime in the first half of 2023, but CarsGuide was able to take one for a test drive near Ford’s Detroit headquarters recently to get a taste of what’s to come.