What's the difference?
There’s more than meets the eye with the new 2023 Renault Trafic range.
This French van has seen a mild cosmetic update, but under the bonnet there’s a bigger engine, and it now has some of the requisite safety features you’d expect, and a new more advanced multimedia system.
Has Renault done enough with this Trafic update to keep it fresh against competition like the Toyota HiAce, Hyundai Staria Load, Peugeot Expert and Ford Transit Custom? Read on to find out.
Most buyers of mid-sized (2.5- to 3.5-tonne GVM) vans want them purely as workhorses and often as part of hard-working fleets.
Although these cuboid-shaped commercials are usually available in a limited choice of colours (take your pick from fridge white or freezer white) they are well designed for such roles.
However, for van buyers wanting to project more of a sporty image than the usual whitegoods-on-wheels, there’s Ford’s Transit Custom Sport. It’s been around for a few years now, so we recently put one to the test for a week to see if it’s still worthy of its unique ‘Sport’ title.
There is no doubt the new (newer?) Renault Trafic is an improvement on the last iteration, being safer, nicer inside, easy to drive and featuring some more up to date features.
It isn’t going to challenge the likes of the HiAce or Staria Load for benchmark status in other ways, but it is still a solid proposition for business buyers, and a great upgrade for existing owners who want to keep their fit-out but freshen up their van.
For those who want to make their van suit their needs, it'd be hard not to recommend going for the Pro model and speccing it up as you see fit.
The Sport, like all Transit Customs we’ve tested, is a capable one-tonner and all-around workhorse even though it's not quite as sporty these days due to engine revisions. With an all-new Transit Custom range due later this year, we’re not sure if a Sport will be part of the model mix. So, if you like the look of this rebel, we’re sure run-out deals will soon be available.