Renault Trafic vs Volkswagen Transporter

What's the difference?

The Renault Trafic Premium LWB makes light work of heavy payloads and offers smart solutions for long internal load carrying and ‘mobile office’ requirements, combined with lengthy service intervals, good fuel economy and long driving range. It’s certainly worthy of cross-shopping with the HiAce and other rivals if you’re in the market for a refined and efficient mid-size commercial van.

Although closely related to Ford’s E-Transit Custom, the e-Transporter has carved its own niche in appealing to VW Transporter loyalists and businesses wanting to project a chic Euro image. For tradies and other service providers its driving range is best suited to metro duties, which if combined with the convenience of daily back-to-base charging could make it a practical solution for many working roles.

The Trafic is one of the most distinctive mid-size vans in Australia, with its sculptured flanks and ornate upswept headlights adding rare styling flair to a light-commercial vehicle segment traditionally compared with whitegoods. Even so, this overt styling does not detract from its work-focused practicality.

The spacious cabin has a neat and practical appearance with numerous shades of grey enhanced by satin chrome highlights and contrasting white stitching on the fabric-covered seats.

We also like the functional dash layout, particularly Renault’s adherence to a trio of large physical dials to control cabin climate settings in preference to distracting touchscreen prompts.

The Premium LWB has a sizeable 3498mm wheelbase which, combined with its front wheel-drive configuration, results in a large 13.8-metre turning circle. However, its 1967mm height ensures comfortable access to multi-storey carparks and low clearance loading zones.

Although based on the E-Transit Custom, the e-Transporter (like the Amarok) does a commendable job in establishing its own identity, with noticeable differences in styling and a spacious and functional cabin design with a distinct VW commercial vehicle look and feel.

Its dash design is free of protrusions, leaving enough floor space between it and the seats to allow drivers convenient ‘walk-through’ access from one side of the cab to the other.

Our LWB example is clearly designed with hard work in mind, armed with 16-inch steel wheels and unpainted dark grey plastic evident in areas most vulnerable to wear and tear including the bumpers, hubcaps, door handles and mirror shells.

It rides on a sprawling 3500mm wheelbase with MacPherson strut front and coil-spring rear suspension. Key body dimensions of 5450mm length and 2032mm width are combined with a practical 1978mm height, the latter allowing access to low clearance loading zones and multi-storey carparks. The long wheelbase contributes to its largish 13-metre turning circle.

Our test vehicle’s relatively light 1844kg kerb weight and 3070kg GVM results in a substantial 1226kg payload capacity. Its upgraded 2500kg braked tow rating is, like the payload rating, higher than the Toyota HiAce LWB but lower than the Ford Transit Custom LWB.

However, Renault does not publish a GCM figure (how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) so we don’t know if it can haul its maximum payload while towing its maximum trailer weight.

Access to the cargo bay, which offers a competitive 6.7 cubic metres of load volume, is through solid sliding doors on each side and glazed rear barn doors with forklift friendly 180-degree opening. The standard right-side sliding door can be deleted when ordering and a glazed single tailgate option is also available.

The load floor is 2937mm long and 1662mm wide, with 1268mm between the rear wheel housings, so it can carry up to two standard 1165mm-square Aussie pallets or up to three 800 x 1200 Euro pallets. There’s eight load-anchorage points at floor level and another eight at various heights for carrying taller loads.

Hinged flaps at the base of the front bulkhead and under the front of the passenger seat can also be opened to extend the load floor to an expansive 4150mm, allowing similar lengths of timber, conduit or PVC pipe to be carried.

The two-passenger bench seat has ample legroom for the outer occupant and even someone my height (186cm) can find reasonable comfort in the middle of a crew of three, albeit with knees competing for space with the prominent dash protrusion that houses the gearshift.

Generous cabin storage includes large bins in each door plus cup-holders on each side of the dash, a clamshell-lid compartment ahead of the driver, large open tray in the centre, small bin in the lower dash and a single glovebox.

The centre-seat backrest also folds forward to reveal a clever three-tier workstation, with a clipboard on top that can be detached to use outside the vehicle or mounted vertically in the workstation to face the driver or passenger (see image).

Beneath the clipboard is a hinged work desk, which when opened reveals a shallow felt-lined compartment underneath that’s ideal for hidden storage of phones, tablets, laptops etc.

Folding the bench seat’s front-hinged base cushions forward also reveals a cavernous hidden storage compartment below, which allows long cargo items to pass through when its front and rear metal flaps are open.

The heavy propulsion battery mounted beneath the load floor is largely responsible for the e-Transporter’s sizeable 2540kg kerb weight, which when deducted from its 3225kg GVM leaves a payload of 685kg.

However, Volkswagen’s published rating is higher at 760kg, as European payload measurement typically allows for a 75kg driver. Even so, that’s still a modest payload compared to numerous mid-size diesel rivals (including its TDI Transporter equivalent) offering up to one tonne or more.

About 150kg of the e-Transporter’s payload can be carried on the clever trio of folding roof racks courtesy of its Ford donor, which lie flush with the roof when not in use but can quickly be locked in vertical positions to carry loads as needed.

Our test vehicle is also rated to tow up to 2300kg of braked trailer but Volkswagen does not publish a GCM figure (how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) so we don’t know if it can tow its maximum trailer weight while carrying its maximum payload.

The cargo bay, which offers up to 6.8 cubic metres of load volume, is accessed through a standard passenger-side sliding door with 1030mm opening width or the swing-up tailgate.

The load floor, which comes standard with a protective liner, is 3002mm long and 1777mm wide with 1392mm between the rear wheel housings. This means it can carry two standard Aussie pallets or three Euro pallets secured by a choice of eight load anchorage points.

A section of load floor length can also be extended to 3450mm by opening a hinged hatch on the lower left of the cabin bulkhead, which can be handy for carrying long lengths of timber, pipe, conduit, carpet rolls etc. The walls are also neatly lined to mid-height and there’s a 12V socket.

There’s also ample cabin storage with three tiers of storage (including large-bottle holders) in each front door plus cupholders on each side of the dash-pad, which also has a large open tray in the centre with a pair of USB ports.

The lower dash includes a large glove box, driver’s pop-out cupholder, wireless phone charging pad, 12V socket and more USB ports, while the centre seat backrest folds forward to serve as a mobile work desk.

Beneath the hinged base cushions on the passenger bench seat is a cavernous hidden storage area which is ideal for the five metre long charging cable.

The latest Transporter range comprises traditional TDI diesel powered 2WD models with list pricing (before on-road costs) of $58,590 for the short wheelbase (SWB) and $60,590 for the long wheelbase (LWB). 4Motion all-wheel drive variants are also available in both SWB ($62,590) and LWB ($64,590) configurations.

The e-Transporter, which comes standard with a single electric motor, single-speed automatic and rear-wheel drive, is the highest priced model in the range with list pricing of $83,590 for the SWB and $85,590 for the LWB.

This is higher than full-electric mid-size van rivals like the closely related Ford E-Transit Custom Trend LWB ($77,590 plus on-roads) and sharper priced LDV eDeliver 7 ($74,200 driveaway) but considerably lower than the Mercedes-Benz eVito 112 LWB which lists at $98,951.

Our test vehicle is the LWB version which comes standard with 16-inch steel wheels and 215/65 R16C tyres but no spare (tyre sealant/12v inflator kit only), LED headlights/DRLs/tail-lights/internal lighting, three folding roof racks, heated exterior mirrors a heated tailgate window with wiper and more.

The cabin and cargo bay are separated by a metal bulkhead plus there’s keyless start, single-zone climate control, heated seating for three, 12-inch digital instrument display, 13-inch multimedia touchscreen with Apple CarPlay Android Auto connectivity and digital radio, wireless phone charging, seven USB ports, two 12V sockets and more.

Buyers can personalise e-Transporters with no-cost options like deletion of the cabin bulkhead plus cargo bay options you must pay extra for including a right-hand side sliding door, dual powered sliding doors, rear barn-doors, side windows, a wooden floor liner, aircraft-style load-securing rails and shelving/cabinet preparation.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles also works closely with aftermarket vehicle converters to facilitate commercial and camper installations including no-cost options like a swivel front passenger seat and a second (12V) battery.

The 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel, now with Euro 6 emissions compliance using AdBlue, produces 125kW at 3500rpm and peak torque of 380Nm at 1500rpm.

The new nine-speed torque converter automatic offers a choice of drive modes and sequential manual-shifting using the steering wheel-mounted paddles.

MacPherson strut front suspension is paired with torsion bar rear springing, the latter including a pair of secondary coil springs for hauling heavy loads. It also has rack and pinion steering and four-wheel disc brakes.

The e-Transporter’s single electric motor, which produces 210kW of power and 415Nm of torque, drives the rear wheels through a single-speed automatic transmission. It offers numerous drive modes including 'Normal', 'Eco', 'Sport', 'Slippery' and 'Tow/Haul' plus there's a 'B' button on the gear selector which optimises regenerative braking for largely one-pedal driving and maximum energy harvesting.

The motor and transmission are neatly combined in a compact unit mounted beneath the load floor driving the rear wheels. This design has an inherent traction advantage over front-wheel drive rivals, particularly when towing and hauling heavy loads on low-grip surfaces.

Renault claims average combined consumption of only 6.2L/100km (lower than HiAce, Staria Load and Transit Custom) and the dash display was showing 6.9 at the completion of our test, during which we travelled 501km across our usual mix of suburban, city and highway driving of which about 100km was hauling a near maximum payload.

So, based on these figures our test vehicle has a vast theoretical driving range of around 1100km from its big 80-litre tank, but even allowing for the usual 2-3L/100km discrepancy between official and real-world consumption, it should do 800-900km between refills.

Volkswagen claims a combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle electric WLTP driving range of up to 330km from a single charge of its 64kWh lithium-ion propulsion battery, which can be charged from zero to 100 per cent in around seven hours and 30 minutes using a three-phase 11kW AC charger and 10-80 per cent in just 38 minutes using 125kW DC fast charging.

The dash display confirmed a 100 per cent charge and estimated driving range of up to 298km when we collected the test vehicle. After completing 103km of metropolitan driving there was 65 per cent charge and 186km range remaining, which was consistent with the original onboard estimate.

We plugged into a public AC station (the charging port is located behind a flap in the front bumper) and after three hours the battery charge had increased from 65 to 93 per cent, with the estimated driving range rising from 186km to 290km. The total test distance was 233km with average consumption of 20kWh/100km, so based on those figures a real-world driving range of around 300km from a full charge is credible.

It has a comfortable driving position with ample steering wheel and seat positioning, the latter including adjustable lumbar. The seat’s firm bolstering provides good thigh and torso support, the latter enhanced by a fold-down inboard armrest.

The only thing missing is a raised left footrest like the one residing in the outer passenger footwell, which is of course the driver’s footwell in LHD models. The centre passenger seat’s headrest also blocks most of the central mirror’s view through the bulkhead window (we removed and stowed it when not required).

It has good unladen ride quality with surefooted handling, nicely weighted steering and strong braking making it responsive and enjoyable to drive.

The engine is at its most energetic when peak torque is tapped at 1500rpm and it continues to pull strongly all the way to maximum power at 3500rpm. The new nine-speed torque converter auto provides near seamless shifting and good all-round response.

Its long-legged gearing is also well suited to highway work, requiring less than 2000rpm to maintain 110km/h. When combined with the bulkhead, which insulates occupants from most cargo bay noise, the Trafic is a comfortable highway hauler even though tyre noise is more intrusive at these speeds.

To test its GVM rating we forklifted 975kg into the cargo bay, which combined with our crew of two equalled a total payload of 1150kg that was less than 100kg under its legal limit. The rear suspension compressed about 50mm but still had enough travel to ensure there was no bottoming-out on our test route.

It handled this big payload easily, with the increase in sprung weight providing an even smoother ride with minimal effect on handling and braking response.

The efficient drivetrain also made light work of our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km set climb at 60km/h, with the new auto promptly downshifting to fourth gear to easily haul this load to the top.

Engine braking on the way down, in a manually selected second gear, was not as robust as you’d expect for a 2.0-litre engine but the four-wheel disc brakes were more than capable of keeping speeds under control during the descent.

Our only other gripe is the tachometer display, with its 1000rpm increments represented by a horizontal line of small dots with no corresponding numbers displayed. It’s not easy to interpret at a glance and would benefit from a more user-friendly design.

It has a big left footrest and ample steering wheel and seat adjustment, with the latter including a fold-down inboard armrest, power lumbar support and even manual extension of the base cushion to provide extra thigh support.

The large truck-style door mirrors feature a wide-angle view in their lower third which combined with blind-spot monitoring and other active features ensures commanding side and rear surveillance for the driver.

More than 400Nm of torque is ample for a mid-size van and with most of that delivered instantly from standing starts thanks to the electric motor, it has zippy acceleration that’s ideal for metro driving.

It’s also like riding in a tram at suburban speeds with its near-silent drivetrain although tyre noise increases and can become intrusive at highway speeds, even with a sealed bulkhead to largely insulate the cabin from most of the tyre noise emanating from the rear wheel housings.

To sample its load carrying ability we forklifted 325kg into the cargo bay which combined with our crew of two equalled a total payload of more than half a tonne. It coped comfortably with this task across a mix of city roads and highway hauling. Overall, we found it difficult to fault as a urban-based workhorse.

The e-Transporter does not have an ANCAP rating as yet but comes standard with multiple airbags and a suite of active features including AEB with pedestrian and cyclist detection, front cross-traffic assist with swerve support, lane keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, traffic sign recognition including ‘wrong way’ warning, front and rear parking sensors, tyre pressure monitoring, a reversing camera, adaptive cruise control and more.

The Renault Trafic comes with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, which is an improvement on the previous 200,000km limit, plus five years of roadside assistance.

Scheduled servicing is every 12 months/30,000km whichever occurs first. Capped pricing applies to the first five scheduled services up to five years/150,000km, which totals $3555 or an average of $711 per service.

That's slightly more than the HiAce but more convenient given the Trafic's once-a-year servicing requirement. Renault Australia has a national network of more than 50 dealers across most capital cities and many regional areas.

This van comes standard with a five-year/unlimited km warranty with roadside assist plus a separate eight-year/160,000km propulsion battery warranty.

Scheduled servicing is every 12 months/30,000km whichever occurs first. Volkswagen offers three-year and five-year prepaid service plans with average costs of around $400-$450 per service.

These terms are competitive with rivals like the LDV eDeliver 7 and Ford E-Transit Custom, with the LDV offering lower servicing costs and a longer battery warranty. The e-Transporter’s servicing is also considerably cheaper than its eVito German rival.

Volkswagen Group Australia is backed by a large national network of around 170-180 dealerships represented in all states and territories including many regional areas.