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Success story
Page 30
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The revised Vauxhall Vivaro impressed us; can Renault maintain the momentum with its updated
Trafic? Colin Barnett reports.
The manufacturers of the Renault Trafic. and itsVauxhallVivaro and Nissan Primastar stablemates, have a problem. What do you do to update a product that has taken you from zero to hero in a few short years? In the first half of 2006, the trio accounted for 47.8°/0 of the UK's medium van sector (around 3,000kg GVW) despite steadily improving opposition.
Thankfully, few people will remember the previous Renault Trafic, whose replacement was far too late in arriving, and the identical Vauxhall Arena, whose death was overdue before it was launched.
Mid-life facelift
'the solution to the problem of dealing with the required mid-life update is to leave well alone except where genuine improvements can be made. We looked at Vauxhall's offering a few weeks ago, and now Renault has unveiled its approach to this issue.
Visually, the new Trafic has a mildly restyled face, featuring headlamps with integral indicators and a modified grille, while new rear lights and badges define the rear.The dashboard area has also been revised, most notably by improving storage facilities. But it's under the bonnet that you'll find the biggest changes with the arrival of Euro-4 engines.
The two mainstream 2.0-litre engines have had their ratings increased from the old 1.9's 85 and 100hp to 90 and 115hp (240 and 290Nm) respectively, helped by the adoption of fastacting Bosch piezo-electric injectors.
At the top of the range, the new 2.5-litre 16-valve unit with particulate filter takes the halo from 135 to 150hp (320Nm). With the lower pair of ratings increased to 100 and 120hp. the line-up is replicated in the Renault Master,which also gains minor styling and spec changes.
Six-speed boxes for all
All versions come with a new six-speed manual transmission with a revised, faster shifting version of the automated Quickshift6 promised soon on the two higher Trak ratings.
On the road. the 115hp version we sampled demonstrated the usual Trafic refinement but with extra urge. Like many of the latest engines, however, the quest for low emissions has led to compromised flexibility, calling for much use of the six ratios.
We tried out Quickshift6 in a passenger version and, as you'd expect, it removed the effort when changing gear. The shifts were also impressively smooth and swift, but we were disappointed by the lack of response to backing off the accelerator, which should instigate an economy-gaining upshift. •