Renault has turned the wick up on its mid-sized van offering, the Trafic, with a 29 per cent more powerful engine in the entry-level model.
The new engine puts out 85kW at 3500rpm instead of 66kW and 300Nm at 1,500rpm, up 40Nm from the outgoing single turbo diesel.
According to senior model line manager for Renault LCV, Lyndon Healey, the new specifications make the Trafic and even more solid business choice.
“The Trafic is a great choice for savvy business users who know that purchase price is not the best indicator of the real cost of ownership,” Healey said.
“It’s over the long term that Trafic’s extended service intervals, capped price service costs, excellent reliability and strong resale values really make it the stand-out choice.
“This new 85kW engine for the Trafic improves driveability and with its very attractive drive away price it’s now an even better option for anyone looking for a mid-size van that’s easy, safe and fun to drive. And like every other Trafic, it’s comfortable, quiet and of course has a very practical load-space and high payload.”
Fuel consumption is 6.6 litres per 100km on the combined cycle and just 174g/km of CO2 is emitted by the Euro5 compliant engine.
All other features and specifications remain unchanged from the previous entry model, including the payload of 1,235kg in the 5.2m3 load area. Maximum towing capacity is unchanged at 2,000kg for a braked trailer.
Renault has also kept its 12month or 30,000km service intervals – with the first three services capped at $349 – and three year/200,000km warranty.
The more powerful 103kW twin turbo diesel engine continues to be available in both short and long wheelbase, offering peak torque of 340Nm at 1500rpm and all models are mated to a slick shifting six-speed manual transmission.
“The short wheelbase 85kW version with its 300Nm of torque will provide small business, tradies and couriers with the ideal set of wheels with which to do business,” Healey added.