Renault Trafic van achieves 200,000 sales in the UK after 35 years, and 3.4 million global sales.

• Renault Trafic van achieves 200,000 sales in the UK
• 3.4 million Trafics sold globally since 1980
• Renault has been European LCV leader for 18 consecutive years

The Renault Trafic has surpassed 200,000 sales in the UK, having been a staple of the British LCV landscape for almost 35 years. 

The Trafic has evolved considerably across the years, and now in its third generation, offers van users all the features and comfort of a passenger car as well as the class-leading practicality and innovation you would expect from Europe’s number one LCV manufacturer.

Now in its third generation, the latest Renault Trafic went on sale in the UK in late 2014, bringing a modern, fresh take on the practical van. It is available in a choice of four bodystyles – Panel Van, Crew Van, to carry up to six people and equipment, Platform Cab and Passenger, which seats up to nine people in comfort, and in over 70 variants in the UK.

Steve Wilson, LCV Product Manager, Renault UK said: “The Trafic has proved very successful in the UK since it was first launched here 35 years ago. To achieve 200,000 sales shows the Trafic really hit a chord with business users in the UK. 

It has innovated in the van market since 1981, offering a robust, user-friendly vehicle in a wide number of bodystyles and conversion options. The latest Trafic has proved fantastically popular since launching here in late 2014 and helped Renault LCVs to a record year in the UK in 2015.”

Trafic I

Replacing the Estafette, the original Renault Trafic was unveiled in 1980 and went on sale in the UK in 1981 – the same year that saw the inaugural London Marathon and MTV broadcast for the first time. Available up until 2001, the original Trafic saw three facelifts during its 20-year tenure and was offered in a total of 32 different variants, split between front-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive and petrol and diesel engines. 

The Trafic I was available at launch with a payload of up to 1200kg, and recognised the increasing importance of driver comfort by improving seating, driver control, soundproofing and ventilation over its predecessor. 

It was also easily accessible for loading and unloading goods, with a choice of rear and side doors, robust thanks to special treatment against corrosion and safe due to advanced semi-cab visibility and assisted braking with ventilated discs at the front. The original Renault Trafic went on sale in 1981 from £3,950.

Phase II followed in 1990, as the first generation Trafic underwent a major facelift with a slightly longer body, rounder front end and new, plastic bumpers. Five years later, the Trafic received another facelift with a new grille, new taillights, large double rear view mirrors and a new interior with modern dashboard and multi-adjustable seats. Through all three phases, 80,442 first generation Renault Trafics were sold in the UK.

Trafic II

Trafic II was unveiled at the 2000 Frankfurt Motorshow and launched in the UK in May 2001. Trafic II was the first Renault to be manufactured in the UK in thirty years and hit the roads in the year the first Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings films premiered, and the original Apple iPod was released. 

Built in Luton for UK customers, the Trafic II offered a refrigerated glove box, radio with CD player and central locking as standard, while options at launch included mobile ‘phone connectivity, air conditioning and a full-glazed bulkhead. Available in a range of twelve colours such as Desert Yellow, Laser Red and Storm Blue, it went on sale from £11,995 (excluding VAT). Between 2001 and 2014, 102,486 Trafic II were sold in the UK.

Trafic III

The current Renault Trafic, which went on sale in late 2014, is available with four efficient turbodiesel engines, in a choice of four bodystyles – Panel Van, Crew Van, to carry up to six people and equipment, Platform Cab and Passenger. Trafic boasts fuel economy of up to 50.4mpg (NEDC Combined) and CO₂ emissions as low as 149g/km, and is priced from £18,245 excluding VAT.

The Trafic provides the best load capacities on the medium panel van market today with clever solutions to make the loading area more practical. Innovative features such as keyless entry, touch-screen infotainment, mobile office storage and functionality, as well as sophisticated stability control, are available.

Trafic III can also be customised more than its predecessors with 70 variants in the UK, two different heights, two different lengths, panel van, crew-van, platform cab and passenger versions, not to mention all the solutions offered by approved converters.

Thanks to its new range of downsized, turbocharged engines, the Renault Trafic III is also more flexible and economical than ever before. The engines are based upon the 1.6 dCi unit and feature advanced technology to combine fuel consumption savings with real driving enjoyment. 

The downsizing of the engines offer brisk pick-up and greater low-end torque for responsive acceleration, even when the vehicle is fully loaded. In the UK, as of the end of March 2016, 18,189 of the latest third generation Trafics have been sold since launch in late 2014.

Renault’s expertise has earned recognition in the demanding and growing LCV segment. Groupe Renault engineers and produces not only for its own brands but also for other manufacturers.

The Renault Trafic is built in Sandouville, Renault’s plant in Northern France, where Renault also manufactures vans for Nissan (NV300) and Fiat (Talento) as well as high-roof versions of Vivaro for Opel and Vauxhall.  

The Renault Kangoo, and the Mercedes-Benz Citan, are produced at the Renault factory in Maubeuge and at the Batilly plant, Renault manufactures the Master for Renault and Renault Trucks as well as vans for Nissan (NV400), Opel and Vauxhall (Movano).

The Trafic has won numerous awards throughout its lifetime and most recently became a two-time consecutive winner of What Van?’s ‘Best Medium Van of the Year’ in 2015 and 2016. It has also demonstrated its economical credentials by winning the LCV titles of ‘Best MPG’ in 2014, and ‘Best Percentage Improvement’ in both 2014 and 2015, at the MPG Marathon. 

The Renault LCV range consists of the Kangoo small van – comprising Kangoo, Kangoo Maxi and all-electric Kangoo Van Z.E – the Trafic, as well as the larger Master. A comprehensive range of factory and approved LCV conversions are also available to order. The all-electric Twizy Cargo is also a part of the LCV line-up – a unique way of transporting smaller items around urban environments.

Renault provides a specialist dealer network for its business customers through its Pro+ specialist dealers. The dealers offer sales and service advisors with specific B2B expertise. In the UK, all Renault LCVs are available with the reassurance of four years’/ 100,000 mile warranty and four years’ roadside assistance, providing the ultimate peace of mind.

Renault has been Europe’s leading LCV manufacturer for eighteen consecutive years, with sales in 2015 rising by 17 per cent compared to 2014 to 347,679 vehicles. In the UK, Renault had its best ever year for LCV sales in 2015 with 25,458 vehicles – up 40 per cent.  In the first quarter of 2016, Renault registered 6,618 vehicles – up 21 per cent on Q1 last year. 

Trafic: Then and Now

Trafic I – 1981 Petrol 1397cc – 47.5bhp @ 4,750 rpm	Trafic III – 2016 dCi90 – 90bhp @ 3,500 rpm
• Two-speed front windscreen wipers	• Rain-sensing automatic windscreen wipers
• One key for ignition, doors and fuel filler cap	• Hands free keycard entry
• Heating controls and sun visors	• Air conditioning with pollen filter
• Reversing lights	• Rear parking sensors and colour reverse parking camera
• Manual front windows	• Electric front windows
• 2 seatbelts and optional head restraints	• Driver’s airbag and 3-point height-adjustable seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters
• Internally adjustable door mirrors	• Electrically adjustable heated door mirrors
• Map pocket in driver’s door and tray running full length across dashboard with centre and passenger side glove compartments	• 54-litre underseat storage
• Interior light in centre of cab	• Mobile Office: Adjustable smartphone & tablet cradle, fold down central seat incorporating detachable A4 clipboard holder to be fixed in place to face the driver or passenger and laptop storage and holder
• FM/AM radio	• Renault R-Link Multimedia system: 7” touchscreen, TomTom® LIVE Navigation, FM/AM/DAB tuner, 4x35W speakers and Renault Bass Reflex, Bluetooth® audio streaming and hands-free calls, USB and AUX sockets, voice control and vehicle applications
• From £3,950 (+VAT)	• From £18,475 (+VAT)