Six-seat Renault Trafic Crew arrives

RENAULT has released a trio of new variants for its Trafic commercial vehicle range all sporting a new six-seat arrangement to sit atop the line-up and be offered as a dual-purpose vehicle for those that want the option of transporting people or cargo.

Priced at $42,990, before on-roads, for the Crew, $45,480 for the Crew Premium and $46,780 for the range-topping Crew Lifestyle, the new Trafics will be based on the long-wheelbase L2H1 Energy dCi 140 turbo-diesel variant that was previously the range-topper in Renault’s van range.

Adding the second row of three seats with three-point belts costs two cubic metres of cargo space, but the Crew variant gets glazed sliding doors for the second row, a glazed bulkhead behind the extra seats, two 49-litre storage boxes with extra pockets, a 12V socket and second-row trim that matches the front seats.

The mid-spec Crew Premium is a Crew with an equipment-boosting Premium pack added, which nets buyers 17-inch alloys, upgraded multimedia system with 7.0-inch touchscreen, heated driver’s seat, Arkamys stereo, 800-amp battery, deadlocks, body-coloured bumpers and mirrors, and ‘mobile office’ features that include tablet holder and premium dashboard.

The top-spec Crew Lifestyle adds further features such as opening windows for rear passengers, automatic climate control, a hands-free entry card, chrome grille headlights and a gloss black badge surround.

All variants come exclusively with a six-speed manual gearbox mated to a 1.6-litre twin-turbo diesel engine that pumps out 104kW of power and 340Nm of torque.

Despite losing cargo space to the rear seats, the cargo area still measures 2423mm long, 1662mm wide and 1387mm high.

Renault Australia said it was working towards bringing an auto option Down Under when the new Trafic launched in May 2015, which could help boost sales of the French workhorse.

Renault Light Commercial Vehicles senior model line manager Lyndon Healey said the Trafic Crew would help boost the appeal of the already-successful Trafic.

“The Trafic has been a great seller for Renault in Australia,” he said. “Its easy drivability, comfort and high levels of standard equipment deliver on the needs of business customers. With plenty of clever internal features, it’s also a genuine mobile office.

“The Trafic Crew brings another level of functionality to what is already a highly capable and increasingly popular alternative to more mainstream mid-size van offerings.

“The Trafic Crew is perfect for customers looking for a dual purpose vehicle that’s equally capable of carrying people or payload”.

The Trafic finished fourth in the 2.5 to 3.5-tonne light commercial van segment in 2016 with 1730 sales, behind the Toyota HiAce (7478), Hyundai iLoad (5467) and Volkswagen Transporter (1960).

Renault Trafic Crew pricing*

Trafic Crew	$42,990
Trafic Crew Premium	$45,480
Trafic Crew Lifestyle	$46,780

*Excludes on-road costs