Renault Trafic vs Ford Transit

What's the difference?

There is no doubt the new (newer?) Renault Trafic is an improvement on the last iteration, being safer, nicer inside, easy to drive and featuring some more up to date features.

It isn’t going to challenge the likes of the HiAce or Staria Load for benchmark status in other ways, but it is still a solid proposition for business buyers, and a great upgrade for existing owners who want to keep their fit-out but freshen up their van.

For those who want to make their van suit their needs, it'd be hard not to recommend going for the Pro model and speccing it up as you see fit.

The E-Transit is quiet, comfortable, rides well, can handle heavy payloads, has zero emissions and would be well-suited to urban daily commercial use for which it’s been designed for. However, $104K-plus would be out of reach for many private owners and small businesses. That’s why Ford is aiming it primarily at fleet buyers, who will quickly determine the commercial success or failure of the E-Transit in Australia. Watch this space.

To consider this a ‘new’ van might be stretching it, but this heavily facelifted version does have a distinct look that you should be able to pick it in traffic.

There are new-look LED headlights with C-shape LED daytime running lights, a revised grille (the Pro version has a bit less chrome than the Premium), new front bumper and new bonnet. 

There are 16-inch steel wheels on most versions to keep it simple (17-inch alloy wheels are reserved for the Lifestyle crew van), and aside from that, nothing is different outside. Oh, but you can't option that green colour that was very popular with the pre-facelift model. The brand says even though about 20 per cent of buyers choose that colour at the height of its popularity in Australia, globally it wasn't such a hit (about 2 per cent of customers chose it), so it has been axed. There are seven colour choices, though.

Perhaps the most crucial design changes come inside the cabin, where there is a new dashboard with upgraded materials used, a new steering wheel, new instrument cluster with 4.2-inch colour screen, new buttons and switches that mirror the passenger car range, and of course, that new 8.0-inch touchscreen media system. The subtle changes make it feel considerably more modern and less plasticky than before.

Apart from the distinctive blue grille bars and rear-door badge, you’d struggle to pick the E-Transit from the closely-related 350L. However, underneath its work-focused exterior there are considerable differences.

Although it shares the same MacPherson strut front suspension and four-wheel disc brakes, the E-Transit’s 14.3-metre turning circle is 1.0-metre larger than the 350L.

And its electric motor and single-speed transmission are mounted under the floor between the rear wheels, which required design of a unique coil-spring independent rear suspension.

The long, wide and slim lithium-ion battery is tucked up neatly beneath the load floor, to ensure that the cargo volume matches the 350L. This also ensures that many load-area conversions will carry over to the E-Transit with minimal modifications.

The big battery brings a considerable increase in kerb weight, given the E-Transit weighs 231kg more than its 350L equivalent. So, although the E-Transit is the most powerful of the Transit fleet, it’s also the heaviest.

However, in terms of power-to-weight and torque-to-weight ratios based on kerb weights, it compares favourably.

For example, the diesel 350L has 19.3kg/kW compared to the E-Transit’s superior 13.3kg/kW, while the 350L’s 6.1kg/Nm is lineball with the E-Transit’s 6.2 figure.

The driver’s instrument display shows when the battery is being topped-up by regenerative braking and how much engine power is being used, ranging from 0 to 100 per cent.

It also displays average energy consumption (kWh/100km), remaining battery charge, projected driving range and other BEV-specific functions.

The cabin offers ample headroom, but those seated in the centre must have their feet in a split-level position with their right foot on the (now defunct) transmission hump and their left foot on the floor.

That updated interior sees a few new storage options, and you score cup holders on top of the ends of the dashboard, huge door pockets with multiple storage zones, additional loose item storage on top of the dash, a flip-down middle seat with a cup holder and configurable clipboard setup, and there’s a wireless phone charger on the Premium and Lifestyle versions.

There are a few USB charge points including one on the media screen to connect to Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, and for the record, I had plenty of problems with the CarPlay dropping out on my relatively new iPhone 13 Pro.

That aside, the new media screen is a big improvement on the old one, and it helps the Trafic feel more car-like than before. The driver’s seat comfort and adjustability (eight-way seat, rake and reach steering) add to that, though the passenger two-seat bench is a bit flat.

The design of the cargo area is unchanged - meaning customers with expensive fitouts will be able to switch over to the new model without reworking anything.

As before, there are two different versions - short-wheelbase (SWB) and long-wheelbase (LWB) - and the cargo capacity varies as such, with the SWB up to 5.8m3, the LWB up to 6.7m3, and the crew van models at 4.0m3.

Payload spans between 1053kg and 1279kg, depending on the variant and transmission.

There are numerous tie-down points (10 in SWB, 12 in LWB), multiple flooring options, half-height protective panels fitted as standard, and you can option a bulkhead on the base model for just $400. Other options for the base van include a driver’s side sliding door ($600), and rear barn doors instead of the tailgate ($400).

Those who know their van will work hard might want to consider the Trade Pack, which adds a wooden floor, full height wood wall lining, LED cargo zone lighting, a heavy duty battery, and a spare wheel protection basket - it adds $2000 to Pro or Premium models.

If you want to show up and show off, there’s also the Business Pack for Premium models ($2200), which adds climate control, tinted windows, 17-inch alloy wheels, a heated driver seat, LED cabin lights, satellite-navigation, chrome front grille highlights, a colour-coded front bumper door mirrors, and rear tail-light columns.

There are other options including things like glazed sliding doors (Premium only, $400), a switch back to a tailgate rather than barn doors for the Premium or Lifestyle models (no cost), removal of the bench seat and bulkhead in favour of two-seat open-plan layout (no cost for Premium models), a single passenger seat for Pro models ($100). There are other options available, but suffice to say, you can essentially add or even subtract what you need if you choose a Trafic van.

With its hefty 2639kg kerb weight and 4250kg GVM, our test vehicle has a 1611kg payload rating compared to the 350L’s smaller 1142kg. However, the E-Transit is not rated for towing.

The cargo bay, which in Mid Roof form offers 11-cubic metres of load volume, has internal walls that are lined to roof height. It’s accessed from the kerbside through a sliding door with a generous 1300mm opening width.

Rear access is through a pair of barn-doors which open to 270 degrees to optimise forklift access. Large magnets protrude from each side of the body to firmly secure these doors when fully opened which is a welcome safety feature.

A button located inside the right-hand barn-door switches on a bright external LED overhead light to illuminate rear-loading in poor light conditions.

The load floor, which is protected by a composite liner, is 3533mm long and 1784mm wide with 1392mm between the wheel housings.

That means it can carry three 1165mm-square Aussie pallets or four 1200 x 800mm Euro pallets, secured by up to 10 load-anchorage points. The  1786mm internal height allows tall people to stand with minimal stooping.

There’s ample cabin storage including a large-bottle holder and bin in each door, plus angled large-bottle holders/bins on each side of the lower dash and small-bottle/cupholders on each side of the upper dash.

There are also three open bins across the top of the dash-pad, a slender vertical bin and pop-out cupholder in the lower centre dash, plus a full-width overhead shelf with numerous compartments.

Both base cushions on the passenger seat can be tipped forward to access a large hidden storage compartment below.

The centre passenger seat backrest also folds down to a horizontal position to reveal a handy work desk with pen holder, two-cupholders and an elastic strap for securing paperwork.

Our test vehicle is officially known as the 420L BEV Mid Roof, with 420 denoting its 4.2-tonne GVM (it’s actually 4.25-tonne), L denoting its long wheelbase and Mid Roof being one of two roof heights available, with the other being the optional High Roof variant.

Like its taller stablemate, our test vehicle comes with a 68kWh lithium-ion battery pack, electric motor and single-speed automatic transmission for a list price of $104,990 plus on-road costs.

For that money you could almost buy two diesel Transit 350L Auto equivalents. Even so, the E-Transit brings zero emissions, reduced noise and claimed lower operating and maintenance costs for business operators. With 198kW and 430Nm, it also has the most power and torque of any model in the Transit line-up.

It comes equipped with 16-inch steel wheels and 235/65R16C tyres plus a full-size spare, along with dark grey bumpers and side-mouldings in areas where scrapes and dents usually occur in hard-working vans. Factory options include dual side-sliding doors and more.

A steel bulkhead/cargo barrier separates the cargo bay from the cabin, which comes standard with a single driver’s seat and twin-passenger bench seat that are all heated.

The 10-way adjustable driver’s seat includes a fold-down inboard armrest, adjustable lumbar support and base-cushion rake.

Plus there’s a two-way adjustable steering wheel, power-folding and heated door mirrors, daytime running lights, three 12-volt accessory outlets, two USB ports, a reversing camera and rear parking sensors.

Its large 12-inch touchscreen is the gateway to numerous 'Sync 4'-connected services including the 'Ford Pass' app, which includes 'Power My Trip'.

By entering a destination, this app can consider the vehicle’s current state of charge in addition to real-time traffic conditions, to help identify charging stops when a customer will need them.

This is not a new engine, but for a lot of the models in the range it is an upgrade from the existing 1.6-litre four-cylinder that was previously offered in two different tunes (85kW or 103kW).. In fact, there was an even lower output 66kW version ages ago, too.

For some, then, the 2.0-litre with 125kW of power (at 3500rpm) and 380Nm of torque (at 1500rpm) is a big step up, and one that Renault Australia said customers wanted. 

That 2.0L engine is now available whether you choose the six-speed manual or six-speed ‘EDC’ dual-clutch automatic transmission. All Trafic models are front-wheel drive only.

All versions have 750kg of unbraked towing capacity, while braked towing capacity maxes out on the base manual version at 2500kg in SWB or LWB. The rest of the range has braked towing capacity of between 1630-1720kg.

Concerned about the Trafic’s gross vehicle mass (GVM)? It varies between 2980kg and 3070kg. And the gross combination mass (GCM) spans from the auto models at 4700kg through to the base manual at up to 5570kg.

Its rear-mounted electric motor produces an unmatched 198kW and 430Nm. The lithium-ion battery’s energy supply can be boosted by using the ‘Low’ setting on the rotary dial e-shifter to optimise regenerative braking.

There are three switchable drive modes including default 'Normal', energy-saving 'Eco' and 'Slippery' to improve traction in low-grip conditions.

The battery charge socket is located behind a spring-loaded flap in the grille and the E-Transit comes equipped with a Mode 3, 32-amp charge cable which is stored in the compartment under the passenger seats.

E-Transit can AC charge overnight, using a professionally-installed wall unit, in approximately eight hours at 11.3kW, or quick DC charge (15 to 80 per cent) at 115kW in approximately 34 minutes.

However, Ford does not supply a cable to allow overnight charging at home using a domestic wall socket. That’s because its targeting large fleet buyers, so the cable it supplies is only for ‘at depot’ charging or when using public-charging facilities.

The official combined cycle fuel consumption figures are an impressive (on paper) 6.5 litres per 100 kilometres for the auto model and 7.2L/100km for the manual versions, no matter the wheelbase or seat capacity.

On our test drive at the launch, with no significant weight in the back and in the auto Premium version, the dashboard display was showing 7.8L/100km.

In the Trafic’s favour is an 80-litre fuel tank, meaning a decent theoretical driving range of up to 1230km if you can get it down to the official number, or a more realistic (but still impressive) 1025km at the average consumption I saw on test.

You don’t need to worry about Adblue, either. It doesn’t have it, and it meets Euro 5 standards only (manual - 188g/km CO2; auto - 171g/km CO2).

Ford claims an official WLTP driving range of 230-307km from a single charge. When we collected the E-Transit it was fully charged but the projected driving range displayed on the instrument panel was only 179km, so there are variables in these figures.

However, we did end up inadvertently testing the single-charge driving range because we could not charge the E-Transit. That was due to our local public-charging facilities being located inside multi-storey carparks which could not be accessed due to height restrictions.

So, during the week we drove a total of 190km, with about 19km of range remaining. Therefore, it is capable of at least 200km on a single charge but 300km seems optimistic, which is nothing new given the equally optimistic L/100km figures automakers claim for combustion-engine vehicles.

We used the Low drive mode most of the time to optimise battery top-ups through regenerative braking and our testing included a mix of city and suburban roads, both unladen and when hauling a big payload.

Average consumption was 28kWh/100km, so we would suggest a 'real world' driving range of around 200-230km from a single charge.

One of the key things that was discussed at the launch event was ‘comfort’. For Cameron at Lindenvel Group - a commercial fit-out business based in Gosford, but with projects all over Australia - comfort is the key purchase decision for his team. His business currently has three pre-update Trafic models, and he reckons the team has put almost a million cumulative kilometres on their vans since they first upgraded from a 2000 Toyota HiAce back when this generation of Trafic launched in 2015 locally.

It was also a key discussion point for the brand’s product manager, Charly Clercin, who pointed out that comfort is more than just seat cushioning. It’s also about adjustability, vision from the driver’s seat, material finishes, and the new touchscreen which should make things easier for people who spend as much time in their van as they do in their bed.

And it is comfortable. In fact, my co-driver and I were very impressed by the driving seat comfort, with the adjustable arm-rest adding to the “I could drive this for hours” vibe.

But for passengers? Not as good. The bench seat is a bit flat and lacks side support, but at least it’s wide enough to actually fit two adults, if needed.

The suspension is very well sorted. I drove a SWB version and there wasn’t too much to whinge about with it unladen. The suspension picked up on the odd sharp edge or lump, but it was never uncomfortable.  

The steering was great, too, with nice weighting and responsiveness, and it was very easy to park the van - so easy, in fact, yours truly absolutely smoked the ‘parking gymkhana’ challenge that Renault put on at the event, where I had to reverse from a tight parking ‘garage’ made of witch’s hats, drive into two other ‘garages’. 

Suffice to say, it’s not too hard to park. The surround-view camera on the Premium model, and front and side sensors, certainly helped, but so did the revised mirrors, which are a bit bigger and offer a slightly better view for drivers.

And the engine? It’s a good’n. With easily enough pulling power from low in the rev range, the only complaint was a touch of hesitation from a standstill, and when shifting from D to R (or vice versa) in a hurry.

But the six-speed dual-clutch auto was very good, shuffling through the gears without hassle, and without too much of that slow-speed slurring/lurching sensation some dual-clutches can offer up.

It offers a comfortable and commanding driving position, thanks to the multi-adjustable seat, two-way steering wheel adjustment and clear eye-lines to the big truck-style door mirrors with lower sections offering wide-angle views.

You don’t need to warm-up the engine to generate cabin heating - it’s instant. And when you get underway it feels more like you're riding in a tram than a van, with its muted electric hum the closest we’ve come to driving a silent commercial vehicle.

With the big battery under the floor it feels firmly planted on the road when unladen, with a low centre of gravity providing good stability when cornering.

The battery weight, combined with E-Transit’s unique four-coil suspension, iron out the bumps and provide a supple ride quality.

Acceleration from standing starts is brisk and smooth in Normal mode, even though you can sense its 2.6-tonne kerb weight's slight reluctance to get moving even with 430Nm of instant torque. At 100km/h, there’s only tyre noise and a little wind-buffeting around the door mirrors.

We drove the first 100km in Normal mode, during which average consumption was 27kWh/100km. We then switched to Eco mode, which resulted in a drop in performance without a corresponding decrease in consumption. Perhaps you need to drive it longer in Eco to harvest the benefits.

We then switched back to Normal mode for our GVM test. We forklifted 1300kg into the cargo bay which with driver equalled a total payload of 1400kg, which was still more than 200kg under its GVM limit. The rear suspension compressed 50mm with ample travel remaining, while the nose rose 35mm in response.

The compressed suspension felt firmer, as you’d expect, but the electric motor hardly noticed this load around town, with acceleration and general response remaining strong if slightly subdued. Energy consumption increased to 28kWh/100km during our load run.

In strictly city driving, which the E-Transit is aimed at, it proved to be a capable workhorse. It can do the job quite economically, too, given that during most of our testing in Normal mode it was operating in the 0-50 per cent ‘power usage’ zone which provides ample performance.

ANCAP is not applicable to heavy commercial vehicles but the E-Transit shares the same six airbags and active safety and driver assistance as other Transits.

Highlights include AEB with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping assist, traffic sign recognition, a reversing camera, rear parking sensors and more.

The Renault Trafic is supported by a five-year/200,000 kilometre warranty plan, which is the standard for the class.

The brand also offers a five-year capped-price servicing plan, which is a bit expensive by class standards but more affordable than the last iteration over a five-year span.

It costs $649 per service for visits one, two, three and five, and service four costs $949. That means an average annual service cost of $711 (previously: $739 avg over five years).

But the thing is, if you do a lot of kays in your Trafic, you might be okay with that - because the intervals are every 12 months or 30,000km, meaning potentially less down-time for your van.

If you abide by the service plan, you also score five years of roadside assist.

The E-Transit is covered by a five-year/unlimited km warranty plus a separate warranty for the lithium-ion battery and high-voltage electrical components of eight years/160,000km, whichever occurs first.

Capped-price service intervals are 12 months/30,000km, with a total cost for the first five scheduled services of $925 or just $185 per service. Such low maintenance costs are in stark contrast to the purchase price!