Renault Trafic vs Ford Transit Custom

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 Sport, like all Transit Customs we’ve tested, is a capable one-tonner and all-around workhorse even though it's not quite as sporty these days due to engine revisions. With an all-new Transit Custom range due later this year, we’re not sure if a Sport will be part of the model mix. So, if you like the look of this rebel, we’re sure run-out deals will soon be available.

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.

The Sport enhances the purposeful styling of the Transit Custom, which, with its wedge-shaped character lines, trapezoidal grille and swept-back headlights, is still arguably Australia’s best-looking commercial van after more than a decade in local showrooms.

Although some may find the twin racing stripes too in-ya-face, the overall effect of the Sport’s unique body enhancements and larger 17-inch alloys with lower profile tyres is one of cheeky rebellion against commercial van conservatism.

Only the Transit Custom’s handsome lines could get away with this. Can you imagine how a HiAce would respond to this treatment?

Even so, the Sport retains the excellent design features that make it such a good workhorse, including the sealed steel bulkhead that separates the cargo bay and cabin. This not only serves as a robust cargo barrier but also insulates the cabin from cargo bay noise, which in some commercial vans without a bulkhead can be unbearable at highway speeds.

Its front-wheel drive chassis platform has MacPherson strut front suspension, leaf-spring beam axle rear suspension, four-wheel disc brakes, power-assisted rack and pinion steering and a compact 2933mm wheelbase that provides a competitive 11.8-metre turning circle.

Our test vehicle is fitted with the standard LHS sliding load-door and twin rear barn-doors, but optional body configurations include a window in the LHS sliding load-door, dual side load-doors with or without windows and a rear swing-up tailgate.

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 2064kg kerb weight and 3100kg GVM, the Sport offers a one-tonne-plus payload rating of 1036kg.

Handily, up to 130kg of that can be carried on the smartest of roof storage systems, comprising a trio of sturdy hinged racks which lie flat against the roof when not in use but can be quickly swung up and locked into vertical positions for load carrying.

It’s also rated to tow up to 1600kg of braked trailer. However, to do that without exceeding the 4100kg GCM (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) would require a sizeable and impractical 600kg reduction in payload from 1036kg to only 436kg.

More than half of that 436kg could be used up by the weight of three big crew members alone before you could think about loading anything in the cargo bay.

So, from practical experience, we reckon it’s best to base tow ratings on a vehicle’s GVM. In this case, the maximum tow rating drops from 1600kg to 1000kg, but the payback is you get to keep the full 1036kg payload which is safer when towing and generally more useful.

The Sport’s cargo bay offers a competitive 6.0 cubic metres of load volume and with its 2555mm load floor length and 1351mm between the rear wheel housings, it can carry either two 1165mm-square standard Aussie pallets or up to the three 1200 x 800mm or 1200 x 1000mm Euro pallets.

Both types of pallets can be forklifted through the rear barn-doors with their 180-degree opening, but only the narrower Euro pallet could be loaded through the sliding side door with its 1030mm-wide opening.

The load floor length can be extended by almost half a metre via a swing-up hatch at the base of the cabin bulkhead, which accesses otherwise empty storage space beneath the front passenger seats. This useful feature allows extra-long items like lengths of timber, copper/PVC pipe, rolls of carpet, etc, to be carried.

The cargo bay has eight load-anchorage points and the load floor is protected by a tough vinyl covering. The walls and doors are lined plus there’s a handy 12-volt power outlet and bright LED lighting.

Plentiful cabin storage includes three levels of bins and a large-bottle holder in each front door plus upper/lower bottle holders on each side of the dash and a pop-out cupholder beneath the gearshift. There’s also a single A4-sized glovebox and more bins set into the top of the dash.

 Overhead is another cubby for small items and hidden beneath the two passenger seats is a cavernous storage area (when the cargo bay’s load-through hatch is closed of course) which is accessed from above through the hinged base cushions.

The centre seat’s backrest also folds forward to reveal a handy ‘mobile office’ work desk with pen holder, elastic strap for securing documents and two more cupholders.

Our test vehicle is the Transit Custom Sport 320S SWB, which translates to 3200kg GVM (it’s actually 3100kg), S for Sport and SWB for Short Wheelbase.

It’s available only with Ford’s 2.0-litre 'EcoBlue', four-cylinder turbo-diesel and six-speed automatic for a list price of $50,390 plus on-road costs.

Our example is finished in 'Blue Metallic' which is one of six optional premium colours that cost an additional $700. Other standard equipment for Sport buyers includes Bi-Xenon HID headlights with static bending and LED daytime running lights, body-coloured side mirrors and unique Cobra-style matt black body stripes and side decals.

There’s also a neat body kit with body-coloured front and rear bumpers, side skirts and wheel-arch flares; the latter neatly shrouds the black 17-inch machined alloys and grippy 215/65 R17 Michelin Agilis tyres. Stored underneath is a full-size steel spare.

The cabin can seat up to three on leather-appointed and heated seating, enhanced by a 10-way power-adjustable driver’s bucket seat with fold-down inboard armrest.

There's also a hard-wearing 'Sensico' (synthetic leather) steering wheel with height/reach adjustment and classy chrome air-vent surrounds with contrasting piano black fascia highlights on the dash.

Four-speaker multimedia includes an 8.0-inch touchscreen control and multiple connectivity including Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, Sync3, DAB+ digital radio, and more.

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.

Originally the Sport’s 2.0-litre EcoBlue four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine was tweaked for more power (+11kW) and torque (+15Nm) than the standard engine, as you’d expect.

However, given that availability of that unique variant ended in June 2022, it now shares the same engine as the standard Transit Custom.

While not class-leading, it still provides an energetic 125kW at 3500rpm and ample 390Nm of torque between 1500-2000rpm.

It also meets Euro emissions standards using AdBlue with SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) and offers a choice of Normal and Eco drive modes, plus an auto engine stop-start function which thankfully can be switched off.

The Sport also shares the same six-speed torque converter automatic used in the standard Transit Custom with ‘intelligent’ electronic protocols that monitor different driving styles, gradients and loads to optimise engine efficiency.

It also offers the choice of sequential manual shifting, but that’s done by flicking a small toggle switch on the side of the gearshift which doesn’t feel very sporty to use.

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 combined average of 8.0L/100km and the Sport’s dash display was showing 8.4 at the end of our 200km test, which was conducted without a load in normal mode with the engine stop/start function switched off.

Our own figure calculated from actual fuel bowser and trip meter readings came in at a higher 10.2 which is within the usual 1.0-2.0L/100km discrepancy usually found between dash figures and our own.

So, based on our figures, you could expect a realistic driving range of around 680km from its 70-litre tank.

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.

For a one-tonne van it’s surprisingly engaging (dare we say sporty?) to drive with torquey engine response, communicative steering and a bolstered driving seat that provides good lateral support of the upper body.

The quartet of disc brakes provides ample stopping power and the well-planted chassis on its larger diameter and lower profile Michelins responds vigorously to steering input, which makes it enjoyable to drive either when zipping through traffic or cruising on the open road. Overall refinement is good with low engine, tyre and wind noise.

It’s a comfortable highway hauler, with gearing that keeps engine rpm capped at a leisurely 2100rpm at 110km/h.

The fold-down inboard armrest is much appreciated on long hauls, but driving comfort could be further improved with a longer base cushion for better under-thigh support.

 All-round vision is as good as you could ask for, given a huge blind-spot over the driver’s left shoulder created by the cabin bulkhead.

The door mirrors are large enough to provide good views down both side of the van, aided by the bottom third of each being fitted with a wide-angle view.

Combined with other active driver aids like blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, parking sensors, reversing camera, etc, the working van’s traditional danger zones are well monitored which makes the Sport easy to live with if you drive it daily.

As the forklift was temporarily out of action, we didn’t conduct our usual GVM test with the Sport during this review. However, we have previously tested one with a 1030kg payload which was right on its maximum payload rating.

The rear suspension only compressed about 40mm which left plenty of bump-stop clearance and resulted in an even more planted feel on the road with no significant effect on engine, steering and braking response.

It also resulted in a smoother ride quality, which is to be expected given that the much heavier sprung weight ironed out bumps and other road irregularities.

Although its maximum five-star rating was achieved when the current Transit Custom generation was launched more than a decade ago, Ford to its credit has continually updated the van’s safety menu to ensure it has remained at the cutting edge of occupant protection, despite its impending demise.

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 Transit Custom is covered by a five-year/unlimited km warranty.

Scheduled service intervals are 12 months/30,000km whichever occurs first.

Capped-price servicing is $399 annually for the first four years/120,000km whichever occurs first when serviced at Ford dealerships.