Renault Trafic Passenger | Test Drive

Words Matteo Lavazza / Photos Renault Media

Businessman or free spirit? This is the dilemma. What hasn’t afflicted humanity for even a couple of minutes, since if you’re in a suit and tie it’s unlikely you’ll find yourself fumbling with a barbecue in the middle of nowhere and the same goes if you’ve never worn a pair of moccasins, provided they are suitable for a meeting on the top floor. Ok, I’m exaggerating, since actually one can adore the outdoors and at the same time spend the week between the office and meetings, leaving the weekend to reset the brain, soul and body and recharge the batteries where the only sounds are those of nature. All of this to tell you that Renault recently presented the update Trafic, the van which, depending on the type of body, can be used for the most diverse uses you can think of.

This is where my peculiar introduction comes in, although to be honest, during my weeks of testing behind the wheel of the Passenger SpaceClass version I often wondered why I never decided to buy one and travel the world carrying only the essentials for a life on the road. OK I digress once again, also because the test version is actually a van intended for transporting people. In fact, it has 9 seats and a load compartment that goes from very large to literally immense: the useful length varies from 2.54 to 2.94 metres. You can sleep more than comfortably in there, just to be clear. However, I have not loaded any tent or camping stoves, also because in that case I would have opted for the SpaceNomad version, which can be configured with a whole series of essential options such as a sky-up folding roof, sliding external tent and cabinets for storing objects. In this specific case you will sacrifice some cargo space, but you will have a fully specced van.

The Traffic Passenger is multipurpose, also in the SpaceClass version. Once you have taken the measurements due to its considerable size – 548 cm long, 196 wide and 197 high – you get on board with the help of the service handles. The dashboard has been profoundly updated and seems to be sitting in a large sedan, leaving the only indications of being a commercial vehicle to some hard plastics and the view raised above the road. It should be emphasized that the driving position is optimal, given that we are not hanging over the steering wheel, but rather comfortable, to the full advantage of steering and gearbox maneuverability, in this case a 6-speed manual. There is also an automatic transmission, designed for the 170 horsepower engine, in our case the 2.0 diesel delivers 150 horsepower and 350 Nm of torque, more than enough to make it agile in traffic, on b-roads and motorway stretches, where once launched you will forget that you are carrying almost 3 tons of weight (2,800 kg on the scale).

If the exterior is characterized by the gigantic front grille and numerous chrome profiles, the dashboard is modernized by an 8″ digital display, with satellite navigator and maximum connectivity with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. In short, this Trafic really knows how to embody the van 3.0 image. As far as drivability goes, it does not differ much from the previous model. As mentioned, first of all you need to familiarize with the overall size, accept the fact that the version with an extended wheelbase will not be easy to park in the city center and that when maneuvering you will always have to look a couple more times than usual: fortunately there s the rear view camera as well. The truth is that the 9-seater Trafic Passenger drives like a long, tall car and that the engine demonstrates such elasticity that you practically never feel aboard what would usually be defined as a commercial vehicle. Prices for the new Trafic start at around €25,000 for the entry level 95-hp 1.6 and reach over €34,000 for the 170-hp 2.0 in the Advance version. In between there are 31 other variants and then there is the SpaceNomad, available only in the SpaceClass trim level, with 150 or 170 horsepower and a starting price of €50,060.