France’s Renault has lifted the veil off of the new Trafic, a front-wheel drive commercial vehicle aimed at the heart of the lucrative mid-size van segment.
Marking the nameplate’s third generation in 33 years, the next Trafic gains bolder styling inspired by recently-introduced Renault products such as the redesigned Megane and the Captur crossover. Buyers can choose from two wheelbase lengths, two roof heights, a passenger-carrying model with room for up to nine passengers and a chassis-cab.
Mechanically, the next Trafic is offered with a brand new 1.6-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel engine offered in several power tunes including a 160-horsepower twin-turbo variant that enables the van to return 39 mpg in a mixed European cycle. A plug-in hybrid drivetrain is expected to join the lineup later in the production run in order to help Renault comply with strict CO2 emissions that will come into effect across Europe before the end of the decade.
When it goes on sale, the Trafic will square off against the Toyota ProAce, the Volkswagen Transporter and the cargo-hauling variant of the Mercedes-Benz V-Class.
GM sibling
General Motors’ Germany-based Opel division will build its own version of the Renault Trafic dubbed Vivaro. The Vivaro will be identical to the Trafic inside and out save for a brand-specific front fascia.
At the time of writing GM is not planning on selling the van in the United States.
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