The Renault Trafic has existed in the market since 1980, and other automakers had been selling it under various names. For instance, Fiat markets it as the Talento, Nissan as the NV300, and Opel/Vauxhall as the Vivaro. The Trafic has always been classed as a light commercial van, regardless of brand and generation. It entered the Australian market in the year 2004 and is now selling under its third generation.
The First Generation Renault Trafic (1980-2001)
The first generation was not sold in Australia as it concluded in 2001, around three years before the Trafic officially entered the Australian market. Throughout the first generation, the Trafic received minor modifications as required by the different engines installed, which mostly impacted its front shape. It received a significant facelift in 1989 which gave it a longer shape and a rounder front-end. A final facelift in 1995 introduced a new grille, taillights, restyled interior, and larger rearview mirrors.
Opel also began selling the Trafic under the brand name of Arena from 1997 onwards.
Renault offered three body styles in the first generation, including a van with four or five doors, a 2-door pickup truck, and a 5-door minibus. Throughout the first generation, Renault introduced a total of four petrol engines and two diesel engines in the Trafic lineup.
The Second Generation Renault Trafic (2001-2014)
The second generation of the Renault Trafic came out as a joint venture between the French automaker and two other vehicle manufacturers, namely Opel and Nissan, which sold the Trafic under the brand names of Vivaro and Primastar, respectively. However, the Trafic was still entirely designed at Renault's design department. This collaboration made history for producing the first vehicle to be manufactured by Renault in the UK in over 30 years.
In 2004, Renault finally brought the Trafic to the Australian market, offering it in LWB and SWB versions. The LWB had several trims, including the base, Comfort, Hi-Roof, Hi-Roof Comfort, Hi-Roof Integral, and Integral. Likewise, the SWB had a base trim, Comfort, and Integral variants. All of these model variations used a 1.9L DT4 diesel engine that ran on a 6-speed manual gearbox, providing 74 kW of power with 240 Nm of torque.
In 2007, the company introduced 2.0 DCi variants in both the LWB and SWB trims. These came with a 2.0L diesel engine running on a 6-speed manual transmission, capable of delivering 85 kW of power and 290 Nm of torque. The DCi variants replaced all other models by 2008, and 6-speed automatic transmissions were also introduced for both the LWB and SWB trims. From 2008 to 2014, Renault released only the 2.0L DCi variants of both the LWB and SWB in Australia.
The Third Generation Renault Trafic (2014-present)
The third generation of the Renault Trafic entered several markets around the world in 2014, offering only a 4-door van/minibus. A major shift occurred in the newer Opel/Vauxhall Vivaro models as they moved towards a smaller, 1.6L diesel engine compared to the 2.0L diesel engine in the previous generation. The Vivaro stopped production in 2018 after Groupe PSA took over Opel/Vauxhall, with plans for the newer versions of Vivaro to derive inspiration from the Citroen Jumpy.
Both the LWB and SWB trims were made available in Australia, offering 2.0L DCi engines with both 6-speed automatic transmission and manual gearbox, and delivering 85 kW of power and 290 Nm of torque, just like the DCi models of the previous generation. New 1.6L diesel engines were also introduced for both the LWB and SWB, which delivered 66 kW of power and 260 Nm of torque and offered a 6-speed manual gearbox.
In 2016, the DCi diesel engine variants were withdrawn, and only the 1.6L diesel engine models remained in the market. Two new trims were also introduced, including LWB Crew and LWB Lifestyle, although these only shared visual differences with other trims. These new trims, and even the LWB trim, used an upgraded 1.6L diesel engine that delivered 103 kW of power and 340 Nm of torque, with a 6-speed manual gearbox. The SWB trim continued to use the older 1.6L diesel engine.
In 2017, Renault introduced a Formula EDT variant in both the LWB and SWB trims, which shared the same engine specifications as the LWB offered in 2016. A new engine was installed in the SWB as well, delivering 85 kW of power and 300 Nm of torque. In 2018, another SWB variant, called Trader Life, entered the market, which had a 1.6L diesel engine that was capable of providing 66 kW of power and 260 Nm of torque.
Renault brought major upgrades to the Trafic lineup in 2019, offering several new trims including L1 SWB Premium, L1 SWB Pro, L2 LWB Premium, and L2 LWB Pro. Powertrain information for all new trims is as follows:
- L1 SWB Premium and L1 LWB Premium: 1.6L diesel engine, 6-speed manual gearbox - 103 kW, 340 Nm
- L1 SWB Premium and L1 LWB Premium: 2.0L diesel engine, 6-speed automatic transmission - 125 kW, 380 Nm
- L1 SWB Pro and L1 LWB Pro: 1.6L diesel engine, 6-speed manual gearbox - 85 kW, 300 Nm
- L2 LWB Crew Lifestyle: 2.0L diesel engine, 6-speed automatic transmission - 125 kW, 380 Nm
The rest of the trims brought forward the same specifications as the previous year. All Trafic trims marketed by Renault are expected to continue selling in the year 2020 as well.
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