2026 Renault Trafic review

The Renault Trafic has received further upgrades after a decade on sale in Australia – and they’ve been worthwhile.

The French commercial van still runs with a diesel engine but has a new automatic transmission, and it meets the most stringent current emissions standards.

It also scored a heap of standard safety tech in recent times, and it’s easier to live with than some rivals.

But is this mid-size delivery van still competitive in its class, especially given the price? Find out by reading on.

How much does the Renault Trafic cost?

There are several choices in the Trafic range, and as is the case with many of the work vans in the market, there’s a level of customisation on offer, too.

You may be able to find better deals if you’re an ABN holder, so be sure to call around and see if you can score a deal.

To see how the Renault Trafic lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

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What is the Renault Trafic like on the inside?

Renault’s Trafic van has always had a clever cabin design for business buyers.

There’s a good amount of loose-item storage available, and some surprising inclusions that make it both user-friendly and fleet/business friendly.

One of my favourite interior elements of this van is the middle seat – which can fold down if you don’t need it, allowing yourself to have a workspace between you and your passenger.

It even includes a removable clipboard that can be positioned so you can write notes or your passenger can. There’s a cupholder in front of that area too.

And you can also flip up the seat bases of the bench seat to make use of some secret hidden storage, which is certainly handy to keep equipment away from prying eyes.

Other storage solutions throughout the cab are good too, with cupholders on top of the dashboard, an open section above the media screen in the middle of the dash with USB ports, and a closable section above the instrument binnacle – although it is a little bit finicky to open.

There is no overhead storage and no vanity mirrors, but you do get an auto-dimming rear-vision mirror, which is unusual for a van like this. There’s also a wide-view reflective mirror to help you see beside the van from the driver’s seat, because there’s no rear side window as standard.

The trim in the interior feels good quality but durable, and everything feels sturdy but strongly put together.

I like the fact you get a leather-lined steering wheel, but some of the controls on the wheel – or off the steering column – take some learning. It’s a French thing with peculiar buttons here and there, but it is pretty easy to get your head around.

There are grippable dials for your climate system, and just below the screen there’s a couple of quick buttons if you want to jump to different drive modes or to turn off the engine idle-stop system.

In the screen you’ll find a whole lot of depth in terms of the systems available to you – but you do have wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto available. And when it comes to radio there’s FM, AM and digital.

Maybe the biggest frustration with that is the lack of a physical volume knob or any physical buttons – so you do have to use the menu panel on the side, which has a touch-sensitive control system.

The doors have multiple storage zones as well and, importantly, seat comfort is very good for the driver. It’s not bad on the bench side, either.

The cargo zone has a heap of tie-down points for securing items in place, both at floor level and up higher. The standard painted floor may be a little slippery, though there are options to make it a bit grippier.

The bulkhead area includes a hidden hatch at the bottom with a magnetised flap, which is handy if you need to load through longer items like conduit. You can even load stuff pretty much all the way to the firewall, courtesy of a flap that opens up on the seat base (but the front window seat won’t be usable if you do that).

The barn-door rear-end includes 180-degree opening, which is helpful for forking items in, and the single sliding side door means you’ll be able to do kerb-side drop-offs.

Under the rear cargo floor is a spare wheel, too.

If you want all the nitty gritty info and images of the load blueprints, check out the Renault Trafic’s official brochure.

To see how the Renault Trafic lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

You’ll find the same turbo-diesel engine under the bonnet of the updated Trafic range, but with a new nine-speed auto managing proceedings. The entry-level manual variant has been dumped, too.

What’s impressive here is that the Trafic is considerably lighter than, say, the Volkswagen Transporter and Ford Transit Custom, and that means it hits harder when it comes to the power/torque to weight ratio.

Being lighter also means the Trafic is a bit better on juice, but as you can see from the weights and capacities above, it’s still a heavy-hitter when it comes to load capability.

The official fuel consumption number is eye-catching, but on test I couldn’t achieve quite that low a figure, despite leaving the fuel-saving idle-stop function on at all times. I saw 7.7L/100km across a mix of urban, highway and traffic-prone driving.

What is interesting about this powertrain is its Euro 6 emissions compliance, which means it needs AdBlue – but it has a huge AdBlue tank at 24.7 litres, which should in theory last the full duration between services.

To see how the Renault Trafic lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the Renault Trafic drive?

In the past few weeks I’ve found myself driving a few vans, including the new and much-fancied Ford Transit Custom and Volkswagen Transporter.

So I came at the Trafic with muted expectations, since it’s been on sale in its current generation for more than a decade.

But I was pleasantly surprised with the way the Renault has held up since it was released here ages ago.

Things have changed over that time of course, including the fact we now get a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel with a new nine-speed auto.

For a bit of context, the Trafic launched here in 2015 with a 1.6L turbo-diesel and a six-speed manual, before a six-speed dual-clutch (EDC) auto was added in 2019, adjoined to the 2.0-litre engine.

Now it’s a nine-speeder managing proceedings, and I have to say it makes for an easier day-to-day driving experience, with less hesitation at lower speeds to contend with than the old dual-clutch unit.

The gearbox is clever in its reaction speeds, and it also offers smooth and intuitive shifts as well. I didn’t really have any stumbles with it during my time testing the van, and if you think you can do a better job than it there are paddle shifters to take matters into your own hands.

I don’t think you really need to though because, as I said, it seems like a pretty impressive experience from a powertrain perspective here.

There is still some lag from a standstill, especially if you leave the idle-stop system on (if you don’t like it, there’s a button you can quickly press to disable it). The engine has a bit of lag, too, but it gets along great once the turbo is spooling.

Add to that the fact it has a better power-to-weight ratio than lots of its competitors, the Trafic does feel pretty perky.

Beyond the powertrain, it has a very impressive ride quality to it. There’s good comfort and control over bumps, and even the short-wheelbase version without any weight in the back is entirely comfortable to drive around on a daily basis.

If you do add a load things feel a little different, but it copes with a pretty sturdy amount of cargo without complaint. And the payload figures for this van are very impressive.

The steering has a good feel to it at highway speeds and is predictable at low speeds, but can be a little bit heavily weighted when you’re trying to make a low-speed parking move.

It’s not too loud in the cabin, the steel partition between the cabin and the cargo zone is a welcome thing, and we’re very grateful there is a sizable window to give you a better view out your back doors.

Speaking of visibility, there is a decent set of mirrors with a convex outer zone to help you (particularly if you buy the cheaper model and miss out on the blind-spot monitoring system) and the wide-view mirror on the passenger’s sun-visor is more useful than you may realise – especially in tight spots.

What isn’t as good is the reversing camera, which struggles with mixed light situations and just isn’t as clear as some others in the segment.

Overall, the Trafic delivers a solid driving experience – probably better than you might expect.

To see how the Renault Trafic lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

See below for the optional packages available across the Trafic range.

2026 Renault Trafic Pro equipment highlights:

• 16-inch steel wheels
• Full-size steel spare wheel
• Updated Renault badging
• Automatic LED headlights
• Automatic high-beam
• Heated side mirrors
• 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• 4.2-inch instrument cluster screen
• DAB+ digital radio
• Wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto
• 2-speaker sound system
• Cloth upholstery
• Leatherette steering wheel trim
• 8-way manually adjustable driver’s seat
• Fixed passenger seat bench
• Bulkhead with glazed window
• Passenger work station bench (van only)
• Keyless entry

Trafic Premium adds:

• LED cabin lighting
• 7.0-inch instrument cluster screen
• Half-painted rear bumper
• Painted tail-light column

Trafic Crew Lifestyle adds:

• Painted side body moulding
• Fully painted rear bumper
• Under-seat storage (rear seats)

To see how the Renault Trafic lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Options

Preconfigured models might come with a deal price, but if you want to build your Trafic to your own specifications here are the optional packages available:

2026 Renault Trafic Pro options:

• Unglazed window on right sliding door: $800
• Glazed windows on rear barn doors (180-degree opening): $400
• 17-inch alloy wheels: $1000

Trafic Pro Trade Pack: $2000

• Anti-slip wooden flooring
• Full-height cargo area wall lining
• Heavy-duty battery
• Anti-theft spare wheel basket
• LED ceiling lights

Trafic Pro Peace of Mind Pack: $1200

• Front and side parking sensors
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Traffic sign recognition
• Power-folding door mirrors

Trafic Pro Comfort Pack: $1200

• Front fog lights
• Tyre-pressure warning
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Credit card-style sensor key and push-button start

2026 Renault Trafic Premium options:

• Glazed tailgate window: No cost
• No right sliding door: No cost
• Left and right sliding doors with glazed windows (N/A with Trade Pack): $400
• 17-inch alloy wheels (N/A with Business Pack): $1000

Trafic Premium Trade Pack: $2000

• Anti-slip wooden flooring
• Full-height cargo area wall lining
• Heavy-duty battery
• Anti-theft spare wheel basket
• LED ceiling lights

Trafic Premium Business Pack: $2200

• Climate control air-conditioning
• Factory-tinted rear windows
• 17-inch alloy wheels
• Heated driver’s seat
• Satellite navigation
• Over-speed prevention
• Painted door mirror covers
• Painted body-side mouldings
• Fully painted rear bumper

2026 Renault Trafic Lifestyle options:

• Tailgate with glazed window: No cost

To see how the Renault Trafic lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the Renault Trafic safe?

The Renault Trafic scored a ‘Gold’ rating from ANCAP in its commercial vehicle safety assistance testing, managing a 69 per cent score back in 2024.

You’d hope so, because this is based on the same van that scored zero stars from ANCAP in 2021, when it wore a Mitsubishi badge and was sold as the Express. That model, and earlier Trafic models, had no advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).

This one does have a host of safety tech, but also features an ADAS button that allows the driver to switch functions on or off as they see fit. It is possible to customise the experience, with adjustments for lane keeping, speed sign recognition, driver monitoring and more.

Standard safety equipment includes:

• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
• Pedestrian detection
• Cyclist detection
• Lane departure warning
• Cruise control
• Driver attention monitor
• Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) shortcut button
• QR rescue code
• Rear parking sensors
• Reversing camera

Buyers who go for the Premium variant get additional tech that is optionally available in the Pro grade for $1200:

• Blind spot monitoring
• Traffic sign recognition
• Front and side parking sensors

All Trafic vehicles come with six airbags – dual front, front side and curtain coverage.

To see how the Renault Trafic lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the Renault Trafic cost to run?

One of the big deal-makers here could be the servicing requirements and the warranty inclusions.

Those enormous servicing intervals may seem scary to some, but the reality is they result in far less downtime than other vans with needier servicing requirements – especially appealing for those who spend a lot of time in their Trafic in traffic.

To see how the Renault Trafic lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Take on the Renault Trafic

It’s not the best van in the segment, but the Trafic is not too far off.

This French van is a pretty decent thing to drive, and it offers a good amount of grunt for this class.

If you can find an even better deal than the list price, you could be on to a winner.

CarExpert can save you thousands on a new Renault Trafic. Click here to get a great deal.

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MORE: Explore the Renault Trafic showroom