Safety tweak, price rise for Renault LCVs

RENAULT'S light-commercial vehicle range has been updated to include extra safety features, and new option packs, but it comes with a range-wide price increase.

The Master van, Trafic mid-sizer and Kangoo compact van all receive extra airbag protection, with all variants of the Master gaining new driver's side head and chest airbags as standard, as well as a reversing camera.

The options pack for the Master, called the Premium Pack and priced from $1990, has been updated to include a lane-departure warning, auto headlights, and the Renault R-Link touchscreen multimedia on top of its existing features.

For the Trafic that launched in Australia in mid-2015, it receives side head and chest airbags across the range, as well as a phone-docking module.

Two option packs are offered for the Trafic the Premium Pack, now available for the first time on the entry-level single-turbo model – and the more opulent Lifestyle Pack, introduced in place of the now-defunct Pro Pack.

The Lifestyle Pack includes a wide-view mirror, deadlocking, media nav, automatic climate control, hands-free entry and engine idle-stop, heavy-duty battery, LED ceiling lights, premium dashboard, heated seats, body colour bumpers, mirror backs, rear light pillar and sliding door rail, 17-inch alloy wheels, and a chrome grille with gloss-black Renault diamond logo. The Lifestyle Pack is the dearest on offer, and will cost $2990.

The baby of Renault's LCV range – the Kangoo – also get side head and chest airbags and rear parking sensors for its long-wheelbase diesel variants, while the petrol-powered short-wheelbase variants now come with a tailgate instead of barn doors, although the latter will still remain as an option.

The Kangoo comes with an optional Pro Pack for long and short-wheelbase Kangoos, with overhead storage and glazed barn and dual side sliding doors, and side head and chest airbags for the SWB variants for $790. The pack is also offered on the LWB variants for $1190, with the addition of R-Link and front foglights.

The new updates have brought a range-wide price hike for all three models, with each Kangoo and Trafic variant rising by $1000 apiece, while all Master vans will now set you back an extra $2000.

Pricing for the Kangoo now starts at $21,990 plus on-road costs for the short-wheelbase petrol manual and tops out at $29,490 for the long-wheelbase diesel crew van, while the Trafic ranges from $34,490 for the L1H1 SWB low-roof manual diesel to $39,490 for L2H1LWB low-roof manual diesel.

The Master kicks off at $42,990 for the L1H1 SWB low-roof front-wheel drive diesel and finishes up at $59,990 for the L3H2 LWB Bus.

Renault sold a total of 3757 LCVs in 2015 – 1510 for the Master, 1070 for the Trafic and 1177 for the Kangoo.

Renault Australia managing director Justin Hocevar said the additions made to the range could sway more light-commercial buyers to choose Renault.

“The Kangoo accounted for more than 30 per cent of small van sales in Australia last year. Master was also a success, with 1 in 5 large vans sold locally in 2015 wearing a Renault badge. New Trafic started strongly, finding more than 1000 homes in its first 7 months of sales,” he said.

“Renault’s LCV range secured an increased share of the local van market in 2015 and this success was part of the global improvement in Renault LCV sales to 347,679 vehicles, a 13% improvement on 2014.”All Renault LCVs come with capped-price servicing, 30,000km service intervals and a 200,000km warranty.