Besides cars, automaker Renault also masters the development and manufacturing process of a full range of light commercial vehicles. There’s the compact Kangoo, the mid-size Trafic and the full-size Master. The first generations of the Trafic and the Master were introduced in the summer of 1980, the Kangoo arrived in the fall of 1997.
The current, third Master-series was introduced in 2010, with an update and facelift in 2014. The customer can choose from a FWD, RWD or AWD layout. This means that Renault’s full-sizer is playing in the same league as the Ford Transit, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and Volkswagen Crafter.
And just like these competitors, the RWD heavy-duty versions also have dual rear wheels. An example is the orange panel van, pictured above. The heaviest Master is rated at a maximum GVM of 4,500 kg (9,921 lbs).
The vans are offered in four lengths and three roof heights. In the best Euro-tradition, minibuses and chassis cabs can be found on the price list too. Renault also offers a platform cab, which is lower than the chassis cab.
If you want the very same product, but not with the Renault diamond logo on the grille or steering wheel, then you can ask Opel-Vauxhall for a Movano or Nissan for an NV400.
Multiple second and third gen Masters were present at the 2018 edition of the biyearly Renaultoloog festival. Vans and trucks always look better in the owner’s vehicle livery, so let’s walk along the event’s FWD Master collection.
This 2006 ice cream truck (ice cream van?) represents the 1997-2010 second generation. Obviously the sales department is situated on the van’s right side.
A 2007 horse transporter, towing a Humbaur trailer from the same year. Just like the ice cream truck, it’s powered by a 2.5 liter four-cylinder diesel.
A third gen 2010 panel van; 125 DIN-hp from a 2.3 liter diesel engine. These days you can also opt for a Master EV.
2012 panel van, also with a maximum power output of 125 DIN-hp. It’s rated at a maximum GVM of 3,500 kg. Given its curb weight of 1,865 kg, the van’s payload capacity is 1,635 kg (3,605 lbs).
This is what owner Gosens B.V. does for a living. With a bit of clever thinking, I’m sure you can translate all of it into perfect English.
2018 box truck, the 2.3 liter engine in this one is good for 170 DIN-hp.
The whole body and tandem axle set-up was custom-built by KBK from Venlo, the Netherlands. This vehicle perfectly demonstrates a major advantage of a FWD layout: behind the cab, you can have any bed or coachwork you want.
I found this picture of the box truck on the website of a Renault dealership. The truck’s rear axles have a kneeling system; no need for a heavy and expensive hydraulic platform.
You can still get bigger and heavier Renaults than the Master, but realistically and technically, those are Volvos. Most likely we can rely on Renault’s own expertise when it comes to light commercial vehicles for many years to come; the company is simply an Expert! Oh wait, I accidentely used a competitor’s mid-size van model name…
Related reading:
Curbside Classic: 1980 Renault Master – It Does What It Says On The Tin(Box)
That Renault master at the end of my street still hasnt sold I should get a photo.
Did you know that the second gen Master was developed from one of two leyland/LDV replacements developed to replace the LDV convoy/Sherpa?
https://www.aronline.co.uk/concepts/concepts-and-prototypes/concepts-and-prototypes-ldv-201/
Thanks for that link! Very interesting, with some great images.
JPC: Note the body-colored paint on the chassis-cab versions. You were wondering about that on the post of the Transit Mk2 the other day. Because the cab and chassis on these are unitized, the frame members out back are painted the same as the cab.
These vans/chassis are analogues to the bigger pickups and heavy duty pickups over here really. The variety of sizes, heights, lengths, configurations, engines etc is mindboggling. It’s a bit striking that Fiat is a bit more restrictive than the others in regard to drive layout, I didn’t really think about it until you mentioned it that the other three all have multiple ones available.
Who’s the acknowledged leader in this segment of the industry or maybe a better question is how would you rank them in order of sales/popularity/etc (Kind of like with pickups we generally have Ford F-Series, Chevy/GMC Silverado/Sierra, and then Ram, Toyota, and Nissan? ) in regard to Renault, Mercedes, Ford, VW, Fiat?
Maybe this helps a little to answer the question:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/260025/market-share-of-best-selling-light-commercial-vehicle-models-in-eu-27/
Here in Germany on I would rank Mercedes Sprinter/VW Crafter (same vehicle), Ford Transit, Fiat Ducato(and his french brothers from PSA), Renault.
The Ducato & Co is very popular here as motorhome.
Raser, the new/current Sprinter and Crafter models are not the same vehicles anymore. The Sprinter is a Benz, the Crafter is a VW (and a MAN…)
Weight-wize, the Master/Transit/Sprinter/Crafter go beyond the Ducato/Boxer/Jumper. There’s no such thing as a RWD (with single or dual rear wheels) Ducato.
But let’s not forget the heaviest of them all: the RWD/AWD Iveco Daily. I didn’t mention it in the article because there’s no FWD Daily. The Daily comes the closest to a “real” truck chassis.
This is it, the King of Panel Vans. An Iveco Daily with a GVM of 5.2 metric tons and a cargo compartment volume of 19.6 m3. It’s powered by the well-known 3.0 liter FPT inline-4 turbodiesel.
I drove probably the smallest Daily van a couple of months ago; it was still a fairly big van, 2.7m height and a bit over 6m length. Very nice to drive for what it was, and I’m sure much better than the cabover light-medium truck alternative.
Up to approx. 4 to 5 metric tons GVM, you’ll get something like the Daily, Transit, Master etc.
If you want something heavier, like max. 7.5 metric tons GVM, you will definitely drive a cabover. Looking at Iveco, the next step up from the Daily is the Eurocargo, pictured below. Note that trucks like this already have good cab- and seat suspension.
How does it work in NZ/Australia? Is that whole light segment (say from 3.5 to 7.5 metric tons GVM) dominated by the Japanese brands?
I recall when I was working in Western Australia that segment was Japanese dominated, and even pretty heavy tractor units were often Japanese (but frequently specced with a Road Ranger). European and American trucks got more common as weight and distance increased.
In Britain, the practice seems to be that once you go beyond 3500kg, you go straight to a 7.5 ton cabover. I did once drive a (iirc) 6 ton Iveco Daily curtainsider delivering shower panels, but that was a real rarity.
Johannes you´re right. I dindn´t noticed that VW/Daimler splitt.
But how could I forget the Iveco Daily? I rented one when I was moving some years ago. It was one with dual rear wheels, so probably the heaviest car I ever drove.
It is amazing how vehicles are adapted to their particular market. In Europe, fuel is expensive and car taxes high. So they get a very sophisticated lineup of vehicles that cater to every possible situation. Huge vehicles are not used as daily drivers as the cost would be prohibitive.
I would just love to have access to some of these products for my logistics operations. They would give us a lot of flexibility we can’t get now.
When I had the business I choose Renault Fiat and Iveco, Mercedes arrogance of no aftersales service when a $ 4000 flywheel broke after 18 months and 160000 kilometers chased me away from them. The Masters do a very good job, they are less nervous then a Sprinter, have a lower loadfloor and come standard with cruise control, airco power windows compared to a Sprinter.
Now that I sold the business and still work there for a few days a week all the guys are moaning because the new gouverner is a VW fan, so no more Kangoo, lovely driving Trafic or Master but harsh hard sitting hard suspended VW’s.
Once I left for a drive of 2600 km in a Trafic, that darn thing ran so lovely with its 120 dci diesel engine I was wondering why I still drove a normal sedan.
And fuel and maintenance costs are good compared to others.
These are a lot slicker looking than the original Master, which was only slightly less cobbled together than a Citroen H.
These appear to be even more varied than Transits, but are unlikely to show up in the US since Nissan has opted for the homegrown NV.
Regarding Nissan, they also offer a rebadged Renault Trafic (the van in the middle in the last picture), called the NV300. Opel/Vauxhall and Fiat also offer it as the Vivaro and Talento respectively.
Just amazed by the flexibility of the Euro type van. The Ram Promaster (aka Fiat Ducato) comes in short, medium, or tall with several different wheel bases to boot.
Can’t tell you how many times I bashed my head climbing in or out of a Ford Club van in the 60’s and 70’s. I remember seeing the MB vans for the first time and was taken by their versatility. I don’t know why the big three waited so long to introduce the Euro type van to the US.