A look back at 40 successful years.
After 22 years on the market, the Renault Estafette takes its final bow in 1980. It has become part of the people’s heritage, but customer needs come first, and it is replaced by two distinctive light commercial vehicles: the mid-sized Trafic and the larger Master. They’re a big hit, and along with the Kangoo, put Renault in first place in the European light commercial vehicle market (excluding pick-ups) from 1998. And 2019 has also been a record year for Renault, with the best volume results ever recorded for light commercial vehicle sales, up by 0.7% compared to 2018, in other words 624,289 vehicles.
Master: a perfect mate for tradespeople
Van of the Year in 1998 and 2004, Renault Master continues to be built at the Sovab plant in Batilly, Lorraine. From its launch in 1980, every new generation has been a success. The figures speak for themselves: 2019 is the fifth consecutive year of record sales, with a total of 2.8 million units sold since 1980, including 124,000 sales worldwide in 2019. Master is now an international vehicle marketed in more than 50 countries around the globe. The main markets outside Europe are Brazil, Argentina, Morocco, Turkey and Russia.
New Master, launched in 2019, is available in 350 versions, including 4 length and 3 height options, and front, rear or 4-wheel drive (Master Extended Grip). Since 2018, an all-electric Master Z.E version has been available too.
Trafic: a panel van or minibus, it caters for
every need
Voted Van of the Year in 2012 and Light Commercial Vehicle of the Year by Argus in 2015, Trafic is more than just a vehicle. It’s a range that extends from cabin van to high-end SpaceClass minibus with all the comfort of a limousine.
With 2 length and 2 height options, Trafic is available in 275 versions for loading capacities of 3.2 to 8.6 m3 (800 to 1,400 kg), as a panel van or a minibus with rear or front wheel drive.
With all this to offer, unsurprisingly, Trafic is a commercial success, with a total of 2 million units sold since its original launch in 1980. In 2019, there are 103,234 sales in over 50 countries.
With Master and Trafic, both among the top 3 sellers in their respective segments, Renault has been the European leader in vans since 1998. In 2019, Renault was European leader in light commercial electric vehicles for the ninth consecutive year, with almost one in every two sales of EVs (42.5%). Building on these successes, Renault continues to pursue innovation in the service of sustainable mobility, with the launch of Kangoo Z.E. Hydrogen in late 2019 and Master Z.E. Hydrogen in early 2020.
Master and Trafic might be celebrating their 40th birthday but there’s still plenty of drive in them!
Our range of vans has grown over the decades to bring more and more features and innovations to our customers. Our expertise is recognised by the professionals and individuals who trust us on a daily basis, as well as by other manufacturers for whom we manufacture. Today, the Alliance is growing stronger. Trafic and Master are precursor products in the leader-follower model, with our plants in Sandouville and Batilly also producing vans for the Alliance brands. In addition, we continue to work on new projects to prepare for the future and strengthen our leadership position.
Jean-Baptiste Mauduit - Director of the commercial van range
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