Renault at CV Show 2008

To cope with its burgeoning van range and to also place the spotlight on the eagerly anticipated New Kangoo Van range, Renault has its largest ever stand at this year’s CV Show from 15 to 17 April, with a 1,000m² display – over a third larger than in 2007. In addition to New Kangoo Van, several other vehicles are also making their first UK appearances at the show: Trafic Sport, Trafic Refrigerated Van and Trafic Navigation special edition.

Following its highly successful world debut at the European Road Transport Show in Amsterdam last October, the star of the stand will be the New Kangoo Van range, shown in both standard and short wheelbase versions.

Fresh from its appearance at the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix earlier this month, Renault’s latest Formula One Championship contender, R28, as piloted by Fernando Alonso and Nelson Piquet Jr., will also add a touch of high-performance sparkle and glamour to proceedings.

New Kangoo Van
On sale in certain left hand drive markets in Europe, full UK details for the New Kangoo Van range, including equipment, pricing and technical information will be announced closer to UK launch later this year. However, two different wheelbase versions, New Kangoo Van and New Kangoo Compact will actively target different types of customer, while both vehicles are based on the Scénic MPV, itself well-renowned for its balance of ride comfort and handling.

Of particular note in the current climate where many businesses are seeking to be seen to be green, is that that New Kangoo Van will be an integral part of Renault’s eco² environmental initiative. To be eligible for the programme, vehicles must meet three strict criteria:

Manufactured in a production plant that has secured ISO 14001 certification. The independent International Standards Organisation (ISO) certifies that a facility complies with standard 14001 when it achieves continual improvement in reducing the impact of its activities on the environment. It includes, for example, water and energy consumption, visual and sound impact, and harmful emissions and wastewater discharges. In 2006, 39 manufacturing facilities, accounting for more than 90% of Renault’s activity worldwide were ISO-14001-certified
-New Kangoo Van models are manufactured at the Mauberge plant, France.

Their CO2 emissions must not exceed 140g/km or they must be able to run on E85 bioethanol or B30 biodiesel
-New Kangoo Van will offer two diesel engines with emissions of 140 g/km or less

At least 5% of the plastics used in their production must be made from recycled materials. Renault eco² end-of-life vehicles are designed to be 95% reusable by weight. Furthermore, Renault eco² vehicles contain over 5% of recycled plastic. New Kangoo Van contains 6% recycled plastic
New 3 year/100,000 mile warranty for Trafic and Master
With effect from 1st January 2008, Renault’s Trafic and Master ranges are now sold with a 3 year/100,000 mile warranty. The new terms reflect the company’s commitment to quality after ten consecutive years of European LCV market leadership, as well as bringing both vehicles in line with New Laguna, which was the company’s first product to benefit from the extended warranty terms in October last year.

Applicable to every Trafic and Master van, Renault factory conversion, Commercial Passenger Vehicle and base vehicle for converters, registered in the UK from 1st January 2008, the improved warranty now offers 3 years/100,000 mile protection in place of the previous 60,000 miles. The first two years mileage is unlimited, unlike one of its major rivals, Vauxhall, which offers just one, while the third is valid up until the end of that year or 100,000 miles, whichever arrives sooner. Also making ownership ever easier, Renault offers three years free AA cover, as opposed to just 12 months Vauxhall Assistance.

New Trafic Navigation special edition

In the face of continued demand for satellite navigation, Renault is launching its new ‘Navigation’ special edition of its high-selling Trafic range.

The new version is available on dCi 115-engined panel, Crew Van+ and Commercial Passenger Vehicles with a six-speed manual or Quickshift6 automated manual gearbox. The latest additions offer several items of additional equipment over the standard versions on which they are based: Air Con Plus Pack (air conditioning, electric front windows and electric heated door mirrors), full colour satellite navigation, driver’s armrest, rear parking sensors. Costing £1,250 more than equivalent models, customers save £275 on the cost of the items being purchased separately.

Ordering is now open, with prices for the new versions ranging from £15,700 for the Trafic SL27 dCi 115 through to £20,000 for the Crew Van+ LL29 dCi 115 Quickshift6 (prices quoted exclude VAT and On the Road charges)

Trafic Sport
Never mix business with pleasure. Or so they say. But now the two can be combined a whole lot easier with the launch of the new Trafic Sport van. Stylish and well equipped enough to cope with any type of cargo, whether it be urban and motorway delivery loads during the week or friends and family at the weekend, the new range starts from £15,700 (excluding VAT) and offers £1,785 of extra equipment for £1,250 more than equivalent models – a saving of £535.

Available on Panel Van, six-seat Crew Van+ (from March 2008) and 9 Seat versions of Trafic, the new Sport trim level provides 16” ‘Ixtar’ alloy wheels, all round metallic paint, Air Con Plus pack (air conditioning, electric front windows and electrically heated door mirrors), driver’s armrest, front fog lights and new Elba upholstery.

Positioned slightly above the Vauxhall Vivaro Sportive and below VW Transporter Sportline, the new model is expected to account for a significant proportion of sales, particularly with small and medium-sized businesses.

New Trafic Refrigerated Van
Following a positive reception for the Trafic refrigerated van concept at last year’s CV Show, where it was shown to gauge customer reaction ahead of a potential UK commercial launch, Renault is now introducing the Trafic Refrigerated Van range.

Designed in partnership with Lamberet, Europe’s leading constructor of insulated and refrigerated vehicles, the latest addition to the Trafic stable is available with either the 2.0 dCi 90 or dCi 115 engine in SL27 and SL29 guise. Model payload ranges from 710kg (SL27) to 973kg (SL29), while load volume is 3.4m³ for all.

Designated Class A (0° to 12°C) for the transport of perishable goods, the temperature controlled Trafic features insulated material in the doors, floor and ceiling, so that it can maintain a load area temperature between 0° and 12°C, even if the outside temperature exceeds 30°C. The insulation material used is polyurethane and is therefore completely recyclable. The flooring is made from aluminium and covers the load area floor and wheelarches. It is impermeable and built to withstand significant wear and tear. The conversion also includes independent wiring, full steel bulkhead, 180° solid rear doors and an unglazed sliding left side door. It also features an emergency exit in case of accidental closure, plus two ceiling lights are fitted in the roof for the movement of goods in weak light conditions.

The 870W refrigeration unit itself is independently powered and can be charged both on the road (via the alternator so no ‘power take off’ is required) and while stationary, from the mains. In terms of its design, the slimline refrigeration unit sits just 11cm in height above the Trafic’s roofline.

The control panel for the refrigeration unit itself is fitted in the cab area, at the top of the centre part of the windscreen, allowing both driver and passengers to easily monitor the temperature of goods in the load area while on the move.

Among the other benefits of the system are that the unit can have air conditioning specified as an option, while for easier ownership, the unit has a ‘Quick Release System’ enabling it to fully removed for low repair and maintenance time as well as making it easier at time of resale. The evaporation and condenser unit has a life span of 30,000 hours, making it one of the most hardwearing units available.

Standard equipment on the new Refrigerated range includes 30W single CD-RDS radio with fingertip remote control, driver armrest, electric windows (One Touch driver’s side) and electric heated door mirrors, plus a three-button key which negates the need to unlock all of the vehicle’s doors unnecessarily when loading or unloading.

As a factory conversion, the Trafic Refrigerated Van naturally benefits from the new manufacturer warranty terms of 3 years/100,000 miles, whichever arrives first. Servicing is carried out via the Renault dealer network, with Lamberet specialist advice available if required.