Driven: the Renault Master

Introducing the Master

The Master is produced by Renault at its plant in Batilly, eastern France. It is one of the most successful vans in the world, with over three million Masters having been sold since its launch back in 1980. Over the past four decades and across three generations, the model has established itself as the leader in its category in Europe. Renault Master vans can be found traversing the roads of over 50 countries. The new Master range will include 20 body shapes with front or rear-wheel drive and loading areas of 11 to 22m3.

The vehicle in a nutshell

When the Renault team set out to create the fourth-generation Master, the company had quite some ambitions. “Our goal with the all-new Renault Master was to get as close as we could to the ideal van. Tradespeople, contractors and fleet managers will see a real leap forward, a vehicle that is there for them whenever they need it, to maximise their productivity. A van they can lean on for their work, day in and day out, whatever type of energy they choose,” Hélène Carvalho, Renault Master programme leader, told us during the world premiere. Has the company succeeded in achieving these goals? Undoubtedly.

Exterior

The exterior design is not for the faint-hearted; it is brash, bold and completely in your face. We love it! The front – which looks absolutely enormous – features Renault’s new logo and extra-large full-LED headlamps in the signature C-shaped array around the in-your-face grille.

Despite a narrowed rear (for enhanced aerodynamics, more about that later), the rear opening and load area are definitely big enough. The rear window, a characteristic feature of the Master, is asymmetrical, and the rear lights have the distinctive C-shaped design – much like those at the front.

The folk at Renault tell us that the new Master is the most efficient and aerodynamic van in its class. In order to achieve this, the designers made a number of changes. This generation has a shorter bonnet than its predecessor, for instance. Plus, the windscreen has been moved further forward and tilted; the wing mirrors, air intake ducts in the bumper and roofline slope have been streamlined; and – as we have already pointed out – the rear is narrower.

These changes have really paid off; the all-new Renault Master’s CO₂ emissions are a substantial 39g/km lower than that of the third generation (they’re now below the 200g/km mark) while the electric version consumes 20% less energy.

Interior

Très magnifique! That’s the expression that springs to mind when viewing the interior; it’s far more luxurious and elegant than one would expect to find in the interior of a commercial vehicle.

The S-shaped dashboard, oriented towards the driver, contributes to the overall feeling of spaciousness. Classy materials and a standard 10-inch screen provide a visually pleasing high-tech touch. Borrowed from the passenger vehicle collection, the adjustable steering wheel allows you to find the perfect height and depth for your driving comfort. Automatic versions now feature transmission levers on the steering wheel, creating additional space on the centre console.

With a somewhat impressive increase of 25%, the total storage space – a whopping 135 litres – means this generation is the market leader. The all-new Renault Master's cockpit accommodates everything you need, with numerous compartments on the dashboard, side cupholders, glove-box drawers, a cab-ceiling slot, and two storage tiers in the doors.

Essentially a mobile office, the new Master has lots of nifty features. For instance, the back of the middle seat folds down to create a desk. You can pop your laptop onto it and work (in a safe environment, of course; we don’t want to attract smash-and-grabbers) and there are USB-C ports for powering devices.

There are so many tech features accessible to the driver that we could write an entire article on this subject alone. Probably the most impressive is the OpenR Link multimedia system (it’s the first time that OpenR Link with Google built-in capabilities is available in a light commercial vehicle). The system was developed with Google, runs on Android Automotive OS 12, and includes Google Maps navigation capabilities, the Google Play app catalogue and the voice-controlled Google Assistant.

Drivetrain

Three different engine choices will be available – eventually. First up, there are the conventional diesels. There are four of those (all Blue dCi powertrains), delivering 78, 97, 112 or 127kW. They consume substantially less (1.5 litres less per 100km on average) and release less CO₂ (39 grams less per km) than their predecessors. These engines can be matched to a conventional manual gearbox or a particularly efficient new nine-speed automatic converter gearbox called the EAG9.

Then there are the electric versions (which we got to drive). They’re powered by a 96 or 105kW motor, in both cases delivering 300Nm of torque. The first runs on a 40kWh battery and has a 180km WLTP range, while the second has an 87kWh battery with over 410km WLTP range.

Payload and towing capacity – at 1,625kg and 2.5 tonnes respectively – are excellent. The van’s consumption remains reasonable, at a WLTP standardised 21kWh/100 km with the large 87kWh battery. A 130kW DC fast charge adds 229km of range in 30 minutes. A 22kW AC home charger tops up the battery from 10 to 100% in just under four hours. One of the electric model’s finest features (for South Africans anyway) is the fact that it will be able to feed energy from its battery to the grid using a bidirectional charger. Super handy during load shedding…

The third powertrain – a hydrogen engine and fuel cell – is coming “in future”, we are told.

Safety

Safety features abound in the new Master; there are an incredible 20 of them, including systems that bolster lateral stability, automatic emergency braking, trailer stability and an intelligent speed assist system, to help the driver stay within the speed limit. The power-assisted dynamic braking control system – which halves braking time – is fabulous. We experienced it while testing the prototypes, and it’s super impressive.

Verdict

We can’t comment on pricing because this new van is not being sold just yet (and we don’t know if and when it will come to South Africa either). It will only be launched in Europe in their spring (and our autumn) next year. We expect pricing to be keen though – and the order uptake should be high because this is an exceptional van and a massive leap forward versus the previous generation.