Car Fule

Renault and utility vehicles, it’s a story almost as long as passenger cars. In 1906, the French brand was already marketing its first truck! Like many manufacturers at the beginning of the 20th century, it developed vehicles dedicated to all uses. Vans, axle trucks or fire vehicles, Renault trucks flooded the market. A success story that lasted long after the wars, since in 1955the manufacturer acquired the Floirat, Somua and Latil brands to form a new entity: la FOR THEMSELVES. For Limited company of industrial vehicles and mechanical equipment. There merger 20 years later with Berliet allowed to give birth to a new entity: RVI, for Renault industrial vehicles. RVI still exists, but we now know it under a new name: Renault Trucks owned by Volvo since 2001!

A successful utility

Suffice to say that, when Renault lifts the veil on its new Traffic utility in 1980, she is not at her first attempt! This first generation is responsible for ensuring the replacement of the Estafette, an icon of post-war France. He abandons the curves to adopt a cubic, salient, geometric design. Fun fact: the Espace, which will come out 4 years later, will borrow its headlamps and taillights. It is a model that has since been declined in two generations, in 2001 and 2014, and which has been sold under different names. Arena and Vivaro at Opel, Primastar and NV300 at Nissan, Express chez MitsubishiTalento at Fiat, and even Trafic and Astro Van at Chevrolet! Its current generation, assembled in Sandouville in Seine-Maritime (76) has not aged despite its 9 years of age. He has even just celebrated a new record…

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Petrol, diesel and soon electric

1 million. This is the number of Renault Trafic III which have come out of the Normandy chains! This third version had been the subject of a first restyling in 2019, then a second in 2021. This historic score makes it best-selling traffic, more than each of the first two generations. And his career is not over, on the contrary he still has a bright future ahead of him in this form. In total, the Traffic has been sold to more than 2.4 million copies, and this in 50 countries. Currently only available in gasoline and diesel, he will soon be supported, automotive context obliges, by an electric version called Trafic E-Tech. Its production should begin by the end of the year, still in Sandouville.