The New Renault Trafic Combi
My father had an old Kombi, so old it had a split windscreen and the indicators were metal stalks that popped out of the side, behind the front doors. I think it had a 1300 air-cooled engine, so the thing was slow and very noisy. And very spacious. Our family of five went everywhere – slowly – in that bus. There was no: “Are we there yet,” whining, as each kid had his own corner to play in, with an extra one for spare toys.
Forward too many years. The sedan is dead. The demise of the people carrier has been announced but is probably exaggerated, the hatch is hanging on, and the SUV is king. Hang on a moment: what about the minivan? The loaf of bread on wheels that can carry nine in comfort, but is not a minibus taxi? Is that dead too?
Fortunately, not. For years, the minivan has been a utility vehicle, the choice for larger plumbers and smaller courier outfits. Transporter of freshly baked pies or a shuttle for your eight staff. But what if your family is, shall we say, larger than average, or you simply like more space? Ta-da! Introducing the family-friendly, comfortable, well-appointed, spacious revival of the family minivan, the Renault Trafic Combi.
The Combi is the familiar large utility Renault Trafic van remodelled for people. Nine seats, a decent engine, aircon, noise insulation, side windows, sound system. You get airbags, side-impact bars, ABS with EBD, ESP with traction control, electric everything.
This van is ideal for larger families, a tour operator, an airport shuttle or a corporate runabout.
Unlike my dad’s old Kombi, this Combi has a 1.6-litre turbo-diesel that gives you 88kW and a massive 320 Nm torque. The top speed is, for a van this size, a slightly scary 165km/h and you can get to 100km/h in about 12 seconds. More importantly, the mixed-use fuel consumption is a very sippy 7-L/100km and with a generous 80-litre tank, you can go a bit before you have to fill up again. You can carry more people in more comfort, faster and much quieter, in greater safety than the old van. Indicators on a pop-out stalk would have been cool, though.
The Renault Trafic Combi and its luxurious brother, the Spaceclass, are not yet available in South Africa. But we …
