Renault Trafic

History of the model

Despite the fact that the first generation was produced and sold for almost 20 years, the second generation of the car, which saw the light of day in 2001, became a real bestseller. The Trafic II was the result of a joint venture between France's Renault, Germany's Opel and Japan's Nissan, so technically identical cars were sold under the names Opel/Vauxhall Vivaro or Nissan Primastar.

Nameplates changed depending on the sales market: Renault Trafic could be bought in France and Eastern European countries. For the West, the model was called Opel Vivaro (in Great Britain it was Vauxhall), in America and other markets - Nissan Primastar. At the same time, the configuration of the car is identical in all versions: it is a passenger 9-seater minibus, a cargo-passenger 6-seater or cargo 3-seater van, or a chassis with a cabin in one or two rows of seats. There are two types of wheelbase: short or long, as well as two options for the height of the cabin and interior.

Thanks to its amazing consumer qualities, the model has become mega-popular in many countries, in particular in Ukraine. Buyers highly appreciated the following positive features of the Renault Trafic:

• capacity;

• comfort;

• equipment and comfortable cabin ergonomics;

• simplicity and reliability of the design;

• high quality of nodes and aggregates;

• reliability and maintainability of the machine.

In our country, the model is still the leader of the secondary market in its segment, it is difficult to compare it with other cars. A relatively inexpensive, but at the same time functional, comfortable and trouble-free car — used Renault Trafic is a real find for small and medium-sized businesses: sole proprietorships and small firms. Depending on the modification, the machine can perfectly cope with various tasks: from transporting passengers to transporting frozen products or even small glass units.

The model was equipped with in-line four-cylinder engines, mainly on diesel fuel, from 1.9 to 2.5 liters, as well as gasoline engines with a volume of 2 liters. The gearbox is a six-speed manual or automatic. Renault Traffic was produced at factories in Barcelona, ​​Spain, or in Luton, Great Britain.

In 2014, the third generation of Renault Trafic was released, which is still in production. In addition to the modern exterior, the car received many innovations. Among them are three performance options, Business, Business+ and Sport, the X-Track version with a high-friction differential, increased ground clearance and underbody protection, as well as a new entertainment system and a huge number of options in all modifications. Gasoline versions have disappeared, replaced by the electric Trafic E-Tech.

How to buy Renault Traffic in Ukraine

Due to the popularity of the model in our country, there is no shortage of offers for these cars on the secondary market. However, due to the commercial nature of the operation, the poor condition of the roads and low-quality spare parts, the condition of cars with mileage in Ukraine often leaves much to be desired.

In addition, the real problem of the Ukrainian market is the people who unofficially earn money by reselling cars - "buyers". Unlike official trade organizations, they often misinform buyers for profit and do not take responsibility for their actions.

The following problems can result:

• hidden damage to the body and breakdowns of serious components such as automatic transmission;

• reduced mileage;

• problems with documents and previous owners;

• the presence of a car in the databases of theft or loans;

• crossed out body numbers and VIN.

All this can lead to a significant loss of money, or time, if the car can be handed back to the sellers.

As an alternative, you can consider the European option of buying a Renault Trafic: its price is lower there. Moreover, in such conditions, cars are stored better, have lower mileage and a transparent ownership history. However, it is not easy to buy a car on your own in another country. New ones may well be added to previous problems:

• ignorance of the language;

• peculiarities of local registration and administration;

• difficulties during orientation on the terrain;

• problems with traveling abroad;

• queues at customs points;

• errors in the calculation of customs payments, which may lead to fines;

• problems with car certification.

All this also threatens with significant financial losses.