On the road, a lofty driving position gives you a clear view ahead, while the weighting of the controls, noise levels and ride comfort, helps the Master to be an intuitive and comfortable van to drive, both on the motorway and around town.
Prices kick off at less than £34,000 (+VAT) for the entry-level diesel Master in L2H2 configuration. The Master E-Tech is pricier, costing from around £43,000 (+VAT), but that drops to less than £40,000 with the Government’s low-emission van grant, and means that while the Master has a longer range than large electric van rivals, it costs a few thousand pounds less than its Ford and Mercedes competitors.
Thanks to a redesigned body, the latest Renault Master has 20 per cent less drag than the old model, and Renault claims that it’s the most aerodynamically efficient van in its class. In the real world, that means improved fuel economy and lower emissions, while the Master E-Tech offers a longer range.
The diesels use a new Blue dCi 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with three power outputs. The base 130 engine can achieve up to 33.2mpg on the combined cycle, a figure that’s matched by the most powerful 170 engine. The middle-tier 150 engine is slightly better, achieving up to 34mpg. These figures are for Masters equipped with the manual gearbox – we expect fuel economy to drop marginally if the nine-speed automatic is fitted.
