Renault Master Review & Prices

There’s a really quick way to summarise the Renault Master- it’s the best large panel van on sale right now. Though it’s among the cheapest vans of this size that you can buy, it’s right up there with the class-leaders for payload, ease of loading, and driving comfort.

Its sister vehicle, the all-electric Master E-Tech, is also one of the best electric vans you can buy - but not every business is ready to go electric, so it’s reassuring to know that the Master diesel is as good as or even better than its kWh-powered counterpart.

The new Master diesel feels like a new West End show starting up along a street that only holds the old classics. Sure, they’ve kept Les Mis and Chicago well-polished, but ultimately they’re the same old shows - whereas the newcomer is much fresher, with ticket prices that don’t cost an arm and a leg.

You see, most large panel van alternatives to the Master have been around for a long time. The newest alternative is the Mercedes Sprinter, which was first sold in 2019. Or there’s the Volkswagen Crafter, launched in 2016 but currently awaiting a facelift. The Ford Transit has been around since 2014, twice-updated, while the Stellantis Group vans (Citroen Relay, Peugeot Boxer, Fiat Ducato, Vauxhall Movano, Toyota Proace Max) are based on a design which ultimately dates back to 2005.

By contrast, the Master looks bang up-to-date. It stands out from the crowd with its styling - the upright, bluff grille is almost like an American pickup truck and it’s flanked by bold, C-shaped LED daytime running lights. Black plastic cladding is used in useful places where it’ll lessen the impact of car park dings or round-town scrapes, and despite the boxy looks the Master is actually quite aerodynamic for a large van, improving refinement and efficiency.

Inside, it may look less glitzy than something like a Ford Transit with its huge touchscreen - but the Master’s technology is well thought-out and easy to use. The infotainment screen is ideally sited and comes with wireless smartphone connectivity, while Extra models get Google apps built-in. The only gripes are the old-fashioned analogue dials and storage for items around the cabin could be better too - the glovebox is particularly small.

There are three body sizes to choose from, with a short-wheelbase model plus a long-wheelbase version with two roof heights. Payloads are exceptional - nearly two tonnes in the best model, which is significantly higher than the best Ford Transit and mirrors class-leading payloads in the all-electric E-Tech model.

Add to all of that prices which are more in line with high-spec mid-sized panel vans, and a couple of interior gripes are very easy to forgive. The Renault Master should be a serious contender if you’re looking for a van that can do lots of work with minimum fuss.

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The Renault Master range starts at about £33,500 ex.VAT. That's just a tiny bit more than the Stellantis Group offerings - which though they have great payloads, are based on an underlying design from 2006 - and way less than a VW Crafter, Mercedes Sprinter or Ford Transit.

Even the most expensive 'Extra' model fitted with the most powerful engine and the biggest body comes in at less than £40,000 ex.VAT - less than a basic Ford Transit. This is pretty cracking value considering the Master's other qualities.

There are two trim levels available - Advance and Extra. Advance models come with auto lights and wipers, heated and electrically adjustable door mirrors, air-conditioning, and that 10.1-inch touchscreen. Extra doesn't add too much but you do get LED lights in the loading bay, a couple more 12V sockets, front foglights, Google built-in to the infotainment and covers for the steel wheels.

Not as good to drive as a Ford Transit, but pretty close with strong engines and nice steering

The Master comes with a choice of three diesel engines - all 2.0-litre four-cylinder units, with power outputs of 130hp, 150hp or 170hp. The 130 and 150hp engines have a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, the 150hp has an optional automatic, and the 170hp engine is automatic only.

We tested the 130hp manual and genuinely found it to be all the engine you’re likely to need. If you do a lot of heavily-laden, high-speed mileage or towing you might prefer the 150hp unit, and if you do a lot of stop-start traffic then the auto might be a better bet - though the all-electric Master E-Tech is superior still for these purposes.

The 130hp engine pulls strongly, with plenty of low-down grunt. The gearbox is slightly notchy in its action, but it’s light enough that rowing through the ratios to get up to speed doesn’t feel like too much of a chore. Driving through town can feel a bit bumpy when unladen, as the rear suspension is quite firm - but it feels reassuringly tied-down the rest of the time, and once it’s got a decent load in you won’t notice it.

The steering feels very well-tuned, too. At low speeds or during tight manoeuvres it feels light enough to twirl, but when you’re going faster it weights up nicely and doesn’t feel too twitchy. This makes for a more relaxed experience on the motorway or on country lanes - though it doesn’t quite have the sure-footedness or driver feedback that you get from a Ford Transit.

Add in a really tight turning circle and you have a van that’s genuinely great to drive with very few caveats. The only real negatives we could find was that the brake pedal feels quite grabby and difficult to modulate, and that the headlight main beam is a bit weedy.

Fantastic payloads and a large loading area, though doesn’t have any particularly clever features

The Master is currently available as a medium-wheelbase or long-wheelbase panel van, with the option of a high roof for the LWB model. Unlike the E-Tech electric model there’s only one chassis weight, but payloads are so exceptional that you won’t miss the option of a heavier model.

Twin rear doors open to 270 degrees for good access, and the side sliding door is the widest of any large van. A second sliding door on the other side of the vehicle is a reasonably-priced option, too, while the cost of ply or composite lining is also pretty reasonable. There’s a low floor and strong lighting inside, too, which is LED on Extra models.

Renault Master internal and external measurements

Exterior dimensions

Exterior length (MWB/LWB): 5,685mm/6,315mm
Exterior width with mirrors: 2,466mm
Exterior width without mirrors: 2,080mm
Exterior height (standard roof/high roof): 2,501mm/2,780mm

Interior load length

Panel van (MWB/LWB): 3,225mm/3,855mm

Interior loading width

Maximum: 1,765mm
Between wheel arches: 1,380mm

Interior loading height

Maximum: 1,885mm

Rear door aperture height

All versions: 1,755mm

Rear door aperture width

All versions: 1,537mm

Side door aperture height

All versions: 1,753mm

Side door aperture width

All versions: 1,312mm

Towing capacity

All versions of the Master diesel can tow up to 2,500kg braked. That’s on par with most alternatives, but the heavy-duty versions of the Mercedes Sprinter or Fiat Ducato can go as high as 3,000kg.

Payload

Renault Master payloads are among the best in class. The best model - the MWB in entry-level Advance trim - can handle a staggering 1,971kg, half a tonne more than the same-sized Ford Transit. Even the largest model can handle over 1,900kg.

If you want more payload from a medium-sized van you’ll have to specify one with a larger chassis, which then requires an extra category on your driving licence. Something like a 5.05 Mercedes Sprinter or 7.2t Iveco Daily will carry more, but then not only do you restrict who can drive it but you run into issues with tachometers and speed limiters.

Unassuming tech works well and it’s comfortable, but storage could be better

The Master’s cab is easy to get comfortable in, even for very tall drivers. There’s enough adjustment in the seat and steering wheel to suit people of all shapes and sizes, and all versions get a fold-down driver’s armrest.

There’s also plenty of width, so accommodating three across the van isn’t too onerous - though the middle occupant will be slightly squashed by the pod for the gearlever. Even automatic models still have this in place. The floor isn’t totally flat either, with bumps over the wheels.

The flat-faced dashboard is the model of simplicity but that means everything’s exactly where you’d expect it to be. There’s a simple panel of controls for the heating and air-con, above which sits a 10.1-inch touchscreen display - modest, compared to the vast 13.0-inch one in the Ford Transit, but ideally sited and easy to see.

As standard, the Master’s infotainment system runs the same software as you get in Dacia models - basic, but perfectly adequate, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come standard so you can bypass it with ease. As an option on the Extra trim you can upgrade to Renault’s more sophisticated Google-based operating system, which gives you native Google Maps, in-built apps as well as Google’s voice assistant, all of which are so good that you probably won’t feel the need to connect your own phone beyond Bluetooth for calls.

If you do want to connect your phone, there’s a useful shelf under the climate controls with two USB-C ports that holds your device really securely - but larger phones will stick out if they’re plugged in.

It’s a shame that the Master diesel gets an old-fashioned gauge cluster - most of the alternatives have digital displays at this point - and other rather old-school touches include a proper twisty key on all models as well as a manual handbrake in between the front seats.

Interior storage could be better, too. The door bins are large and capacious, but the glovebox on right-hand drive models is tiny, and unless you fold down the centre seat you only get one cupholder at each end of the dash. The folding seat is great, though - it bends halfway up, so the resulting ‘desk’ is at a comfortable height for a laptop or clipboard.

Renault claims around 37mpg for the Master diesel, dependant on which body size you opt for. This will of course reduce with load, but during a week of mixed mileage with a mostly unladen van we found 35mpg very easy to achieve from the 130hp manual.

Expect the more powerful engines to be a little thirstier, though the automatics have longer gear ratios making them more relaxed cruisers, so motorway economy should be improved. The Master’s purchase price is so much lower than most alternatives that you save a bunch of money at the outset, anyway.

The Master has a large, 22-litre AdBlue tank that should go a good distance between fillups.

Euro NCAP doesn’t crash test vans, but when it evaluated the Renault Master’s driving assistance tech it awarded it a full five-star rating, with 73% scored for safe driving, 76% for crash avoidance and 80% for post-crash safety.

The feature that will make drivers happier than any is the presence of the ‘My Safety’ button just to the right of the steering wheel. This allows you to personalise the safety equipment you want - and don’t want - and activate the ‘Perso’ profile with just two clicks, rather than having to dive through a load of touchscreen menus. Ideal for switching off the annoying and often inaccurate speed limit alerts.

Driver and passenger airbags come as standard, as does cruise control and autonomous emergency braking. Rear parking sensors and large, two-part door mirrors help with manoeuvring, though it’s a shame that a reversing camera is an optional extra even on the pricier Extra trim. And if you want blind-spot monitoring or pedestrian and cyclist collision warning systems, you’ll have to go for an E-Tech electric model, as they’re not available on the diesel.

The Master may be an all-new van, but the engines and most of the tech are all well-proven in older Renault or Dacia models. The previous Master never really stood out as an outstandingly reliable van, though - it was merely average, but the smaller and younger Trafic often does well in reliability surveys.

Service intervals are set at two years or 24,000 miles, but the warranty cover is a disappointingly short three years, albeit with a 100,000 mile limit. The Toyota Proace Max has up to ten years of cover.