14 May 2001: Renault Distributors plan to increase their van market share in Ireland from the current level of 6.5% to 11% over the next few years.

And the new Renault Trafic, the result of a joint venture with Opel, and scheduled to be launched here in September, is expected to account for 3.5% of the total van market on its own.

Renault Distributors MD Jerr Nolan forecasts sales of 1,000 units of the new Trafic next year, and 1,400 in 2003. The vehicle will be brought in at a price in the region of £15,000 with a specification which includes ABS as standard.

The new Trafic will come to Ireland with two 1.9-litre turbocharged diesel engine options of 82bhp and 100bhp outputs, the latter with a 6-speed gearbox.

There will be two wheelbase lengths of 3098mm and 3489mm, and payload options of 1000kg and 1200kg. A high-roof version is planned.

A Combi passenger version which we drove at the Copenhagen launch last week is unlikely to be brought into Ireland, as it would be priced prohibitively in our penal VRT system at around £26,000. In other markets this can be had in configurations from two to nine seats.

The original Renault Trafic was launched in 1980 and more than 930,000 units have been sold.

Renault Distributors currently have 20 specialist van dealers in Ireland. Up to 12 of these are to be upgraded to Light Commercial Business Units which will provide the full range of Renault LCVs along with specialist service facilities.

The Trafic is initially being built in the UK at the GM-owned plant in Luton, alongside the Opel Vivaro. Later, it will also be built in the Nissan factory in Barcelona in Spain. A Nissan version is also planned.