Just when you thought that van roofs couldn’t get any higher the Renault Master High Roof is added to the Renault range of commercial vehicles.
Not only do you get 36% more space in the Renault Master High Roof van but you also get rear-wheel drive and dual rear wheels … a first in the Master range. The rear axle rating in the new Master High Roof van is 3,200kg and the vehicle can tow another 3,000kg.
Load space in the Renault Master High Roof van has been increased to 17 cubic metres and the payload has been increased to 2134kg which means this van can really carry a big load.
Despite the size and the carrying capacity the unladen weight of the vehicle has been kept down to ensure that the gross vehicle mass is just 4,500kg which means that the vehicle can be legally driven by anyone who holds a normal passenger car licence.
Although just because they can doesn’t necessarily mean they should. Based in a tourist town we see a lot of people driving big campervans who are way out of their comfort zone.
The engine
Let’s face it … in a van this size you’re probably not going to want sports car performance but you are going to want plenty of grunt and that’s what you get with the standard 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel engine that produces 110kW of power and 350Nm or torque between 1500rpm and 2750rpm.
This engine is coupled to your choice of a six-speed manual gearbox or a new ZF six-speed auto that uses an electric actuator to engage the clutch so that you get a better level of control when moving at very low speeds in tight situations.
Dimensions and Loading
We’ve already mentioned some of the dimensions but here are a few more of the ones that are important to commercial users.
The Renault Master High Roof van shares the same wheelbase as the normal LWB model in the Master range but the overhang has been increased by 650mm and that gives you an interior load length of 4,383mm, a width of 1,765mm and an internal height of 2,048mm.
The rear doors open to 270 degrees and that means that a forklift can be used to load the van. The passenger side sliding door is 1,270mm wide and 1,684mm high. A driver’s side sliding door is an option.
Safety and other goodies
The Renault Master High Roof van comes with an Isringhausen suspension seat as standard equipment for the driver. There’s nothing quite like a good seat when you’ve got to travel long distances in a commercial vehicle.
Standard equipment includes dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control with ASR traction control, cruise control and speed limiter, steel bulkhead with window, remote central locking, multifunction trip computer, Bluetooth and reverse parking sensors.
You can add to those safety features in the Renault Master High Roof with the Safety and Security Pack that includes auto headlights, rain sensing wipers, fog lights and alarm.
From there you can step up to the Premium Pack which gives you sat/nav, a reversing camera (something that really should be standard equipment in a vehicle this size) and some extra storage compartments.
Price
Well the Renault Master High Roof is a big commercial vehicle so the price tag fits the size To get into the manual version the price starts at $50,990 plus dealer and government charges and you can add another $2,000 for the auto.
The new High Roof Master is here in Australia and ready for delivery.