The Master is available in two trim levels. Entry-level Businesscomes with a DAB radio with Bluetooth, automatic headlights and wipers, a fully adjustable driver’s seat, electric and heated door mirrors and an alarm.
We’d encourage you to go for the Business+ version, however, because that gets you under-seat storage withlidded compartments and rear parking sensors – the latter being hugely beneficial for a large van.
Business+ also addsmanual air-conditioning, one-touch driver’s side electric front window andan additional 12V power supply in the load area.Disappointingly, the Renault 7.0in MediaNav infotainment system is optional no matter which trim you go for.
Costs overview
StrengthsSurprisingly economical
WeaknessesInfotainment system is optional across the board
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About the author
George Barrow is one of the leading van and truck reviewers, and is the UK’s only representative on the prestigious International Van of the Year jury. He has written about vans and commercial vehicles for the past 15 years, and can be found in titles including The Sun and What Van?, alongside What Car?.
Barrow is well regarded in the commercial vehicle industry, securing access to the latest models – and the people who made them – long before other titles.
FAQs
It depends which version you choose. The H1 (i.e. lowest roof) panel van is 2.3 metres high, while the H3 (the highest roof) version is 2.7 metres tall. Tipper and dropside models are all the same height as the H1 panel van, while the Luton model is 3.2 metres tall, and the Luton low-loader stands at 2.8 metres. Choosing a rear-wheel-drive model instead of front-wheel drive adds around 0.1 metres to the Master’s height.
Currently, the centrepiece of the Master range is a 2.3-litre diesel engine, in a variety of outputs stretching from 128bhpto 148bhp. Van, platform-cab and chassis-cab versions are available in electric van formwith a 75bhp motor and a 52kWh battery.
The Master’s reliability record is good, but not outstanding – Renault does pretty well in most van reliability surveys, and while the Master doesn’t top the tables as one of the most dependable large vansits solid mid-table placings suggest its reliability isn’t a matter to be too concerned about.
No – the 2.3-litre diesel engine has a timing chain, rather than a rubber belt, which shouldn’t need changing for the life of the vehicle.
You can havefront or rear-wheel-drive versions of almost every body style (the exceptions arethe Luton box vanand the platform cab model).
The battery is located beneath the passenger seat, behind the passenger-side sill trim. To access it, you need to open the passenger-side door and remove the sill trim piece.
