The Renault Master is the French company’s largest van, sitting above the Trafic and below the company’s HGV range. The original Master debuted in 1980 while the latest model arrived in 2010, with a significant update in 2019 - just a year after Renault introduced the all-electric Master ZE, today called the Master E-Tech.
It’s offered in a huge array of body styles with an enormous carrying capacity in some versions, as well as in front wheel drive and rear wheel drive layouts. It’s no longer the most sophisticated large van on the market, but it’s good value new and that carries over to used models, too.
Until 2019 the Renault Master could also be found with a British badge on the nose in the shape of the Vauxhall Movano, while post-2019 Movanos are now based on the Fiat Ducato, another alternative to the Master. The Ford Transit, Volkswagen Crafter and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter also compete in the large panel van market.
The Renault Master’s key quality is offering enormous space and a variety of body styles at a price that undercuts several other vans on the market, and that’s as much the case for used models as it was when new. The largest Master panel vans can house 14.9 cubic metres while some models have payloads of up to two tonnes, easily competitive with others in the class.
The basic design is now fairly old, having debuted in 2010, but Renault has continually updated the Master and later models now feel much more modern, particularly since the last update in 2019. Equipment levels are a little basic, but if the first owner delved into the options list, then you may find some vans better equipped than others. Look for an Advance model if you want air conditioning, though.
The Master uses a range of 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel engines, with varying power outputs depending on the model and the application - rear-wheel drive and conversion models have slightly different outputs and emissions levels. It’s a noisy unit but packs enough of a punch to make light work of urban and motorway driving.
It drives well in general, and post-2019 models again benefit from touches like a crosswind assist function. Like other vans of this type, you sit up high, and the most recent cabin revisions mean it’s a pleasant enough ‘office’ out of which to work.
Key alternatives to the Master include the strong-selling Ford Transit, and the Vauxhall Movano - the latter was actually based on the Master before 2019, but is now based on the Fiat Ducato instead. The Volkswagen Crafter and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter are two more large van options worth considering.
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The Renault Master is offered in front wheel drive and rear wheel drive panel van variants with several body length and roof height options among just those - before you even get to Luton box vans and Luton low-loaders, plus conversion chassis including tippers, dropsides, platform cabs, and chassis cabs, so the best model to buy is whichever of these suits your particular needs.
The more powerful engine options will be best suited to handling jobs with higher weight requirements, while the smaller panel vans with the less powerful engines will be more than up to the job for local trips. If you intend on staying very local, the electric E-Tech could be worth a look - its claimed 126-mile range, or more in city driving, and six-hour charge should cover most multi-drop delivery work.
Renault currently offers a choice of two trim levels in the Master, and these are what you’ll find on most nearly-new models too. They’re more basic than some vans in this class, with no air conditioning on the entry level Start, and no touchscreen system on either van unless the original buyer has delved into the options list.
The Renault Master’s dimensions are:
The Renault Master’s load capacity is:
Like the current system for cars from the second year onwards, vans are subject to a flat rate of VED or ‘road tax’, a figure that currently stands at £320 per year for the 2023/2024 tax year. Heavy duty variants are currently a little less with a £165 annual bill, while the Renault E-Master, thanks to its electric drivetrain, is free to tax.
Renault Master insurance groups currently range from 11-18, but with so many variants on offer and even more ways of using them all, actual insurance rates will vary hugely, so we’d always recommend speaking to a broker to see how much appropriate cover may cost.
Read our full Renault Master review