Vauxhall Vivaro vs Renault Trafic

If you're looking for a medium van, chances are you're picking between the Renault Trafic or the Vauxhall Vivaro

But which one is right for you?

We put them through their paces so you can make the tricky decision on whether to opt for a Vauxhall Vivaro lease or a Renault Trafic lease. 

Though the Vauxhall Vivaro and Renault Trafic were near identical at one time, they're now two distinct vans.

You might not realise this by just looking at them though. From the outside, both the Trafic and the Vivaro are fairly standard mid-sized panel vans.

But Vauxhall was bought by the PSA Group (the parent company that owns Citroen, Peugeot and Fiat) in 2017, and the Vivaro was given a radical update in 2019 to bring it in line with vans like the Citroen Dispatch and the Peugeot Expert instead of the Renault Trafic.

Both are an excellent choice for a medium van lease, if you're looking for a hard-wearing workhorse that'll suit many different businesses thanks to their versatility and practicality.

Renault Trafic

An economical van, the Renault Trafic is a pack leader in the mid-sized van market. 

It ranks alongside the Renault Clio and Captur as one of the French brand's best-selling models - and for good reason.

Though this generation of the Trafic was launched in 2014, constant revisions and updates have kept it top of the leader board. The latest facelift has given it a fresh look inside and out, but hasn't compromised on the practicality.

The trims have been given a slight overhaul, with Business, Business+ and Sport being joined by a new Sport+ spec which brings even more kit to the van (including lane departure warning and traffic sign recognition). 

All Trafic models come with DAB radio with Bluetooth, Electronic Stability Control, a full steel bulkhead, remote central locking, a sliding side door and a speed limiter. If you want more kit than this, you'll need to look further up the specification list.

Business+ adds an eight-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, manual air con, rear parking sensors, a load-through bulkhead and Renault's 'Mobile Office' (a fold-down table on the back of the middle passenger seat and space to store a laptop).

Upgrade to Sport, and you'll get alloy wheels, body-coloured bumpers, electric folding mirrors, touchscreen sat-nav, LED interior lighting, auto lights and wipers, a driver alert system and automatic emergency braking. 

Sport+, the top-of-the-range trim, not only brings upgraded kit but also metallic paint as standard, keyless entry, climate control and a rear parking camera.

It's one of the most spacious vans on the market, with an overall length of 5,080mm for the L1 and 5,480mm for the L2, while the standard van has 5.2m3 of cargo volume.

Even the smallest L1H1 can carry three pallets, or 11 standard sheets of plasterboard.

There are also 16 anchorage points in the short wheelbase model (and 18 in the LWB) to help secure loose items.

Safety at the top of your list?

The Renault Trafic is the real deal. Though you'll need to upgrade to a higher trim or add optional packs if you want the safest spec possible, the standard kit is still solid.

All Trafics come with a full steel bulkhead, a driver's side airbag, ABS with EBD and ESC, and Grip Xtend to help on slippery surfaces.

Upgrade to the Business+ model and you'll get the 'Wide View Mirror', which is a mirror on the passenger sun visor which helps to eliminate the nearside blind spot by increasing your field of vision.

And the top Sport+ model also comes equipped with lane keep assist, which gives you an audible and visual warning that you're straying from your lane. It's available in the advanced driver assist pack too, if you don't need all the bells and whistles.

Unlike the Vivaro, the Renault Trafic isn't available yet as a fully electric van - though the Trafic E-Tech Electric will be launching soon - but the range of diesel engines are economical, and the 80L tank should be good for around 600 miles between refuels.

Vauxhall Vivaro

A popular choice with buyers since Vauxhall introduced the van in 2001, the Vauxhall Vivaro is a user-friendly van that'll appeal to people who need something spacious, but want something car-like to drive.

The current generation was launched in 2019, and it's the first Vivaro to share features with its PSA Group siblings - the Citroen Dispatch, Peugeot Expert and Toyota Proace - rather than the Trafic, Nissan NV300 and Fiat Talento.

The Vivaro is still Made in Britain, and provides stiff competition in the medium van world. 

Built in two lengths, L1 and L2 (though the wheelbases are the same length - the L2 gets its extra length behind the rear axle) and one roof height, the Vivaro is a practical option.

There's also the option of the five-seater Vivaro Doublecab, and Vauxhall also offers a Vivaro chassis cab that can be kitted out by conversion companies. 

In terms of its ability to carry stuff, the slightly higher roof and less intrusive wheel arches mean there's more room in the panel van than ever before, with a load volume of 5.3m3 for the L1 and 6.1m3 in the L2.

There's also the option of having a load-through in the bulkhead, which expands load volumes to 5.8m3 and 6.6m3, but you'll only be able to fit planks, ladders, tubing or pipework into the load-through.

But if planks, ladders, tubing and pipework are what you need on a daily basis, then the load-through is well worth it for adding that extra length without any extra bulk.

Under the bonnet, Vauxhall offers a choice of two diesel engines. You can opt for either the 1.5L Turbo D with 100PS or 120PS outputs, or the 2.0L Turbo D with outputs of 120PS, 150PS and 180PS.

All vans come with a 70L fuel tank, so you'll be good for over 600 miles no matter which engine you go for.

And though the suspension is designed with heavy loads in mind, and there is some bounce when there's nothing in the back to weigh it down, it's not as bad as some rivals and the drive is still refined and quiet, even at higher speeds.

Looking to make your business more sustainable?

The Vauxhall Vivaro also comes in electric guise, as the Vauxhall Vivaro Electric. There are two battery options here - 50kWh and 75kWh - which are good for 144 and 205 miles respectively.

Some of the best numbers out there, and more than enough for most companies to get where they need to be each day.

It doesn't lose out on cargo volume either, and payloads range between 1,000kg and 1,226kg. Not quite as good as the diesel panel van with its maximum payload of 1,458kg, but still competitive.

Just treat your electric van like a smartphone and charge it overnight, and you'll likely not feel the different between the electric and diesel Vivaros. 

Inside the cabin, the Vauxhall Vivaro is very car-like, and the finish is robust, with plenty of hard-wearing plastics used throughout the cabin that'll withstand some bashing.

There's plenty of storage dotted throughout, the seat bases open to reveal underfloor storage, the door bins are deep enough for a thermos flask, and the middle passenger seat folds down to create a table.

It's a hugely spacious, practical van that'll slot right into your life.