Renault rolls out cut-price Trafic Trader Life for cost-conscious businesses

French manufacturer Renault has undercut other leading van contenders with the Trafic Trader Life in a bid to offer penny-pinching small business owners a low-cost delivery solution. What constitutes 'low cost'? Try an ultra-keen $29,990 drive-away.

Based off the proven short wheelbase Trafic chassis but featuring an older generation 1.6-litre turbo-diesel engine, this budget offering naturally provides only the base requirements for an urban delivery vehicle.

The little 1.6-litre may be down on power at 66kW/260Nm, but it’s a light sipper with a claimed class-leading combined economy of 6.2L/100km.

Meanwhile standard tech is somewhat rudimentary in the Trader Life, hardly surprising for a commercial vehicle focused primarily around offering a low price point. You’ll snag cruise control, Bluetooth connectivity, ESC and hill start assist as standard, as well as seating for three adults.

As is the case with the entire Trafic range, you only get the option of a manual and this variant is also only offered in Glacier White with single spec LH side door access and lift-up tailgate. An automatic Trafic option is expected to arrive in Australia later this year, however it's unclear whether that will extend to the 1.6-litre powertrain of the Trader Life.

In terms of safety, the Trader Life loses out on reverse parking camera and sensors, as well as offering only two airbags over the five- and six-airbag systems in higher-spec Trafics.

What it does deliver, however, is an all-important 1,235kg payload, 5.2 cubic metres of cargo space, two-tonne towing capacity, capped-price servicing and road-side assist.

Renault offers a three year/unlimited-kilometre warranty with three capped price services at $549 each, as well as up to four years of roadside assistance coverage.

Of course, a perk of commercial vehicles is the extended service internals and in the case of the Trader Life you’ll only be visiting the dealership every 12 months or 30,000kms.

With the last-mile freight task growing at an alarming rate down under, Renault looks to be vying for top spot by undercutting the current crop of medium-duty market leaders.

The new Trader Life variant comes in well under the rest of the Trafic line-up, with pricing as follows: