The current generation Renault Master has been on sale in Europe since 2010, making it one of the oldest light commercial vehicles on the market. The French automaker is working on a new Master van and our spies were able to catch a glimpse of testing an early prototype in winter conditions.
Judging by the amount of camouflage covering about three-quarters of the new Master’s body, Renault may still be in the early stages of development. While we can’t confirm the information at this time, it appears that the bus is on the production body as there are no visible fake panels attached to the metal. The headlights and taillights also look like the production unit, although with so much camouflage covering them it’s hard to tell what they actually look like.
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We hope this new Master brings major improvements under the skin. Renault already has a battery-powered Master but it has a tiny 55 kilowatt-hour battery pack, which is good for around 120 miles (190 kilometers) measured by WLTP cycles. These are definitely not impressive numbers, but keep in mind that the van is meant for so-called “long-distance” delivery. Its successor can boast a much larger battery pack which increases that range and makes this model more suitable for intercity shipping.
Of course, the electric variant is not expected to be the most popular powertrain for the new Master. In Europe, diesel powered vans still dominate LCV sales and the new model from France is expected to offer at least one diesel option. The current model is sold with a 2.3 liter dCi compression ignition factory with an output of up to 180 horsepower. We don’t expect Renault to bring a completely new engine.
Interesting rumors surrounding the new Master claim there will be a hydrogen powered version as well. Last year, Renault presented the Master H2-TECH as a pilot project of a fuel cell LCV and it is rumored that this new generation of buses will bring significant technological improvements in the department.
