If you want to know about the latest and upcoming model for Renault, Brings Back Historic Names for Futuristic Vans. Renault is eager to bring back nameplates it hasn't used in decades, just like many other automakers. Later this year, the revived R4 will go on sale, and the R5 (known as Le Car in the US) is back. The Twingo will also make a comeback in 2026.
In terms of marketing, the French company is currently bringing back two names: Goelette and Estafette. All three of the new vans have electric drivetrains, and a next-generation Trafic joins the lineup.
Although the new vehicle has futuristic looks, the Estafette moniker is reminiscent of a line of vans that were sold from the late 1950s to the mid-1980s. It is based on a namesake concept that was displayed at the IAA Transportation show in Düsseldorf in September. A door that slides open and a roller shutter door at the rear have been incorporated into the sleek van's design. For convenient access, it has running boards on the sides and back.
What You Want to Know: Renault Brings Back Historic Names for Futuristic Vans?
The dimensions of Renault's new small van are 102.3 inches (2.60 meters) in height, 75.5 inches (1.92 meters) in width, and 207.4 inches (5.27 meters) in length. Getting from the cargo area to the cockpit won't be a problem, even if you're 6 feet 3 inches (1.9 meters) tall. As one might anticipate from an industrial vehicle, it has a large windshield and large side windows for superior visibility outside.
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Almost as old as Estafette, the Goelette name is making a comeback. Although the rear part can be altered in a variety of ways based on the demands of the company, Renault intends to offer the new model in three flavors: chassis cab, box, and tipper. It has a wraparound windscreen that lets drivers see past the B-pillars and can be purchased with or without running boards.
In contrast to the other two, the Renault Trafic has been in continuous production since the 1980s, selling over 2.5 million vehicles. Like Hyundai tried with the Staria Load, it takes on a high-tech appearance to make vans less dull, echoing the Estafette and Goelette. With a height of less than 74.8 inches (1.9 meters), it should be easy to access underground parking lots throughout Europe.
Vans aren't the most aerodynamic vehicles because they have to be boxy to maximize the amount of room inside. Nonetheless, the new Trafic sports a larger rear spoiler with integrated deflectors thanks to Renault's design. To make things more durable, the redesigned workhorse also has grained black lower body protection and asymmetrical hinged doors.
Since Renault plans to sell all three with a fully electric drivetrain, they all have the suffix "E-Tech" attached to them. In 2026, the new Estafette, Goelette, and Trafic will be put on the market after being constructed at the Sandouville facility in France.
Flexis, a business established by Renault last year in partnership with Volvo and the French transportation giant CMA CGM Group, created the trio. Over the next two years, CMA CGM Group will invest €120 million in Flexis, while Volvo and Renault will each spend €300 million.
Understanding the Basic Concept for Renault Brings Back Historic Names for Futuristic Vans
For delivery in cities, small electric vehicles are a great option. Its small size, quick performance, and minimal emissions make it ideal for rushing around and delivering goods to people's doorsteps.
However, if the vehicle is so little that you have to send two, it is more cost-effective to send a larger van. Until that larger vehicle is agile enough to finish the task without possibly running the risk of more in-service damage.
Renault has attempted to preserve this with the Estafette Concept, a car that shares a footprint with the company's current small van, the long-wheelbase Renault Kangoo. The Estafette has a turning circle akin to that of a Renault Clio and is less than 5 meters long and 2 meters wide, so it can still fit into most regular parking spots.
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However, because of its significantly higher roof, it provides load space comparable to a high-roof, short-wheelbase The Ford Transit Custom's current rival is the Renault Trafic. The Estafette is 2.59 meters tall, whereas the Kangoo is 1.84 meters. It is actually about 60 cm taller than the majority of VW Transporters and Transit Customs that you see on the road.
If Renault hadn't played it by painting the top portion bright yellow and giving it that cute little bulldog face, this would have had a very goofy visual impact. All of this is an attempt to add appeal to vehicles as well.
Is There Anything Ingenious About the Interior?
The interior has also been carefully considered. Because of the roof's height, drivers up to 1.9 meters (6 feet 2 inches) tall can stand up in the cab and enter the load space through a sliding door in the bulkhead.
This increases safety because the driver just needs to choose what they need and exit the van through the sliding side doors, never having to go to the back of the van.
While the side doors feature a "pocket sliding" design that is supposed to lessen wrist strain, the bulkhead door automatically locks as you exit the car to safeguard the load compartment.
The ergonomics of getting up and moving into the load area, where several folding shelves aid in organizing the contents, are also improved by a swiveling seat (there is just one; the second seat is "only for training").
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The van is loaded using a roller shutter in the back. The Estafette design can be backed all the way up to a loading dock because it doesn't open outward like traditional barn doors or tailgates, though there are steps available for rear access if needed.
According to theory, loading through the back and unloading at the side is done for added safety and security because the driver will never need to access the back during their rounds. The rear view is handled by cameras and screens, while the forward view is enhanced by a huge "triptych-shaped" windscreen, which the cabin has an abundance of.
What’s Underneath?
Co-developed by Renault and its Flexis partners, Volvo and logistics firm CMA-CGM, the Estafette Concept is the first demonstration of a new FlexEVan platform. Performance, power/torque output, and driving range are not yet known; however, a new SDV electrical architecture will be used. Software-Defined cars, or SDVs, are created by Ampere, Renault's specialized "intelligent electric vehicles" division.
Among many other catchphrases, SDV is modular, scalable, connected, and updateable. In essence, it intends to give the onboard electronics a persistent cloud connection so they can advance over time.
The modular design is meant to make it simpler to incorporate power-hungry conversion types—like freezer compartments, specialized lighting rigs, and other innovations beyond the typical "van"—into the basic platform. That seems awesome. I hope the production version has the same groovy vibe.
What Are the Production Version’s Plans?
In the end, Renault's new medium van—the Estafette or its production version—will take the place of the Traffic. When asked if the production version will sit among the brand’s existing vans or be a replacement for any Renault’s vice president for global sales and marketing commercial vehicles.
Zak Zeghari, said, ‘It doesn’t make sense to keep an electric medium van like Traffic [E-Tech] electric. So when will we bring, I would say, the Estafette project, or the other shapes, then that will be our solution for the medium van segment?’
With the manufacture of the Estafette expected to come in 2026, this implies that the Trafic E-Tech will only be available for purchase for another two years or so. The Estafette will be Renault's only mid-size van available in as little as six years since the diesel Trafic will no longer be available in the UK starting in 2030 due to the phase-out of internal combustion engines.
