2026 Renault Master review: Australian first drive

You may not guess it, but the Master van is currently the best-selling Renault in Australia.

After 12 years of its predecessor – and two-and-a-half years after its European launch – there is an all-new Master on local roads, with fresh ‘aero’ styling, a more modern cabin, and a new engine offering more power and lower fuel consumption.

However, not everything is a step forward, and some of those – occupant safety – are especially disappointing.

First to arrive are the four diesel versions of the Renault Master van, ahead of two E-Tech electric van versions in early 2027, alongside a cab-chassis version.

The top seller in the previous-generation line-up, the long-wheelbase (LWB) mid-roof automatic, is now priced from $61,990 plus on-road costs, while the second-best seller, the MWB mid-roof auto, is now $59,990 – both $4790 dearer than their predecessors.

The Master LWB mid-roof is close on price to an equivalent Ford Transit ($61,840 plus on-roads), and significantly cheaper than even the least expensive Mercedes-Benz Sprinter MWB ($72,637 plus on-roads), but it cannot get close to the LDV Deliver 9 LWB mid-roof, which is $48,990 drive-away with an ABN.

Standard in every Master are three seats, a steel bulkhead with window pane, rear barn doors that open to 270 degrees, a left steel sliding door, 16-inch steel wheels, automatic headlights, 10-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, one-touch power windows, and a rear-view camera with sensors.

As with all vans, there is a long list of optional extras to customise the vehicle to meet your needs and budget.

Among them, two option packs: $800 Trade (with a fold-down work table from the middle seat, a reversing sound, LED cargo lighting, and a rear step board) and the $1000 Business (middle-seat work table, auto climate-control air conditioning, LED cabin lighting, keyless entry and push-button start). Order them together, and they’re $1500.

The standard unglazed left side door can be had with a window, and complemented by a right sliding door with or without a window, as an option, while the bulkhead window can be deleted with the addition of a camera-based digital rear-view mirror.

Renault says the new Master’s slipperier body, new 2.0-litre engine and smoother nine-speed auto combine for reduced fuel consumption, but we can’t say by how much, as vehicles of this size and load rating are not required to carry a claimed fuel-use rating.

In my brief time behind the wheel – about an hour, without a load in the cargo area – the trip computer indicated 9.0 to 10.0 litres per 100 kilometres in town driving, before an extended period on the motorway cut that to 7.3L/100km.

As always, the type of driving you do – and how much you load in the back – will vary that fuel readout considerably.

The new Master has downsized its fuel tank from 100 litres to 80L, and now requires AdBlue diesel exhaust additive – intended to clean up the gases emitted from its tailpipe – stored in a 20-litre tank.

Expect to top it up every 10,000km or so, depending on how the vehicle is used.

The Renault Master is covered by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, accompanied by five years of free roadside assistance.

Service intervals are similar to rivals – at 12 months or 30,000km, whichever comes first – and prices are capped over five visits, totalling $4125 over five years/150,000km.

It is expensive for the category, as Ford quotes $2546 for the same maintenance period – though LDV only caps prices for three years/95,000km, comprised of an initial six-month/5000km visit and three more at multiples of one year/30,000km.

The Master does not appear on the online calculator of our go-to insurance quote provider.

The Renault Master has not been crash-tested by independent safety authorities, but Euro NCAP, the European counterpart to Australia’s ANCAP, has awarded the van a ‘Platinum’ rating for the performance of its crash-avoidance technology.

Confusingly, it is now marketing this as a “five-star” score, but do not be mistaken: it did not send any Master vans into walls or poles to see how the crash structure protects occupants, as is usually part of a vehicle’s star safety rating.

There is a long list of safety aids to help drivers prevent a crash, from autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, and newly standard features such as traffic-sign recognition and lane-keeping assistance.

Adaptive cruise control and lane-centring technology from Renault passenger cars are not available on the Master in Australia.

The Master’s crash-avoidance systems are well calibrated and do not annoy, but if drivers don’t like them, they can be turned off and mapped to a ‘Perso’ button beside their right knee that, with a double-press each time the van is started, activates a custom mode with their desired settings.

If a crash is unavoidable, there is a problem: there are no side airbags in the Master sold in Australia.

More accurately, there are no more side airbags, as the old model offered a side airbag for the driver as standard, with one added for the front passenger when a two-seat bench was option.

Side curtain airbags are available on the Master in left-hand-drive European markets, but it appears they have not yet been developed for right-hand drive, as they are not listed on the Renault Ireland website, or that of any other right-hand-drive market.

Rivals from Ford, LDV and Mercedes-Benz come standard in Australia with six airbags (including side torso and curtain coverage). The Fiat Ducato only has dual frontal airbags – as the Master does – but it is a near-20-year-old design.

It is a very disappointing decision, given van drivers spend more time on the road than almost anyone else – and customers who drive on the left side of the road deserve the same safety as those who drive on the right.

The Master's height compared to other vehicles on the road is likely to help in a crash, but side airbags are widely considered to be potentially life-saving equipment that have come to be standard in most vehicles sold in Australia.

It is not clear when side airbags will be made available to right-hand-drive models, but we would urge Renault HQ to do so as soon as possible – and, in the meantime, caution customers who prioritise crash safety to consider rival vans.

In LWB form, the new Master is longer than its predecessor – by about 90mm – with slight increases in width and height, but it remains under 2.5 metres tall.

Renault touts a 100mm increase in cargo area length, and 40mm in the size of the side door opening, which at 1312mm is large enough to fit a pallet on a forklift for easier loading.

Inspired by classic European trucks, the Master is claimed to have been designed in a wind tunnel – using scale models, because the full vehicle wouldn’t fit – for improved aerodynamics.

Handy touches include notches built into the front bumper that act as steps for easier access to the engine bay.

All-new underpinnings and proportions mean the 2026 Master shares little with its predecessor inside, and takes steps forward in space and technology.

Three seats are standard, with the option of a two-seat bench, or keeping the centre position and folding it down to be used as a work table or storage area (at extra cost). There’s even storage space underneath them, if you tick the right box.

The fabric seats are soft and comfortable for my 186cm (6ft 1in) tall frame, and visibility is excellent out the front, thanks to a large windscreen, big side mirrors, and a bonnet that drops away from the driver.

Leather-like material is used on the passenger-car-sized steering wheel – both welcome touches – and the plastic used elsewhere by Renault appears hard-wearing without being flashy.

Conventional dials and buttons have been retained for the air conditioning. The gear shifter is now a ‘wand’ on the steering column, and it’s surprisingly easy to reach in three-point turns, while audio volume is on another steering column wand or on top of the touchscreen.

Storage is excellent. Owners will struggle to run out of space: tall dual-level door pockets, a shelf and glovebox on the left side of the dashboard, three open bays on top of the dash, overhead storage in the roof – including room for a radio – and coat hooks above the seats.

The outboard cupholders double as grab handles for easier access, and it is still possible to slide across the seats to exit the vehicle from the passenger side, though the floor is not flat. One complaint is the shelf where the USB-C ports sit, intended for your phone, is a little awkward to interact with; a 12-volt socket is next to it.

The rear barn doors open up to 270 degrees for easy access into the massive rear load area.

Taller owners will not find the floor too high – though shorter people may struggle – and there is enough room in the mid-roof model for me (at 186cm) to stand up straight. Ten tie-down points are included for securing cargo and LED lights are optional.

On paper, Renault quotes 13 cubic metres of space inside the top-selling LWB mid-roof – more than even a LWB high-roof Deliver 9 (12.33 cubic metres), though the Master is a longer van, and it may be measured in a slightly different manner.

Payloads are rated at up to 1973kg in the two-seat MWB mid-roof Master, the 1312mm-wide side door opening is large enough for a pallet, and there is now a gross vehicle mass of 4000kg across the range.

For every measurement for each model grade and seat layout, including the upcoming electric version, check the Renault website.

The Master’s 10-inch touchscreen is not as snappy or easy to use as your smartphone, but it is an effective system with large icons, not too many menus to learn, and crisp graphics.

Wireless and wired versions of Apple CarPlay are fitted – wireless CarPlay worked well on test, bar a slight glitch with audio initially refusing to play – plus AM and FM radio, Bluetooth, and voice control.

There is no more satellite navigation. Only the electric model has built-in maps, which runs via Google Maps, rather than a Renault-developed system.

Analogue dials split by a 3.5-inch display are standard, and they are easy to read without being flashy or high-tech. A digital speed display is included.

The sheer size of the Master means that – as with all large vans – it will never feel like a car to drive, but it is impressively refined for a big commercial vehicle intended to carry a load.

The new 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine has more power and torque than before – 125kW/380Nm vs 110kW/350Nm – and delivers sufficient performance, particularly at lower speeds.

Push the speedometer past 70km/h and it does not feel as urgent, not helped when load is added to the cargo hold. For a van – and what buyers expect from a vehicle of this size – there is ample punch.

Gone is the old Master’s six-speed automated manual transmission – a computer controlling a jerky clutch – in favour of a new nine-speed torque-converter auto. It is a silky-smooth operator that doesn’t shunt and generally picks the right gear for the situation.

Paddle shifters are on hand, if you want to manually downshift to prep the van for an overtake, for example.

The steering is light and direct – with a wheel pinched from Renault passenger cars – backed by turning circles of 12.8 to 14.9 metres, which are not quite as tight as comparable LDVs and Fords, but still competitive nonetheless.

Driven unladen, there is a busy feel to the suspension that is to be expected for a van, but it is never brittle or harsh as to be called uncomfortable – and adding weight to the load area settles the ride.

New Master customers will need to get used to the sensitive brake pedal, which can be ‘grabby’ in traffic, and hard to modulate smoothly at first.

Tyre roar is not overwhelming on the freeway – Renault has selected quality Continental rubber that don’t burst into wheelspin on a heavy press of the throttle – and it is about as quiet as you’d expect to drive on the freeway for a vehicle shaped like this.

Find new and used Renault Master vans for sale at Drive Marketplace, while to look at the new model in the metal, locate your nearest Renault dealer here.

More details on pricing, specifications, special offers, and more are available at this link.

The new Renault Master is a spacious, comfortable and refined van from a company with a history of building vehicles like this.

The cabin is practical, the load area is spacious – with the better part of two tonnes' worth of payload – the new 2.0-litre engine has ample punch, and it’s easy to drive for its size.

It is more expensive than before – as well as compared to its top-selling Chinese rival – but it is to be expected from a European-made vehicle from a more established brand, and the trade-off may be better resale value.

What we cannot forgive is Renault’s decision to omit side airbags from right-hand-drive Australian versions of the new Master, even though van customers spend more time on the road than most others.

If crash safety is not a priority for you or your business, the Renault Master is worth a test drive.