Renault Master

Renault

Industry	Automotive
Founded	1899
Headquarters	Boulogne-Billancourt , France
Products	Automobiles, commercial vehicles, vans (including Renault Master)

The Renault Master is a sizable van manufactured by the French automaker Renault since 1980, currently in its third iteration. It succeeded the earlier Renault Super Goélette light truck series. In Europe, the second and third generations are sold by Opel under the name Opel Movano, and in the UK as the Vauxhall Movano, although all versions have been engineered and produced by Renault. Heavier-duty variants are marketed by Renault Trucks under the name Renault Trucks Master.

A range of body configurations has been available, including standard vans as well as larger models featuring extended cargo areas and longer wheelbases, indicated by an LWB prefix. While panel vans represent the majority of sales, pickup versions have also been offered. More robust models were distributed under Renault Trucks as the B series, later rebranded as the Messenger and eventually the Mascott.

First generation (1980–1997)

Introduced in September 1980, the initial Master came equipped with a diesel engine sourced from Fiat-Sofim, with an additional powertrain option introduced in 1984. Petrol engines of 2.0 L or 2.2 L capacity were intermittently available. By 1990, a larger Sofim diesel engine replaced the original unit.

The Master entered a competitive market segment of commercial vehicles and complemented Renault’s portfolio following its acquisition of Dodge's manufacturing facilities in the UK, which had produced the Renault 50 Series. Launched concurrently in 1980, the smaller Renault Trafic expanded Renault's offerings in light commercial vehicles.

Distinguished by its sliding door mechanism and unique round door handles reminiscent of those on the Fiat Ritmo, production took place at Renault’s Batilly facility located in northeastern France.

Renault B series / Messenger

The heavier-duty Renault B70 through B120 range, introduced in late 1982, utilized a Renault Master I body mounted on a separate chassis with rear-wheel drive and dual rear wheels. Initially available as diesel-powered B70 and petrol B80 variants, this line targeted the light truck market.

Offering multiple body styles, both the Master and smaller Renault Trafic carried Renault automobile division badges, which contributed to declining production figures for RVI as the SG2 and SG3 were phased out. In 1990, this series was launched in the UK to gradually replace the Dodge 50 Series, originally developed by Chrysler Europe.

In 1982, management of the heavier B series transitioned to RVI. Over time, more powerful turbocharged and intercooled engines were introduced. A four-wheel-drive B90 model participated in the 1987 Paris Dakar Rally, with a civilian version released in 1990 and produced until 1999. The series was renamed Messenger in 1993 following a grille redesign before being succeeded by the Renault Mascott.

Second generation (1997–2010)

Debuting in November 1997, the second-generation Renault Master adopted a more traditional design approach and was marketed starting in 1998 as the Opel Movano (known as Vauxhall Movano in the UK) and from 2003 as the Nissan Interstar, reflecting a strategic platform-sharing alliance among Renault, Opel/Vauxhall, and Nissan.

This collaboration mirrored other industry partnerships such as Fiat-Peugeot/Citroën and Volkswagen-Mercedes. Notably, this generation shared cab components—including doors—with the second-generation Iveco Daily, based on a July 1994 agreement between Iveco and Renault. This cooperation allowed for annual production of up to 120,000 interchangeable parts across manufacturing sites in Italy, Spain, and France.

Available engines included various diesel options: Renault's S-Type (S9U, S8W/S9W), G-Type (G9T), Nissan YD series, Sofim 8140 series engines with displacements ranging from 2.2 to 3.0 liters. Transmission options consisted of 5-speed manual, 6-speed manual, and semi-automatic gearboxes.

A significant facelift introduced late in 2003 updated headlights, taillights, mirrors, and interior dashboard elements while aligning front-end styling more closely with that of the smaller Trafic model. The refreshed Master retained versatility across multiple sizes and configurations and remained popular for specialized conversions such as ambulances.

Following this facelift, certain markets replaced the previous 2.8-liter engine with Nissan’s 3.0-liter ZD3 variants designed for both front- or rear-wheel drive configurations. In 2007, models bearing the Renault badge received an updated grille design.

Renault Mascott

Renault Trucks offered a robust 3.0 L diesel, rear-wheel-drive variant of the Master known as the Mascott. This model was also marketed under different names depending on the region: Master Propulsion in France and several other countries, Master Pro in the Netherlands, while retaining the Master designation in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, and Slovenia. In Belgium, it was called Master LDT, in Poland Master Maxi, and in Spain, France, Italy, and Réunion it continued as Master Propulsion.

Manufactured between 1999 and 2013, the Mascott filled the gap between the standard Master and the larger Renault Midlum, targeting customers requiring greater load capacity. It was available with two engine configurations: one paired with a five-speed manual gearbox and another with a six-speed manual transmission.

The Mascott replaced the Renault B-series and was eventually succeeded by the Renault Maxity.

Third generation (2010–2024)

Introduced in mid-2010, the third-generation Renault Master maintained its rebadging collaborations with Opel/Vauxhall Movano and Nissan NV400. This iteration brought single and twin rear wheel drive options specifically for the Opel/Vauxhall and Nissan variants.

All models were equipped with the M-type 2.3-litre four-cylinder diesel engine, available in three power levels ranging from to . The Mascott was discontinued by Renault Trucks during this period; instead, the Master was offered solely as a chassis cab supporting payloads up to 2.5 tonnes.

In the UK market, Movano models came in various height, length, and weight combinations capable of handling loads up to . In April 2014, Renault applied a refreshed front grille design to both the Renault Master and Renault Trucks Master Red; however, Opel/Vauxhall and Nissan retained their original front-end styling. An off-road version featuring four-wheel drive was launched by Renault in April 2016.

South Korea introduced front-wheel-drive Master panel vans with L1H1(S) and L2H2(L) configurations in October 2018. These vehicles were imported from France to compete against models such as Hyundai Starex and Hyundai H350, with pricing beginning around 29 million won for the shorter variant.

A facelifted version of this generation appeared in September 2019 for the 2020 model year. The Opel/Vauxhall Movano ceased production in summer 2021 following Opel/Vauxhall's integration into Groupe PSA (now Stellantis), being replaced by a model based on the Fiat Ducato platform. In 2022, Nissan reverted its model name back to Interstar.

Short wheelbase versions were phased out during spring 2022 across Renault Master III, Renault Trucks Master III Red, and Nissan Interstar II lines. By summer 2022, low-roof closed-body variants were also withdrawn from these ranges.

Key dimensions of Master (third generation)

rowspan=4 colspan=4 Template:Diagonal split header 2	L1		L2	L3 (RWD)	L3 (FWD)	L4
Exterior	5,075 mm (199.8 in)	5,575 mm (219.5 in)	6,225 mm (245.1 in)		6,875 mm (270.7 in)
WB	3,182 mm (125.3 in)	3,682 mm (145.0 in)		4,332 mm (170.6 in)
Interior	2,583 mm (101.7 in)	3,083 mm (121.4 in)	3,733 mm (147.0 in)		4,383 mm (172.6 in)
H1	Exterior	Interior	Volume	colspan=2 rowspan=2 | 8 \m^3	colspan=4 rowspan=2 style="background:#ddd;" | N/A	-	2,307 \mm	{{cvt{1700|\mm}}	-	H2	{{cvt{2488|\mm}} – {{cvt{2557|\mm}}}	{{cvt{1894|\mm}}} {{cvt{1798|\mm}}}	Volume	colspan=2 | {{cvt{9|\m^3}}}	{{cvt{10.8|\m^3}}}	colspan=2 | {{cvt{13|\m^3}}}	{{cvt{14.9|\m^3}}}	-	H3	{{cvt{2744|\mm}} – {{cvt{2815|\mm}}}	{{cvt{2144|\mm}}} {{cvt{2048|\mm}}}	Volume	colspan=2 style="background:#ddd;" | N/A	{{cvt{12.3|\m^3}}}	colspan=2 | {{cvt{14.8|\m^3}}}	{{cvt{17.0|\m^3}}}

Notes

Master Z.E. and E-Tech

Launched in 2018, the Master Z.E. is an all-electric vehicle equipped with a 33 kWh lithium-ion battery and a 57 kW "R75" electric motor, which it shares with the Renault Zoe and Kangoo Z.E. This setup provides a WLTP driving range of 120 km. The peak torque output is 225 Nm. In early 2022, the battery capacity was upgraded to 52 kWh, resulting in an extended WLTP range of 190 km. In the UK market, this refreshed variant is branded as the Master E-Tech, with plans for its Australian debut scheduled for 2024.

Charging capabilities include a 7.4 kW AC charger for the initial model, while the newer 52 kWh version adds a 22 kW DC fast-charging option.

These electric variants are exclusive to Renault-branded vehicles and are not available on Opel/Vauxhall or Nissan versions.

Master Van H2-Tech

During the 2022 Paris Motor Show, HYVIA presented the production-ready Master Van H2-Tech, a hydrogen fuel cell-powered van designed to deliver an extended driving range near 311 miles. This model targets the zero-emission commercial transport sector.

Fourth generation (XDD; 2024)

The fourth-generation Master was revealed on November 21, 2023, at the Solutrans Motor Show in Lyon. It offers multiple powertrain options including combustion engines, electric propulsion, and hydrogen fuel cells, underscoring Renault’s dedication to diverse energy technologies.

On September 16, 2023, it received the International Van of the Year award for 2025, marking Renault’s fifth time earning this distinction for one of its vans.

Additionally, Nissan introduced a new Interstar model based on this fourth-generation platform in February 2024, broadening its commercial vehicle lineup under the Nissan brand.

Sales

Year	Brazil
2003	1,308
2004	2,400
2005	2,577
2006	2,767
2007	3,685
2008	4,122
2009	3,827
2010	5,723
2011	7,396
2012	8,577
2013	10,005
2014	12,225
2015	8,373
2016	6,399
2017	6,185
2018	7,184
2019	8,479
2020	5,498
2021	9,678
2022	10,012
2023	10,608
2024	11,169