The second generation Express van appeared in the Renault light commercial vehicle range relatively recently — in 2021, but the French company had to part with it due to the new GSR2 safety regulations that came into force in Europe earlier this month.
The second generation Renault Express was presented in the spring of 2021 as a budget alternative to the third generation Renault Kangoo. The “second” Express was not created from scratch, but is, in fact, a restyled Dacia Dokker, which was sold in Russia under the Renault brand from 2017 to 2020. Production of the “second” Express in cargo and passenger modifications was launched at the Renault plant in Tangier, Morocco; it was and is still being sold mainly in Europe.
According to the official report of the Renault Group, in the first half of this year, Express sales amounted to 42,046 units, which is 14.4% more than sales in January-June 2023. For comparison, let's say that Kangoo sold 39,453 units during the same period. (+44.6%), and this number also includes electric versions, which the Renault Express does not have. The secret to the success of Renault Express is simple: low price and unpretentiousness of the outdated B0 platform. In Germany, Express now costs from 16,790 euros, while for the more modern Kangoo on the CMF-C/D platform you need to pay at least 21,200 euros.
Alas, the Renault Express will soon disappear from sale: as the Spanish magazine motor.es reports, the production of this “heel” was recently discontinued because it does not comply with the GSR2 (Global Safety Regulation 2) safety rules that entered into force on July 7 in Europe. These regulations require all new cars to be equipped with advanced active safety features, including cyclist and pedestrian recognition, automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, cruise control with traffic sign recognition and driver fatigue monitoring. The B0 platform, due to its age, is not ready to install such systems; a lot of money would have to be spent on its modernization, which would level out the price difference between Express and Kangoo, so only Kangoo remains.
In the Renault Express range there was a pickup truck, which was made manually in Italy by sawing a ready-made conveyor “heel”
In the Dacia model line there are “heels” now no, as well as other commercial vehicles, but an alternative to the passenger Renault Express can be called the Jogger high-roof station wagon, which costs in Germany from 17,900 euros. Actually, the Dacia Jogger will replace the Renault Express on the assembly line of the plant in Tangier, as we reported last year. A link to Africa, however, is unlikely to lead to a reduction in prices for the Jogger, so those wishing to buy an inexpensive new “heel” should try to grab the outgoing Express from dealers in time.