Renault's Rugged Construction C 430 Tippers Impress

摘要

The twisting narrow roads along the County Antrim coastal scenic route between Lame and Ballycastle proved to be a tough testing ground for Renault's C430 8x4 tipper when we had the opportunity to get behind the wheel a while back. When the C range was first launched, we had the benefit then of a granite quarry on the outskirts of Barcelona in Spain to put it through its paces, but the open roads of Northern Ireland was an altogether different matter! That said, the Renault C430 took it all in its stride, making what could have been a drive to forget into one to remember, thanks in the main to its manoeuvrability, comfortable power steering, tight turning circle and excellent visibility - all of which meant that we avoided and averted the potential for what could have been some serious impacts. The cab of the c Range is one of the most striking features. It is more spacious, more comfortable and more ergonomic with its use of rotating buttons. The wraparound dashboard, which has been subject to many ergonomic tests, immediately put us within easy reach of all the main controls and it featured a 7 inch main colour screen (the largest on the market) displaying vehicle status information intuitively. The ergonomic steering wheel, with its three dimensional adjustment, plus a 200mm range of seat adjustment, meant we were able to easily find a perfect driving position. Cab and body access have also been carefully thought out to make drivers' day-to-day work and vehicle servicing as easy as possible: a step on the side of the vehicle has been added so that drivers can check their load, as well as anti-slip steps offering easy access to the windscreen for keeping it clean. Capable of taking the heaviest punishment, the truck is also fitted with steel corners and protective grids for the headlights. Renault tell us the C range focuses on high payload, low fuel consumption and comfort on a par with that of a long-distance vehicle and, as we discovered along the way and previously on our test drive in Spain, its excellent obstacle clearance capacity and its pulling power didn't disappoint, thanks to the new Euro 6 in-line six-cylinder DTI n,430hp engine, optimising SCR technology, and providing maximum torque of 2040Nm from 950rpm to 1400rpm.