Renault D 26 Optifuel Wide 6x2 R 320 Euro 6 truck review (2019)

Colin Barnett
January 14, 2025

If you're getting a feeling of déjà vu, it’s because we reviewed a remarkably similar Renault D 26 Optifuel Wide 6x2 vehicle just two years ago [ADD LINK TO RENAULT D 26 2016 TEST]. But when the team at Renault Trucks, having just regained administrative independence, offered us another D 26 to review, our curiosity was piqued. After all, while the previous example had performed respectably, it wasn’t without room for improvement and we were keen to see what benefits a couple of years of evolution had brought.

 

When Range D was launched in 2013, it was probably the least adventurous aspect of the Volvo Group’s €2bn renewal of the complete Renault product range, and was intended to partially replace both the Midlum and Premium Distribution models. We say partially, because the new range saw Renault walk away, in the UK at least, from the 7.5-tonne market, but that’s another story.

 

Chassis, wheelbase and cab

Renault's Range D certainly offers a comprehensive array of box ticking choices. Chassis variants include 4x2 rigids and tractors, as well as 6x2 rigids with conventional or rear steering versions, and even a 4x4 rigid for specialist applications.

 

Lengthwise, across the range, some 13 wheelbase options span from 3,250mm to 6,800mm, while in the other direction, choices are covered by a pair of cabs of 2,100mm and 2,300mm nominal width. Within both of these widths is the Day cab or the Global cab, 400mm longer with a drop-down occasional bunk which still retains plenty of storage space behind the seats. A functional but not particularly aesthetic 4-door, 6-seat crew cab, popular with vehicle recovery operators, is available in the narrow version. Only available in wide versions are a pair of 200mm longer cabs with full-time single bunks, the low-roof Night & Day, and the high roof Sleeper, with 500mm of extra headroom.

 

So, from all those options, what we have for you is a 26-tonne distribution truck with a wide sleeper cab, in a touch of nostalgia painted in Dentressangle red, with a 320hp engine rating and a steering tag-axle. Its nominal wheelbase of 5,800mm gives an overall axle spread of 7,150mm, the second longest available. All of this goes into battle in the marketplace under the nom de guerre of Renault D 26 Wide Optifuel 6x2 R 320 E6.

 

DTi 8 engine

At the time of its launch in 2013, when it replaced the previous Deutz engine, the 7.7-litre engine was reported by CM to be based on a Nissan diesel unit, with a block cast in India, assembled in Lyon by Renault and fitted to both Renault and Volvo vehicles. As with the Renault DTi 8, the straightforward 7.7-litre straight-6 has four valves per cylinder, driven by timing gears on the rear of the engine where they are best placed for driving any PTO requirements. A high pressure (2,000 bar) common-rail system and a variable geometry turbo charger feed the engine, with the emissions controlled by the usual combination of EGR and a post-treatment system including a diesel particulate filter and SCR injection. At 7.6% of diesel used, the AdBlue consumption was rather higher than on our earlier D 26 review.

 

Optidriver transmission

The other major element of the driveline on this D 26 6x2 is the Optidriver 12-speed automated transmission, probably better known as the Volvo I-Shift, arguably still the best general purpose transmission in the industry, but with Renault’s in-house developed software.

 

Since our last review, the gear-shifting strategy has been further optimised, and this truck has the Fuel Eco settings. The other major change since the previous review is the fitment of a different final drive ratio, 2.85:1 instead of 3.36:1, and this time, Michelin Energy tyres.

 

Curtainsider body

As before, the body fitted is a 28ft Lawrence David curtainsider, with Armoursheet Plus load bearing curtains and a Dhollandia underslung tail-lift. And again, the benefits of its aerodynamic teardrop effect Fuel Save roof were probably negated by the visibly poor match with the small cab roof spoiler. Like the Transaid DAF recently reviewed [ADD LINK TO DAF CF 370 TEST], the Renault had a charitable livery, this time as it had been the support truck for the Ride to the Somme cycling event, in aid of SSAFA.

 

Cab interior: trim and seats

With a wide-opening door and a couple of well-placed and chunky grab handles, access to the driving seat will be as easy on the last multidrop of the day as on the first in this D 26. The 6x2's cab environment overall is, if not 50, then certainly 15 shades of grey, only relieved by the red integral seat belts and the red body paint visible around the door frame. The Renault rigid's seats are dark grey, with light grey cloth inserts but their bland appearance is no reflection of their comfort. The driving seat in the D 26 features a wide range of adjustment, heating and armrests, and is replicated by a suspension seat for the passenger as well.

 

The traditional air valve park brake is located to the left of the seat, together with the night heater, central locking and roof hatch controls, a 2-litre bottle holder and coin slots, and a compressed air outlet.

 

There are a couple of cup-holders on the dash in front of the engine hump, but they are only tall enough for an espresso cup. With the Renault's tiny door pockets, there is nowhere to securely hold a normal coffee cup or small water bottle. With hydration a hot topic these days, we make no excuse for highlighting this in our review.

 

Windows, mirrors and camera system

Yet again, the direct vision glazing in the lower passenger door of the D 26 is a complete waste of time with a passenger on board. Worse still, they force the use of an electric sliding window, which has less than half the effective open space of the original. Fortunately, the mirrors are well placed on wide brackets, giving excellent visibility, although the downside, as we found out on our review route, is that they were prone to attracting hedges on the Herefordshire lanes. Switches for the driver’s electric window and mirror heater are on top of the door card, but the mirror adjuster is located below the door handle and virtually hidden from view. Vision on this Renault Range D is enhanced by the fitting of a Brigade 360 bird’s-eye camera system, with a monitor located beyond the radio on the lower dash.

 

Cab living space

Previously we commented on the challenges of moving around inside the Renault D 26 Wide cab. Well, on this latest review vehicle, it’s even worse, due to the monitor for the Brigade 360 camera system. Unless you’re a 12-year-old Romanian gymnast, forget about cross-cab access in this 6x2 and take the short walk around the cab when you park up instead. Once there, although the passenger seat performs no swivelling tricks, it offers a comfortable perch.

 

Cab storage

With the cutaway on the left-hand third of the overscreen structure in the Renault, it’s the only place where you have a chance to stand up straight in the D 26's Wide cab. The rest of that structure comprises two levels of storage, with a two-thirds width lidded locker above a more secure one-third width locker on the lower level, next to the tachograph panel. The cutaway third on the left has an open shelf which could be used for a multitude of functions, maybe a small microwave or a TV, to which end it has a 24V power outlet and four securing rings.

 

Infotainment, connectivity and lighting

The single-DIN radio looks fairly uninspiring, but features DAB capability, USB and AUX inputs and Bluetooth streaming. To the left of the dashboard in our D 26, there’s a dedicated phone-mounting bracket, allowing you to avoid drilling unsightly holes in the Renault's main panels, along with a good selection of 12V, 24V and USB charging points. A variety of handy interior lights includes map lights and red night-time lights.

 

The seat cushions and the base of the bunk mattress are both at roughly the same level as the large engine hump at seat cushion level, so while sitting on the bunk would mean your legs were horizontal, you wouldn’t be short of headroom. Given that you’re unlikely to be living long-term in the Range D, there’s an acceptable amount of kit storage under the bunk, and four coat hooks and a handy-sized net on the bunk wall.

 

Noise, acceleration and steering

If the static part of our review felt familiar, it became more interesting once things got more dynamic in the Renault D 26 Wide 6x2.

 

Firstly, noise levels were substantially lower, although that apparent mismatch of cab top aero reduced the potential benefits at higher speeds.

 

Then we came to acceleration, where we expected the longer final drive ratio in our review 6x2 to blunt the progress but there was actually a significant improvement, reflected in better hill climb times on the open road.

 

The steering, criticised for its near-seven turns lock-to lock, now does it in a more respectable 5.8 turns. It’s still no go-kart but you can now get through roundabouts without progress being held up by excessive wheel-twirling.

 

Engine and transmission performance

The engine in this 6x2 felt remarkably smooth, almost purring when under load. Throughout the review, the transmission remained in the background and did all that was needed from it, although we did notice more of a clunk than usual on the downshift to sixth, when the range changes.

 

Fuel consumption: Renault D 26 6x2 mpg performance

Although we expected the benefits of the longer axle ratio, which gives 50mph at 1,200rpm, to be most evident on the motorway, in fact the result there was virtually identical to the 2016 figure. It was on the lesser roads where the fuel optimised gearshift strategy paid off, resulting in an impressive 11.77mpg overall on our review route.

 

Ride and handling

Ride was good, although you can hear a thump from the big front tyres on poor surfaces, you don’t feel anything through the multifunction steering wheel. Brakes proved very good, although the engine brake is rather feeble until the third position forces a downshift, then it becomes much more useful. The AEBS proved refreshingly free from false alarms, only waking up once for a cheeky Passat driver in Ledbury.

 

Visibility issues

The Brigade 360 in our Renault D 26 wasn’t without issue, with excessive sun flare on the rear camera and a problem with the nearside image not stitching up correctly. We were rather more annoyed by the drop-down sun visors, which leave a gap in the corner, exactly where the sun is at 8am in Monmouth. Long before that, we had set off in the dark, when we found some switches and controls hard to identify due to their lack of illumination.

 

Review verdict: 79%

When we first reviewed the Renault D 26 Wide Optifuel 6x2 two years ago, it was the first mid-sized truck to be subjected to our Welsh distribution route for almost a decade. In the intervening years, the world of trucks had moved on a bit.

 

Under the Renault's engine hump, emissions standards had been tightened, through Euro-5 up to the first iteration of today’s Euro-6. Speed limits had been raised and the new concept of down-speeding began to appear, and the industry was beginning to face a shortage of HGV licence-holders willing to submit to the challenges faced by many drivers trying to do the job in the face of increasingly deteriorating conditions. Lacking up-to-date empirical review data, our assessment of the Renault’s position in the great scheme of things was a bit of a finger in the wind exercise. As it turns out, with the benefit of hindsight and the reviewing of a few rivals, our generally favourable view of the Range D was justified.

 

Overall, the latest version of the Range D 6x2 is even better. For reasons which seem to amount to no more than better tyres, and a longer final drive ratio combined with engine characteristics and gearshift strategy to suit, the latest D 26 has better fuel consumption, faster journey times and less noise. With a bit more attention paid to the aerodynamic matching of cab and body, there’s scope for it to do even better.

 

On the downside, the past two years have brought absolutely no increase in the Renault's driver appeal. For sure, no one tasked with driving a Range D would have a claim for cruel and unusual punishment. It’s just that the world has moved on, but the smaller Renault cabs haven’t.

 

Ironically, the Range T from the same stable is a shining example of a cab that has been designed by people who understand not just their job, but the job of driving and living in their product. The Range D just gives the impression of being a collection of bits that were on the shelf and thrown together with little coherence. Worse still, we get the distinct impression that Renault product planners are fully aware of the deficiencies, but that diminishing appeal means less chance of funding for a serious cab overhaul.

 

If only the Range D’s dynamic qualities were matched by its interior, the Renault D 26 Optifuel Wide 6x2 R 320 E6 would have come out of this review as a worthy contender for the third decade of the 21st century.

 

 

Images: Tom Lee

About the Author

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Colin Barnett

Colin Barnett has been involved in the road transport industry since becoming an apprentice truck mechanic and worked on Commercial Motor for 27 years

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