Renault Trucks C

The Renault Trucks C is a construction truck, sold as a rigid and as a tractor unit. Renault’s corporate construction-range page describes two complementary vehicles: the C, “designed for site supply applications, where versatility and payload are of prime importance”, and the Renault Trucks K, “particularly suited to public works, quarries and challenging construction sites calling for robustness and pulling power”. The C’s DE11, DE13 and DE13 TC engines are the three engine families of the Renault Trucks T, printed with the same figures in Renault’s brochures for both ranges. This page is built from the corporate construction-range page and Renault Trucks’ UK and German C product pages, all read on 7 October 2026; the English “Long haul & construction ranges” brochure dated 06/2026; the C brochure dated 05/2023, in its Spanish-market edition; the engine pages of the GB T / T High brochure of May 2023; the English C brochure dated 01/2021; the English distribution and light construction brochure dated 09/2024, for the C 2.3; and Renault Trucks and Volvo Group press releases from 2013 to 2026.

Overview and generations

Renault Trucks presented its renewed Euro 6 range on 11 June 2013. The Volvo Group’s release of 12 June 2013 describes the construction offer as two distinct ranges, “the C Construction range and the K Heavy Construction range”, and says the C range, “available in two cab widths, predominantly focuses on high payloads, low consumption, and comfort comparable to that of a long-distance vehicle”. It gives the C a payload that “can be as much as 22.8 t for a 8x4” and says the construction vehicles are equipped with the Optidriver automatic transmission as standard and an electric parking brake applied at engine shutdown. Optitrack, “the hydrostatic traction system on the front axle”, was available on the C, while “the K range includes conventional all wheel drive versions”. Renault Trucks’ history page names the C and K for construction in its renewal of the whole range in 2013. No Renault Trucks document opened names a predecessor of the C.

Renault’s English C brochure dated 01/2021 prints the C with DTI 11 and DTI 13 engines, where the C brochure dated 05/2023 prints the DE11 and DE13; the Volvo Group’s 2013 release names the DTI 11 and DTI 13 as the Euro 6 engines of the T.

Renault Trucks updated the Optitrack system in April 2018. On 16 April 2021 it announced the 2021 evolution of the T, T High, C and K, “the most important evolution since the total renewal of the manufacturer’s ranges in 2013”: smaller headlights and “a new honeycomb grille”, a three-axis adjustable steering column, a start button, new seats and storage, LED lights as standard on the T, T High and C, an emergency application of the parking brake, and oil-change intervals for 13-litre Euro VI engines that can be extended, depending on use and mileage, to 150,000 km or 18 months. On 17 November 2021 it announced the DE11 and DE13 Euro VI Step E engines for the same four ranges, with the turbocompound DE13 TC as an option on the T, T High and C, and a new generation of the Optidriver gearbox with a new calculator, new control software and a new clutch actuator. Renault’s English C & K leaflet of November 2021 headlines the “new engine DE13 TC for further diesel efficiency”.

On 4 June 2026 Renault Trucks announced a new DE13 R engine and a new generation of Optidriver gearboxes for the T, T High, C and K. Its release of 15 September 2026, from IAA Transportation in Hanover, says the new powertrain “is introduced across the Renault Trucks T, T High, C and K ranges for the 2027 model year”.

Renault’s release of 23 November 2023 announced the start of series production of the battery-electric E-Tech T and C at its Bourg-en-Bresse plant, where they “are assembled on the same line as their Diesel equivalents”.

Engines

The corporate construction-range page lists three engine families for the C: “DE11: 380/430/460 hp”, “DE13: 440/480/520 hp” and “DE13 Turbo Compound: 440/480 hp”. The C brochure dated 05/2023 prints a table and a set of curves for each, and the GB T / T High brochure of May 2023 prints the same three tables and curves with the same figures. All three are headed “Euro VI”, with six cylinders in line and an 18:1 compression ratio. The DE11 displaces 10.8 litres, with a 123 mm bore and a 152 mm stroke, and weighs 965 kg with oil. The DE13 and the DE13 TC both displace 12.8 litres, with a 131 mm bore and a 158 mm stroke; the DE13 weighs 1,067 kg with oil and the DE13 TC 1,196 kg.

The two brochures footnote the DE13 TC differently. The C brochure lists it as an option on the 4x2 and 6x2 with the Sleeper Cab and the Night & Day Cab; the T / T High brochure as an option on the 440 and 480 hp steps, not available with the Day cab. How a turbocompound unit recovers exhaust energy is set out in turbocompound explained, and the T page sets the DE13 TC against the plain DE13 step by step.

Renault’s documents give two figures for what the turbocompound engine saves. The 05/2023 C brochure credits the Turbo Compound technology with up to 10% lower CO2 emissions and fuel consumption, and the German C page credits the Turbo Compound engine with up to 10% lower fuel consumption and emissions; the November 2021 C & K leaflet prints “up to 5%” CO2 reduction and fuel savings in its panel on the new DE13 TC. The release of 17 November 2021 gives up to 10% for the DE11 and DE13 combined with new technologies and dedicated services, against the previous generation of Renault Trucks engines.

The 17 November 2021 release calls the DE11 and DE13 Euro VI Step E engines, and the German C page gives “EURO 6d”. That page, read on 7 October 2026, gives the C “bis zu 520 PS” (up to 520 PS) and does not mention the DE13 R.

DE13 R and the 2027 model year

Renault’s release of 4 June 2026 says the DE13 R “is available in versions up to 540 hp with 2800 Nm torque”, was designed with high-strength grey iron and compacted graphite iron, can reach a maximum cylinder pressure of 250 bar, has an external high-pressure fuel pump, is compatible with HVO and B100 and meets the NNR3 noise standard, and is “fitted as standard with a more powerful engine brake (Optibrake+)”. With the new generation of Optidriver, in which gear changes are “up to 20% faster”, Renault gives the new powertrain up to 4% lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions than the previous generation, depending on usage. The release of 15 September 2026 repeats the 540 hp and 2,800 Nm and adds “900 rpm”. Renault Trucks UK’s C page lists the engine, at “up to 540 hp and up to 2800 nm torque” with a peak cylinder pressure of up to 250 bar. The 06/2026 brochure’s driveline page, which covers all four ranges, rates the Optibrake+ engine brake at up to 90% more than the DE11 and up to 27% more than the DE13 TC at 1,500 rpm, and lists a new urea dosing system and extended service intervals for engine and transmission.

None of these documents gives a kilowatt figure for the DE13 R. No document opened says which of the DE11, DE13 and DE13 TC steps remain in the C’s 2027 model-year offer.

Transmission

The 05/2023 range poster lists three versions of the automated Optidriver gearbox against every C configuration: Optidriver with 12 speeds, Optidriver Xtrem with 12 speeds and Optidriver Xtended with 13 speeds. The brochure’s driveline page describes the Xtrem as intended for mining, quarries, haulage and demanding earthmoving, with reinforced components and gear-change management adapted to the vehicle’s load, and the Xtrem with Xtended as adding one or two crawler gears for moving off with heavy loads. It credits the latest version of the Optidriver with gear changes 30% faster and smoother, with dedicated Optivision software. The 01/2021 English range poster also lists Allison 4000 and 4500 gearboxes with six speeds, which the 05/2023 poster does not. For site work Renault lists a manual accelerator that holds a constant engine speed regardless of the terrain and an off-road mode for gear shifts. The workings of an automated manual gearbox are covered in automated manual transmissions.

Optitrack hydraulic front drive

Renault Trucks’ release of 11 April 2018 says Optitrack was developed with Poclain Hydraulics in 2009 and is available on the C2.5 range, “providing additional temporary pulling power thanks to two hydraulic motors fitted in the front wheel hubs”, as temporary all-wheel drive on demand. The 2018 update raised the system’s hydraulic pressure from 420 to 450 bar, for a 7% increase in maximum wheel torque; added a driver-activated boost function for maximum start-up torque; moved the disconnection speed to 50 km/h, from 40 km/h, with automatic re-engagement at 20 km/h; added a self-calibration device and a second reverse gear, R2; and introduced Optitrack+, whose new hydraulic motors give 30% more front-wheel torque and which Renault aims at earthmoving and aggregate transport in difficult conditions.

The 05/2023 range poster marks Optitrack on every C configuration, with a footnote that the hydraulic drive on the front axle is optional, and the brochure’s configuration table names the Optitrack layouts with an H: 4x4H, 6x4H, 6x4H*4, 6x6H and 8x6H*4. The 01/2021 English brochure says the hydrostatic system on the front wheels “allows you to get out of difficult situations from 0 km / h”, and the German C page describes Optitrack as the hydrostatic traction system that gives the front wheels additional grip.

Configurations, wheelbases and weights

The corporate page writes the same spans as “GVW: 18/19 > 32 t” and “GCW: 18/19 > 100 t”; what the two weights measure is explained in truck weights: GVW and GCW. The German C page gives a payload of up to 28.8 tonnes and says the 6x4 tractor pulls up to 100 tonnes, and the 01/2021 English brochure gives a payload of up to 28.8 t and a load capacity of up to 100 t for the 6x4 tractor and rigid.

The 05/2023 brochure’s configuration table draws twelve profiles: 4x2 and 4x4H, both as tractor or rigid, for on-road or off-road use; 6x2 with a fixed axle, 6x2 with a steering axle, 6x4H and 6x4H*4, all rigid and on-road; 6x4 and 6x6H as tractor or rigid, on-road or off-road; 8x2*6 with a steering axle, rigid and on-road; and 8x4*4 tridem, 8x6H*4 tridem and 8x4, all rigid, on-road or off-road. The 01/2021 English brochure draws fourteen, adding an 8x4H*6 with a steering axle and an 8x6H. Wheel formulas are explained in axle configurations explained.

Renault’s brochures name a C XLOAD, which the 06/2026 brochure describes as an 8x4 weight-optimised with the lightest options: the 01/2021 and 05/2023 brochures give the C XLOAD 8x4 mixer rigid an unladen weight of 9,200 kg, and the 06/2026 brochure gives it up to 22.7 t of load capacity including body equipment; the 2013 release gave the C range a payload of up to 22.8 t for an 8x4. Mixer bodies on truck chassis are described in truck mixers and concrete pumps. The 06/2026 brochure gives the C 8x4*4 tridem a steered lift axle for up to 9 tonnes and a turning radius up to 15% tighter than a standard 8x4, and calls it “the most manoeuvrable vehicle on the market”. The 05/2023 brochure also lists a towing hook rated at 32 t.

Axles, suspension and chassis

The 06/2026 brochure gives the C mechanical front suspension of up to 10 t for heavy-duty work and air front suspension of up to 9 t, 7 or 8 mm straight side members, mechanical or air rear suspension from 13 to 30 t, and a hub-reduction drive axle that Renault describes as robust and light. The 05/2023 brochure gives front suspension of up to 10 tonnes on a single axle or 20 tonnes on twin front axles, and rear suspension from 13 to 26 t, parabolic or air: three-leaf parabolic springs for 21 or 26 t, or air suspension on 2x2 cushions for 21 t or 2x4 cushions for 26 t, “cushions” being the English brochure’s word. The 01/2021 English brochure gives mechanical front suspension from 7.1 to 10 t with greased joints, the same rear range from 13 to 26 t, and a single-reduction axle “supporting an axle load of up to 13 tonnes with a gross weight of 44 tonnes”. Renault Trucks UK’s C page lists “aluminum tanks and rims, disc brakes, single reduction tandem axles”.

Renault lists inter-wheel and inter-axle differential locks on all models. Ground clearance is 312 mm under the front axle and up to 440 mm under the tank, figures the 06/2026 and 05/2023 brochures and the German C page share. The approach angle is 25° with the all-steel bumper in the 06/2026 and 05/2023 brochures and 24° in the 01/2021 English brochure; the German C page gives an increased “Böschungswinkel” (approach angle) of 32 degrees, the figure the 06/2026 brochure gives for the K. The bumper follows the use: all steel for off-road work, with steel corners for mixed use and plastic for road use, the steel-cornered one being standard and the other two optional in the 05/2023 brochure. Headlamp protection grilles are listed, with polycarbonate headlamp lenses as standard. The diesel tanks are steel or aluminium with reinforcements for off-road use, and the 05/2023 brochure lists a plastic tank on 8x4 models; the 01/2021 English brochure says aluminium tanks weigh up to 50% less. Wiring harnesses and air hoses run in separate bundles. No document opened gives a fuel or AdBlue tank capacity for the C.

Cabs

Every cab has a 200 mm engine tunnel and three steps; below the cab floor, every side elevation carries four stacked dimensions from the ground: about 460 mm, then 340, 343 and 325 mm. The 01/2021 English brochure describes the cab as trapezoid, 2.3 m wide at the front and 2.5 m at the rear. The range poster’s crew cab, with 6 or 8 seats, is the XL or XXL cab.

Inside, the steering column adjusts at three points with a foot control, and the vehicle starts with a button. The 05/2023 and 06/2026 brochures and the German C page list a 9-inch HD touch screen, where the 01/2021 English brochure listed a 7-inch one. The “Extensia” lower bunk is 2,009 mm long and 680 mm wide in the 05/2023 and 06/2026 brochures, extendable by 120 mm, with a 120 mm mattress of 40 kg/m³ density or a memory-foam option at 80 kg/m³; the 01/2021 English brochure gives the same bunk a width of 800 mm. The “Sérénité” lower bunk is 2,018 mm long, 671 mm wide behind the seats and 791 mm in the middle, with an optional memory-foam topper of 2,000 x 700 x 30 mm. The 01/2021 English brochure gives 221 litres of storage, with lit lockers and a 24 V socket at the back of the cab, and the 06/2026 brochure the same 221 l for the Maxispace cab. The refrigerator is 26 litres on the UK C page and 40 litres in the 01/2021 English brochure; the 06/2026 brochure gives 40 litres for the T High and 26 litres for the T and does not name the C.

Safety and driver-assistance systems

Renault Trucks UK’s C page lists, for the C:

• Smart Steering, “for a gradual steering and more power when necessary”.
• Driver Assist, which “maintains the vehicle within lane markings while maintaining speed and distance from the vehicle ahead”, alongside adaptive cruise control.
• Lane departure warning system with corrective steering, which “alerts the driver in case of lane drift and goes back on the lane”.
• Retrovision cameras, for manoeuvring and overtaking, with an angle view to keep the trailer in sight and night vision from an infra-red camera.
• Automatic tyre pressure monitoring, with a visual display of vehicle and trailer tyre pressures.
• Anti-runaway mode, which “holds the vehicle stationary in the event of incorrect operation by the driver”.
• Mechanical anti-intrusion locking, for the parked cab.

The 05/2023 C brochure lists hill start assist; an automatic emergency braking system that warns of a collision and then brakes the vehicle to a stop without driver action, switching on the hazard lights; a lane departure and driver drowsiness warning; radars and cameras around the truck, with the option of adding five digital cameras; automatic headlights and wipers; a tyre pressure monitoring system; Speed Assistance (ISA), depending on the region; and, as options, a driver airbag and yellow-painted cab steps and handles. The 06/2026 brochure’s safety spread, which covers all four ranges, adds AEB Turn, hill start assist with autohold, an overspeed warning and automatic activation of the electric parking brake. The German C page lists LED lights as standard and sensors that detect people in the blind spots.

Bodybuilding and equipment

Power take-offs for body equipment are offered on the gearbox, the engine or both, from 270 to 2,000 Nm, working while the truck moves or stands. The rear overhang comes in 50 mm steps so that the side members need not be cut. The 01/2021 English brochure lists corbels on the side frames, mechanical and electrical provisions for cranes, three types of exhaust outlet (on the left side, in the track or vertical) and three kinds of body fastener (flexible, semi-flexible and rigid). The 2013 release said the provisions for body mounting allow it to be done up to 20% quicker. Tipper bodies on chassis such as the C are covered in tipper trucks.

C 2.3

Renault lists a C with the narrower 2.3 m cab, the C 2.3, in its English distribution and light construction brochure dated 09/2024, beside the D and D Wide. Its range poster gives the C 2.3 a high chassis with 22.5-inch wheels.

The DTI 8 is a 7.7-litre six-cylinder with a 110 mm bore and a 135 mm stroke, weighing 732 kg with oil, at 184 kW (250 hp) and 950 Nm, 206 kW (280 hp) and 1,050 Nm, and 235 kW (320 hp) and 1,200 Nm; the brochure marks it compatible with bio-diesel at 320 hp and with XTL. The DE11 in the same brochure carries the figures of the table above. The brochure lists for the C 2.3 a three-part bumper, plastic with steel corner pieces; lights with integrated daytime running lights; wheelbases up to 6,800 mm; a camera for the lane departure warning and automatic emergency braking systems and a radar for emergency braking and adaptive cruise control; access to the cab by two steps; and a vision door available on both sides.

Source notes

Gross vehicle and gross combination weights are published by configuration and not as one figure: Renault’s 05/2023 C range poster gives 18-19 / 70 t for the 4x2 rigid and tractor, 26 / 70 t for the 6x2 and 6x2*4, 26 / 100 t for the 6x4 rigid and tractor and 32 / 80 t for the 8x4 and 8x2*6, and the corporate construction-range page writes the span as GVW 18/19 > 32 t and GCW 18/19 > 100 t. The DE11, DE13 and DE13 TC rows are the Euro VI Step E engines Renault Trucks announced on 17 November 2021 for the T, T High, C and K, with the DE13 TC as an option on the T, T High and C. The C was presented on 11 June 2013; Renault’s English C brochure dated 01/2021 lists the earlier DTI 11 at 279 to 338 kW and DTI 13 at 324 to 382 kW. The DTI 8 row belongs to the C 2.3, the version with the 2.3 m cab that Renault lists in its 09/2024 distribution and light construction brochure. A DE13 R of up to 540 hp and 2,800 Nm, announced on 4 June 2026 for the T, T High, C and K, is introduced for the 2027 model year; Renault’s 2026 documents give no kilowatt figure for it, so it has no row above. Exterior dimensions are published cab by cab and wheelbases as a strip from 3,000 to 6,700 mm by configuration, so no single length, width, height or wheelbase is recorded. Renault’s brochures describe their dimensions and characteristics as indicative only.