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30/09/2011, 19:32
Car Review By MURRAY HUBBARD
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If you were told you were getting a test car that was at this years Melbourne F1 Grand Prix that could be pretty exciting. A Renault, yep, that gets the blood pumping. At worse it would be a Renault Megane Sport 250 that ran in the support race, the Red Bull Race Off. Wrong.
How about a support vehicle to the Red Bull Race Off? Perhaps a Renault Kangoo van still sporting the signwritten sides in support of the event. For a week we have been running around in the Kangoo unashamedly promoting Renault and Red Bull as we went about our daily business. Funnily enough, we quite enjoyed it for the Kangoo as a small Renault commercial is an urban-friendly workhorse that is fun to drive.
We collected the Kangoo at the same time Renault announced it was extending the existing partnership with F1 Red Bull Racing team for a further five years, taking in the development of a new V6 F1 engine. That’s the sort of thing that happens when you win world championships. Back in the real world we developed a love/hate relationship with the Kangoo. Mostly love.
BODY STYLE
What can we say? It’s a van. The rear barn doors open out to 180 degrees giving easy access to the cargo bay. Also, on the passenger side there is a sliding door giving access to any goods stored just behind the seats. What we really liked are the floor and side tie hooks in the cargo area. We had to do some gardening work at a friends home and loaded the lawn mower, whipper-snipper, plastic rake, blower etc into the van, tying the lot down so they would not move around. Try that in a Renault Sport 250! These compact vans are widely used as florist delivery vehicles, general delivery vans for spare parts and more lately mobile coffee shops.
POWERTRAIN
Kangoo comes with two engine and gearbox options. There’s a 1598cc petrol engine combined with a 4-speed auto on offer and a 1461cc diesel hooked up to a five speed manual shifter. Our test car was the diesel/manual combination. Maximum power from the diesel is 63 kW at 3750 rpm, but torque is significant for the weight of the vehicle at 200 Nm at just 1900 rpm. Renault claim consumption of 5.2 litres/100 km from the diesel. Our readout revealed 6.5 litres/100 km, so those Red Bull mechanics and later scribes have given the Kangoo a workout. We must point out that 6.5 litres/100 km is not too shabby. Most passenger car owners would be envious of this low consumption.
SAFETY
Kangoo comes standard with a driver airbag only, reflecting Renault’s belief the vehicle will usually carry just a driver and cargo in the city/urban environment. The vehicle has four wheel disc brakes ABS with EBD and emergency brake assist. Seat belts are fitted with pretensioners and load-limiters. This generation Kangoo also has the benefit of being on a Renault Scenic platform adding to handling and passenger comfort. We also like the inclusion of Bluetooth hands-free connectivity and cruise control with speed limiter - both making the delivery driver’s job that much easier - and safer.
INTERIOR DESIGN
Pretty much a standard Renault interior with inclusions to suit the job. We liked the A4-size storage bin on the dash above the centre console, ideal for job sheets. Next to this is a pens/pencils holder, once again providing a logical place for what the driver needs and uses on an hourly basis. There is also a large overhead compartment suitable for more paperwork and a 15 litre glovebox that can swallow two lap-tops. There is also under-seat storage for valuables and large door pockets. No doubt most drivers would also fit after-market satellite navigation. While you could argue it should be included, with the current price of factory-fitted units compared to after-market sat/nav, there is no argument when it comes to cost. The Kangoo comes with height adjustable steering wheel, but the seat height adjustment is optional only as are rear parking sensors.
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
The first impression is good. A bright cabin thanks to a large windscreen, quirky but practical handle for the hand brake, power windows and rear view mirrors and easy to use audio system. The manual gearshift is short-throw and smooth. We really like the engine which exudes torque and pulling away in second gear at low revs is simply not an issue. We collected the Kangoo from Renault south of Brisbane and as soon as we hit the M1 one issue became apparent. Road noise and lots of it, despite the rubber mat in the cargo area. The M1 south of Brisbane is without doubt the worst major highway for noise we have ever driven on in any country in any car, but it really showed in the Kangoo. This was our only dislike.
The Kangoo has a tight turning circle at 10.7 metres and parking in tight spots is easy. However, being a van with solid sides vision down the passenger side can be a little difficult. Experienced van drivers would not be worried by it. That vast side also lends itself to free advertising (we fear at some stage a government will want to tax car signage!) and ours had the Red Bull colours.
The diesel engine combined with five speed manual is urban-friendly, although some drivers may prefer the petrol/auto option. We actually liked the diesel with its grunt. Other than the interior intrusion of road noise the Kangoo laps up highway kilometres at 110 km/h and has plenty in reserve for passing. The Kangoo has sold more than 1.5 million units worldwide and is Europe’s best selling van in this market segment - a title it has held for the past 12 years. A must test-drive for anyone looking at compact delivery van.
MODEL RANGE AND PRICING*
Kangoo 1.6 litre petrol 4-speed auto $25,990
Kangoo 1.5 litre diesel 5-speed manual $25,990
(*These are driveaway prices)
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: standard
Air Conditioning: standard
Automatic Transmission: petrol only
CD Player: standard
Central Locking: standard
Cruise Control: standard
Dual Front Airbags: Driver only
Front Side Airbags: N/A
Stability Control: N/A
Traction Control: N/A
SPECIFICATIONS (diesel model)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 1461 litres
Configuration: in line four
Maximum Power: 63 kW @ 3750 rpm
Maximum Torque: 200 Nm @ 1900 rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: front
Manual Transmission: five speed
Automatic Transmission: N/A
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4213 mm
Wheelbase: 2697 mm
Width: 2133 mm (incl. mirrors)
Height: 1844 mm
Turning Circle: 10.7 metres
Kerb Mass: 1277 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 60 litres
Towing Ability: 1050 kg (kg with braked trailer)
CARGO AREA:
Height: 1251 mm
Width: 1141 mm (top) 1219 (bottom)
Between wheel arches: 1218 mm
Load Height: 1130 mm
Load length: 1476 mm
Load length at floor: 1731 mm
Load volume: 3.0 square metres
Payload: 800 kg
BRAKES:
Front Brakes: disc
Rear Brakes: disc
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: seconds (N/A)
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
Type: diesel
Combined Cycle (ADR 81/01): 5.2 L/100km
STANDARD WARRANTY:
3 years/ 200,000 km
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