Renault KANGOO RANGE
The
Renault Kangoo Was Once The Epitome Of Cheap And Cheerful Family Motoring. Its Become a Little More Sophisticated Of Late. By Andy Enright
Sooner or later we all have to face the fact that were growing up. Things that seemed enormous fun a few years ago now have us wondering what the attraction ever was. Cars also undergo this process, usually aping their human counterparts by getting bigger and a little thicker in the middle as they age. The Renault Kangoo may not have yet succumbed to middle age spread, but it has become a far more mature proposition than the first batch of rather crude van-cum-cars that first made their way to these shores back in 1999.
Those initial Kangoos harked back to the Renault 4, a lightweight box that never broke down, engendering the same kind of warm fuzziness amongst family buyers. As a result, by the end of 2002 Renault had shifted no fewer than 10,818 cars. About 55% of these went to fleet users who appreciated a genuine dual-purpose vehicle. The pattern was replicated across Europe and before too long the once derided van-based MPV sector had become one of the hottest tickets in town.
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Duelling it out with its great rival, the
Citroen Berlingo Multispace, the Kangoo has in recent years undergone a series of revisions to try to wrest superiority from its Gallic counterpart. The Citroen offered a big sunroof so the
Renault offered two, and then rammed the point home by improving quality, safety and introducing a rather curious four-wheel drive version dubbed the Trekka. The latest set of changes take all this a stage further and are the most radical yet. The first things many will notice are the huge elliptical headlamps that rise high into the front wings.
The bonnet features a bold crease down the middle and the front grille is now of the latest Renault family face. The rear door mouldings are a good deal beefier and the protective strips running down the sides are bigger and tougher. Buyers can choose from either an Authentique or a plusher Expression trim level, the Expression getting body-coloured bumpers and alloy wheels whereas the Authentique has to plump for genuine plastic wheel trims, albeit of a revised design. New construction techniques have tightened up the panel fit.
No longer will your Kangoo sport panel gaps wide enough for small birds to disappear through. The interiors have come in for a little attention. As well as better bolstered seats in a higher quality trim, the Expression adds an overhead parcel shelf and aircraft style lockers. Remember that luggage can shift whilst in flight and therefore be careful when opening overhead lockers.
Noise insulation has been improved, the underside of the dashboard now padded with 30mm thick foam to isolate the engine, while stiffer engine mounts have also helped to reduce vibration. A new subframe is used for the 1.5dCi and 1.6-litre 16v engines that also resist torsional forces far better than before.
"Renault have been consistently outscoring all other manufacturers in terms of safety provision. Even
Volvo"
In addition to offering twin front airbags and ABS, Renault have beefed up side protection in the doors. Pretensioning seatbelts and ISOFIX child
seat attachments all hint at why Renault have been consistently outscoring all other manufacturers in terms of safety provision. Even Volvo. Passive safety has been a big focus for Renault in the development of this car and the engineers have developed a keen awareness of what items should be rigidly mounted and what should retain some give.
Therefore there are stiff bulkheads and seat frames, plus absorbent padded doors and a collapsible steering column. Standard equipment includes remote central locking, an alarm and immobiliser ABS and five three-point seatbelts. The Authentique features 14-inch steel wheels, a rather depressing 30-watt radio cassette player and height adjustable headrests. Lets just say its not the most lavishly equipped car youll drive.
Options include side airbags, air conditioning, an electric panoramic sunroof and the parcel shelf/overhead locker set up. The Expression is a little better appointed with alloy wheels, front fog lamps, a 60-watt CD based stereo with fingertip controls and the overhead lockers and parcel shelf fitted as standard. If you really want to go to town you can even specify part leather upholstery, 180-degree opening boot doors in lieu of the hatchback and a long list of other features that rather defeat the point of the Kangoos persona. The Kangoo's platform is based on that of the latest Renault Clio, which means that it's wonderfully agile around town, with light quick power steering, short gearing and great visibility through those huge windows. It isn't quite as confident as its supermini stablemate on the open road however - for many of the same reasons. A revised spoiler below the body and a bumper extensions means that this Kangoo is a good deal more resistant to cross winds than its predecessor. Four powerplants are on offer, all lifted directly from the Clio. You can opt either for a high-tech common rail dCi turbo diesel in 65 or 80bhp form, or select between 1.
2 or 1.6-litre petrol engines (depending on your choice between manual or automatic transmission). Despite the excellence of the petrol engines, its the dCi diesels that still make more sense, travelling as it does five miles further on every gallon in 80bhp guise and endowed with an extra dose of mid-range pulling power. In summary, the Kangoo is an easy car to like: its easy to see why over 130,000 have been sold in Europe already. Sure, for not much more, you could buy a secondhand large-sized MPV but its easy to admire the way that the Kangoo brings the latest Renault technology home at an affordable price. The latest models offer a level of sophistication few would credit, illustrating just how far the Kangoo has come in such a short time. Basically, its still fun, all of which just goes to prove that theres a lot to be said for growing old disgracefully.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Renault Kangoo range
PRICES: £9,695-£13,595 on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 4-5
CO2 EMISSIONS: 139-190g/km
PERFORMANCE: [1.5 dCi 80] 0-60mph 12.5s / Max Speed 96mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.5dCi 80] (average) 52mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, ABS WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE: [Authentique] length/width/heightmm 3995/1663/1894
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