Kgm Torres vs Renault Kangoo

What's the difference?

The KGM Torres Hybrid represents yet another choice for buyers in the family SUV segment, as if there aren’t already enough! But the Torres offers a level of value its mainstream competitors can’t match. The hybrid powertrain is a winner, however KGM needs to iron out a few issues, like tyre choice and the advanced driver assist tech. But there is a lot to like about the Torres Hybrid. And it’s definitely the pick over the pure petrol version.

The latest petrol-powered Kangoo has the pricing, practicality and performance to win friends in Australia’s small commercial van class. If you can afford an option pack or two, like those fitted to our test vehicle, it's even better.

What a curious thing the KGM Torres is. It has typical medium SUV proportions but with over-the-top styling designed to give the impression of a rugged off-roader. But this is no off-roader.

It has a Jeep-like slotted grille, faux winch hook in the lower grille, squared-off wheel arches, a boxy shape and weird grab mounts on the bonnet that serve no discernible purpose.

It also has what appears to be a rear-mounted spare wheel with a side-opening tailgate. But it’s all an illusion. It’s just a chunky addition to the tailgate which opens upwards, like a regular SUV boot.

If you discount the fake 4x4 bits, the Torres is quite a handsome SUV, especially from the front. The grille surrounded by cool integrated LED headlights makes for a nice front end. 

The tail-lights sit a little low at the rear, and the pointlessly massive C-pillar is a bit much. But there are some appealing elements.

Inside, there’s a bit of a nod to fellow Korean brands Hyundai and Kia with the dual 12.3-inch multimedia and driver display screens. 

There are no buttons to be found on the console and centre stack so it’s a clean look. The screens and air vents are angled towards the driver, too.

Bronze is a feature throughout and it breaks up the dash nicely, as does the ambient lighting. Matching stitching is a lovely visual touch on the nicely patterned cloth seats.

It doesn’t look or feel like a base model. It definitely feels a step up from the Korando and the Musso in KGM’s stable, as well as some rivals.

Our test vehicle is less than 4.5 metres long (4488mm) and well under 2.0 metres in width (1859mm) and height (1830mm), making it ideal for those with either limited parking space and/or needing to access space-restricted areas in their working roles.

Its compact 2716 wheelbase results in an 11.3-metre turning circle. This is larger than you might expect, given it’s no tighter than Toyota’s shortest HiAce mid-sized van.

However, it’s also line-ball with its small van rivals, which highlights the restrictions in steering lock shared by front-wheel drive vehicles compared to rear-wheel drivers like the HiAce.

The Kangoo features MacPherson strut front suspension and its rear suspension uses torsion bar primary springing supplemented by a pair of secondary coil springs for carrying heavy loads. There’s also rack and pinion steering and a quartet of disc brakes.

Bodywork and wheels confirm its no-frills work focus, with unpainted dark grey plastic prominent on the hubcaps, front/rear bumpers and along the sides where bumps and scrapes usually occur.

It has tidy styling for a commercial van, including the sharp cabin design that combines a tasteful blend of grey and satin chrome hard surfaces with the practicality of wipe-clean fabric upholstery and vinyl floors.

The KGM Torres Hybrid sits at the smaller end of the medium SUV set, but it still offers decent levels of space throughout, especially when it comes to headroom.

Storage is something KGM gets right with the Torres. The centre console has an armrest with large under-lid storage. There are a couple of good sized cupholders and a small slot for the phone to sit in, however it’s not super deep so it’s better for keys.

Further under the console is a large tray and two USB-C ports, plus another smaller shelf just above. There’s heaps of space in the doors for two bottles, plus additional space. And the glove box can hold the vehicle manual.

When it comes to in-car tech it’s a bit of a mixed bag. The multimedia screen takes way too long to boot up, especially when it’s hot. Which is not great because you need the screen to crank the air-con as most vehicle functions are housed in the screen. That display delay also frustrates if you want to reverse immediately after turning the car on, meaning sometimes there’s no camera display for a few seconds. It’s just not good enough by today’s standards.

The system is fine in terms of navigation and menus but not super intuitive. Swipe down for drive modes ('Comfort', 'Sport' and 'Eco'), plus some quick access options. You can always swipe down even when Apple CarPlay is active.

You can also hit the fan from left of screen to open the air con settings.

As mentioned, there’s no digital radio and no wireless Apple CarPlay. Also no wireless charger in the K30. Having to use a cord can be a pain but at least it means flawless CarPlay connection and a properly charged phone - something most charging pads fail to achieve.

The digital Instrument cluster is clear enough, but there is no head-up display.

Steering wheel controls are clearly labeled on the lovely looking thin-rimmed, four-spoke wheel.

In the back seat you’ll find ample leg, knee and toe room. There’s plenty of space behind my 183cm driving position. The rear bench is flat so there’s not as much side support as the lovely front seats.

That rear space has quite a high window line so small kids may struggle to see out.

Amenities back there include two map pockets, rear knee-level air vents, two USB-C ports, ISOFIX anchors on the two outboard seats, three top tether points and enough room in the doors for one big and one small bottle.

You get 465 litres of space (to the top of the seat back) with all seats in place. It is ample space for luggage or a big shopping haul. Drop the 60/40 split-fold rear seats and the front seats and that grows to 1526L.

You’ll find a 12-volt outlet in the boot as well as nooks on the side, a light and a cargo blind. What you won’t find, disappointingly, is a spare wheel of any kind. Just a tyre repair kit. This puts KGM behind the pace of brands like Toyota and Hyundai that at least offer a temporary spare wheel for their hybrid models.

Another quirk is adjusting to the tailgate opening upwards, not sideways as the rear 'handle' suggests.

Our test vehicle’s 1447kg kerb weight and 2010kg GVM results in a useful 563kg payload rating.

It’s also rated to tow up to 1500kg of braked trailer and with its 3510kg GCM (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) it can carry its maximum payload while towing its maximum trailer weight for optimum versatility.

Cargo bay access is through asymmetric rear barn-doors which can be opened to 180 degrees for forklift and loading dock access, or sliding doors on each side with (according to our tape measure) 625mm openings. The walls and doors are lined to mid-height and there’s internal lighting.

The cargo bay’s load volume is a competitive 3.3 cubic metres and with more than 1.8 metres in length, almost 1.6 metres in width and more than 1.2 metres between the rear-wheel housings, it can easily swallow one standard Aussie pallet or two Euro pallets.

The load floor, which does not include a protective liner as standard equipment, offers a choice of six load-anchorage points.

The solid bulkhead doubles as a sturdy cargo barrier and insulates the cabin from cargo bay noise, most of which comes from the tyres emanating through the rear-wheel housings.

Given its compact dimensions, the cabin is surprisingly spacious and accommodating even for someone my height (186cm), thanks to front doors that open to a full 90 degrees, generous leg and elbow room plus a high roof relative to the seating position that adds to the airy feel.

Storage includes a large-bottle holder and bin in the base of each door, single glove box, full-width overhead shelf, large open tray in the centre of the dash-pad and (in standard form at least) a centre console with two cupholders and trays for small items.

However, given our test vehicle is equipped with the optional Business Pack, the standard console is replaced with a more elaborate version, which in addition to a pair of cupholders has a wireless phone-charging dock up front and a box with hinged lid at the back.

There’s also a sizeable clamshell-lid compartment set into the dash-pad ahead of the driver, which includes a smartphone holder on a stalk that can be easily moved to either side of the compartment depending on driver preference.

Our only criticism is the lid on the optional console box. Although it’s been thoughtfully angled downwards at the front to provide the driver with comfortable elbow support, there’s no mechanism on the hinge to hold it in the open position.

This makes it awkward to access the box, as the angled lid naturally wants to keep closing on your hand, so a detent in the hinge would be useful.

And, in a similar context, we’d also like to see hinge detents (or struts) to firmly hold the rear barn-doors open in their 180-degree positions, given their propensity to slam shut if hit by wind gusts during loading/unloading.

This can potentially injure the operator, so these devices should be standard issue, not only for Kangoos but all barn-door vans.

The Kangoo petrol range is available in SWB (short wheelbase) with a choice of six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, plus a LWB (long wheelbase) model available only with the auto.

Our test vehicle is the SWB auto, powered by the same 1.3-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine shared by all petrol models, for a list price of $41,990.

That figure sits comfortably between petrol rivals in the small van class, including the Peugeot Partner Pro Short ($39,990) and Volkswagen Caddy Cargo TSI220 ($43,990).

Our example has been enhanced with genuine accessory carpet mats ($167) plus some desirable options including 'Highland Grey' metallic paint ($800) and the ‘Peace of Mind Pack’ ($1500) comprising blind-spot monitoring, front/rear/side parking sensors, driver attention alert, high-beam assist, navigation, overspeed prevention and traffic sign recognition.

It’s also equipped with the ‘Business Pack’ ($3000) which adds tyre pressure monitoring, hands-free key card, body-coloured external door handles, climate control, adaptive cruise control, centre console with armrest and storage, wireless smartphone charger, extra tinted rear barn-door glass, front fog lights, LED headlights and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

This is in addition to its work-focused standard equipment list which includes 16-inch steel wheels and 205/65 R16 tyres with a full-size spare, plus auto-door lock when driving, rain-sensing wipers, a reversing camera and more.

The two-seater cabin, which is separated from the cargo bay by a solid bulkhead, is equipped with an electronic parking brake, two USB ports, two 12-volt sockets, a colour 4.2-inch driver’s info display and a multimedia system controlled by an 8.0-inch central touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity and smartphone dock.

In addition to its option packs, Renault also offers numerous single options including a 200kg GCM upgrade, different cargo bay sliding-door configurations, a smart digital rear view mirror and more.

Powering the KGM Torres Hybrid is a 110kW/220Nm 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine paired with a permanent magnet synchronous motor delivering 130kW/300Nm, for a combined power output of 150kW. KGM does not provide an overall torque figure but clearly pulling power is healthy.

It also has a 1.8kWh lithium iron phosphate battery as part of its hybrid set-up. As mentioned. this is not a plug-in.

That’s a little less than the Hyundai Tucson (172kW) and GWM Haval H6 (179kW) hybrids, but more than the Honda CR-V (135kW).

It uses a ‘dedicated hybrid transmission’ and drives the front wheels only.

The Euro 6 emissions-compliant 1.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine produces 96kW at 5000rpm and 240Nm at 1600rpm.

Its seven-speed dual-clutch automatic provides the option of sequential manual-shifting plus three drive modes comprising 'Normal', 'Eco' and 'Performance', which alter the shift calibrations to optimise engine efficiency in each setting. They are selected using a button on the dash.

KGM says the Torres Hybrid consumes 5.6 litres per 100 kilometres on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle. After a week of mixed urban and freeway driving I recorded a figure of 7.0L/100km. Not bad, but it could be better.

The Torres’s Euro 6 powerplant uses 95 RON premium fuel and taking into account the 50-litre fuel tank, you could theoretically get a total driving range of about 890km.

Renault claims average combined consumption of 6.4L/100km and the dash display was showing 7.8 when we stopped to refuel at the completion of our 254km test, of which about one third of that distance was hauling more than half a tonne of payload. We also had the annoying engine auto stop/start function switched off for the duration.

Our own figure, calculated from fuel bowser and tripmeter readings, was higher again at 8.6 which was still within the usual 2.0-3.0L/100km discrepancy between official and ‘real world’ figures.

So, based on our consumption number, you could expect a ‘real world’ driving range of around 630km from its 54-litre tank which should only be filled with premium petrol (min 95 RON).

While this might be CarsGuide’s first time behind the wheel of the KGM Torres Hybrid, we have driven the petrol version. Andrew Chesterton lived with one for three months. You can read his take on it here.

As predicted by Chesto, the hybrid powertrain does sort out some of the issues with the pure petrol version. Regular acceleration is smooth and lacks any of the jerkiness experienced in the pure-combustion model, thanks in part to the hybrid transmission.

There is, however, tyre squeal when you give it a boot full. That could be fixed with better tyres than the 225/60R18 Nexen Roadian GTX rubber on the hybrid grades. There was also axle tramp when I tested the Torres under hard acceleration.

The transition between petrol and electric power is seamless. Only when pushed hard up a hill does the petrol engine sound a little rough.

Of the three drive modes - Comfort, Eco and Sport - the latter only adds mild spice. Best stick with Comfort.

The Torres Hybrid’s brakes are strong and lack the spongeyness of some hybrids. It has regenerative braking which just feels weird in a hybrid. I kept it at a lower setting as a result.

It steers nicely, offering a good amount of feel and it’s sharp without overdoing it.

I noticed some light vibration through the steering wheel on coarse chip and uneven roads. But the cabin is well insulated and relatively quiet. A particularly windy Melbourne spring day was the only thing that unsettled the peace in the cabin.

Suspension is MacPherson strut up front and multi-link at the rear and in terms of handling, there’s subtle lean in corners but it feels pretty hunkered down for a family SUV. More so than a number of its rivals.

The Torres Hybrid’s ride quality is variable, depending on the road quality. On some average roads, it handles better than others. You’ll definitely notice sizeable ruts, but there’s little to complain about in urban settings.

In terms of visibility, the C-pillar is way too big. I get that it’s a design element but that, combined with the tiny rear third-quarter windows, make a head check all but useless.

Apart from the huge and unavoidable solid-walled blind-spot over the driver’s left shoulder, the Kangoo feels more like a nippy small car than a commercial van.

The driver’s seat has no adjustments for lumbar support or base-cushion rake and the backrest angle is restricted by the bulkhead close behind it, but there’s still enough room even for tall people to find a comfortable driving position.

Its leather-rimmed wheel feels nice in your hands and the unladen ride quality is excellent, with nicely weighted and responsive steering feel, reassuringly strong braking and suspension settings that combine good handling response with supple bump absorption.

The turbocharged 1.3-litre four is a refined and willing performer, albeit with softer response below its peak torque band which is tapped at 1600rpm.

From there it happily spins its way to maximum power at 5000rpm, with the dual-clutch auto getting the best out of this engine in all drive modes, when either unladen or hauling a heavy load.

Its diminutive size and agility are well suited to zipping through heavy city traffic, squeezing into tight loading zones or negotiating narrow and crowded city lanes for delivery work.

Manual sequential-shifting allows more direct control if preferred when hauling heavy loads, or for those simply wanting a more engaging drive experience (particularly in Performance mode).

It's impressively quiet up to 80km/h in city and suburban use, but at highway speeds tyre noise becomes more intrusive (particularly on coarse bitumen surfaces) and some wind noise is evident.

The engine requires only 2000rpm to maintain 110km/h cruising speeds and the (optional) adaptive cruise control is resolute in maintaining its speed settings, even on long and steep descents.

To test its GVM rating, we forklifted 415kg into the cargo bay which with driver equalled a payload of just over half a tonne, or about 50kg under its legal limit.

The rear suspension compressed 55mm, which engaged the long cone-shaped jounce rubbers positioned inside the rear coil springs to provide a second stage of load support.

The Kangoo coped commendably with this payload, floating smoothly over bumps and with minimal effect on handling, braking and engine performance.

It also made light work of our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km-long set climb at 60km/h, quickly self-shifting down to fourth gear to easily reach the summit.

Engine-braking on the way down was not as robust, as you’d expect from such a small engine with more than half a tonne on its back, but still within expectations for small vans.

Our only gripes are the absence of a full-width driver’s left footrest and that the thick panel separating the bulkhead windows almost completely blocks the central mirror’s view through the LHS barn-door. You can option a smart digital mirror with rear-facing camera to resolve this issue, but that’s another $800.

KGM covers the Torres with its seven-year, unlimited kilometre warranty and the high-voltage battery is backed by seven-year, 150,000km cover.

Servicing is recommended every 12 months or 10,000km, whichever occurs first. The category standard is every 15,000km. KGM's service pricing is available for the first seven years with prices ranging from $349 to $454. Over that seven years it should cost $2758, which is not bad.

KGM’s dealer network consists of 65 sales and service outlets across the country, with a number in regional and rural Australia.

The Kangoo petrol is backed by a five year/200,000km warranty, whichever occurs first. There's also complimentary roadside assist for up to four years/120,000km, with annual renewals available after that.

Scheduled servicing is every 12 months/30,000km with capped-pricing for the first five scheduled services totalling $2385, or an average of $477 per year.