2024 Renault Kangoo E-Tech Reviews

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the 2014 Renault Kangoo.

French maker Renault has unveiled the hot hatch it hopes will reclaim the title as the world's fastest front-wheel-drive car.The Megane RS275 Trophy Edition has been developed to crack a sub 8-minute lap time on the perilous 21km Nurburgring race circuit in Germany after Volkswagen's Spanish brand Seat posted a 7 minute and 58-second time in March this year. Renault claims the Seat Leon Cupra was modified and not the same as a showroom standard vehicle.So Renault has upped the ante and fitted race-bred parts to its latest limited edition to reset the record it first held in June 2008 with the Megane R26R (8:16.90) and bettered with the current Megane RS265 in June 2011 (8:08.97).Renault is returning to the Nurburgring on June 16 this year with 10 extra metric horsepower from its 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder, race-style Ohlins adjustable suspension, a titanium exhaust system by Akrapovic, and Michelin Pilot Sport II tyres on new lightweight 19-inch alloy wheels.Prototype versions of the Megane RS275 have been spotted testing on the Nurburgring in recent months and the company may have already secretly reset the record. But it will wait until June 16, when it will host a media day at the circuit about 175km north-west of Frankfurt, before it makes a formal announcement.In the meantime it has teased enthusiasts on social media with the #under8 campaign, revealing details of the new car piece by piece. The Renault Megane RS275's power increases to 202kW but its torque output of 360Nm remains.The six-speed manual transmission and mechanical limited-slip differential are also part of the package. A twin-clutch manual is still not available.The limited edition is due in Australian showrooms in September and about 100 examples have been confirmed for Australia, coinciding with the introduction of the mid-life facelift: new headlights, bonnet and front bumper.The cost is yet to be announced,  but it is expected to be priced between $50,000 and $60,000 when it goes on sale locally. Currently,  the Renault Megane RS265 is priced between $42,640 to $51,640 plus on-road costs.This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling 

There's been a nasty battle brewing for months between French car-maker Renault and the Australian crash test authority, ANCAP.The furore reached a new low last fortnight when the Renault Australia boss questioned whether Australian car buyers will even need an independent authority on car crash safety once local manufacturing ends in 2017. For the record, ANCAP isn't going anywhere, even though some brands wish it would.This change in attitude is surprising from the company that was the first manufacturer ever to be awarded five stars for safety -- and to promote the fact.So why has it all gone sour? A couple of new Renaults, when measured against current Australian criteria, would only earn four stars in Australia because they lack rear airbags.Australian authorities closed this loophole after Ford got a five star rating for the Falcon a couple of years ago without rear airbag protection on what it dubbed "a modern family car". But Euro NCAP was slow to close this loophole, and Renault (and Volkswagen) began introducing models without rear airbag protection.The sole purpose of Global NCAP is to improve vehicle safety and yet, right under Euro NCAP's nose, European car makers began offering less airbag protection to save money. Well, now the game is up.Euro NCAP has finally followed the lead of Australian NCAP and will close the rear airbag loophole. Unfortunately the requirements won't come into force in Europe until 2016.The tragedy here is that Euro NCAP assumed, perhaps naively, that car makers wouldn't dare take a backwards step when it comes to safety. But when it comes to saving money, car makers are masters at reading the rules.Which is why you should only ever judge cars sold in Australia by the Australian NCAP ratings (ancap.com.au) as they are the more robust standard. Australians like to think that something from Europe is automatically better. But on this occasion the opposite is true.Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see Renault and others change their attitudes to rear airbags once the European rules come into force. For the past few months, Renault has been trying to tell us that rear airbags aren't essential, and in some circumstances can even be dangerous. Don't make me laugh.This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling 

That 21st century automotive niche, the hot five-door coupe, has a new member in the shape of the Renault Clio GT

A sensuous sculpture that stimulates desire; voluptuous curves that make you want to reach out and caress. It's not a line from a Hollywood romance blockbuster, but a quote from the chap who designed the new Renault Clio.In the case of the just-arrived Clio GT, the object of desire is more of a warm number than a serious hottie, but with the coolest of looks. And a lot of very nice equipment. The GT is an interesting mix. It looks just like the high-performance RS model, but has a cleverly-engineered 1.2-litre turbo motor that's more attuned to economy than performance.PRICE / FEATURESThe GT perched about midway between the three-cylinder Clio and the fiery RS, starting from $25,290 for the standard version and $28,790 for the Premium. Both have the 88kW/190Nm four-pot 1.2 engine which drives the front wheels through a superb EDC six-speed dual clutch automatic transmission from Getrag.The Clio GT also has a chassis specially designed for keener handling, with stiffer springs and dampers than in the standard Clio range and it rides on 17-inch alloys shod with lo-pro Michelin Primacys.Standard gear includes cruise control, rear parking sensors, twin exhausts, tinted glass, keyless entry and start, automatic climate control, auto-on wipers and headlights, Renault's Media nav system with Bluetooth connectivity and RS Drive with Normal and Sport modes. Plus an advanced speaker system. The RS button instantly adjusts the steering, accelerator and transmission settings for a sportier drive. For the extra $3500 the GT Premium adds R-Link entertainment system, reversing camera, a fixed glass sunroof and leather upholstery.DRIVINGWe squirted the Clio GT through the ups, downs and curves of the Great Dividing Range around Victoria's King Lake district, and enjoyed its quick steering and confident road manners. The EDC changes cogs in milliseconds when in RS mode and there's a choice of gearstick or paddleshift. The nicely-bolstered seats gave good support, the steering wheel is fully adjustable, visibility was fine and the car handled road imperfections very well.The direct-injection engine is not the most powerful in its class, but the handling package makes the GT a pretty quick point-to-point machine, and in RS mode, the revs run into outer space. Zero to 100km/h comes up in 9.5 seconds and the top end is good for just on 200km/h. More importantly, fuel consumption is a very impressive 5.2L/100km, with CO2 emissions rated at 120g/km.The voluptuous curves and minute shutlines also give it a dynamic coupe appearance, although it's really a practical five-door hatch with proper adult-sized back seat accommodation. Renault reckons it's got the measure of class rivals like Peugeot 208 Allure, Citroen's DS3, the Fiesta Ecoboost and Suzuki Swift Sport.VERDICTThe Clio GT is quite pricey, but you do get a lot for your money built into a classy, sexy little number with big headlights and other features that make you want to reach out and caress.Renault Clio GTPrice: from $25,290Engine: 1.2-litre turbo petrol, 88kW/190NmTransmission: 6 speed dual clutch auto, FWDThirst: 5.2L/100km

The Renault Master Cab Chassis is half ute, half van. It's a little more nimble than a light truck and yet it's a bit less comfortable than some of the better workhorse utes.

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the Renault Koleos, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

A bigger range, lower prices, plus the addition of a sporty wagon last year, has given Renault extra impetus in its drive to give the Megane more space in the crowded small car market.

Over there, the van will also be sold as the Nissan Primastar as well as the Vauxhall and Opel Vivaro, but of all these models, only the Renault will come to Australia and it will be on sale here next year. Renault is saving much of the detail of its all-important load hauler, but says it features an all new interior and exterior design and will introduce a swag of new technology.To be built at Sandouville, France, the Trafic will be available with a new 1.6-litre four-cylinder diesel with two turbochargers which help return a remarkable average fuel consumption figure of less than 6L/100km. There will also be a single turbo version of the same engine, which uses a variable geometry turbocharger.  It is not quite as efficient as the double-boosted unit but still uses 15 per cent less than the one it replaces.Renault says the new Trafic will be available in a wide range of body styles and there will be two different heights, two different lengths, a regular cargo van, passenger van and a cab-chassis ute.The third generation Trafic features a modern and masculine design that is not as out-there as some French designs.  It has a blunt nose with a deep grille for optimum cooling. The headlights stretch up and away from the grille and a design crease starts just beneath the wing mirror, drops down and then runs along the side of the van, rising up and over the rear wheel arch.Renault says the new van is more dynamic than ever before, with sharper lines. It adds that the new Trafic  retains the sturdy look of the existing machine thanks to a grey wrap-around plastic bumper that looks like it can take plenty of hard knocks. 

As volunteer Rod Bates and his partner Joanne were returning from weekend spent supporting fire-fighters outside Adelaide in January, their journey home took a turn for the worse when they rolled their Renault Kangoo on the freeway.A moment's inattention led to the vehicle ploughing off the freeway into the ditch between the carriageways and then rolling over. The almost new Kangoo diesel  van left the road, traversed the central median and rolled across the oncoming lane, coming to rest at the far edge of the carriageway. Fortunately both Rod and Joanne climbed out of the vehicle, very little the worse for wear."We were very lucky that we didn't hit any other cars or any poles or trees," Rod says. "My only memory of the accident as it was happening was that I was pinned to the seat by the seat belt. I didn't feel any of the impacts, but I did feel the seatbelt holding me tightly," he says.Rod says he has no recollection of his head hitting the airbag, though he remembers the noise it made. "It is a noise you don't forget. I ended up with a scratch and burn from the airbag deployment and my partner ended up with a couple of black eyes, minor seatbelt bruising and a mild concussion. When the emergency services guys arrived they couldn't believe we had walked away from the car," Rod says.While the Kangoo suffered significant body damage, the passenger compartment was largely untouched. Some minor damage occurred to the stock Rod had in the rear of the vehicle, but the full size cargo barrier protected the passenger cell from intrusion from behind. The interior was, however, liberally sprinkled with freeze dried coffee beans and the contents of a cup that had been residing in the cup holder."I had bought the Renault Kangoo only a few weeks before the accident. I had been looking or a small runabout van for my lighting and sound company. We have a bigger van but it is a bit cumbersome and quite thirsty to drive round town all the time," he says. "The fuel use had been very impressive, about half what we were using in the bigger van," he says."It is such a shame that the Kangoo was written off as we'd only put about 6,000km on the clock, but I am hoping to replace it with a new Kangoo Maxi as soon as they become available."Commenting on the crash performance of the Kangoo, Renault Australia Managing Director, Justin Hocevar says: "Naturally we are relieved that Rod and Joanne were able to walk away.  The Kangoo is small, but it is strong, and the safety engineering that has gone into the Kangoo, which is built on a passenger car platform, really did its stuff."