2024 Renault Kangoo E-Tech Reviews

A member of the 2013 Australia's Best Cars judging panel says motorists are spoilt for choice right now. Royal Automobile Club of Tasmania general manager of roadside and technical Darren Moody -- who sits on the panel with judges from motorist clubs around Australia -- says new car buyers have access to record low interest rates and are still getting great value for money, despite a recent dip in the value of the Australian dollar.He and the 11 other judges from around the country had been trying to make life even easier for buyers, testing 50 vehicles in 15 categories for the 2013 best car awards.The awards, run by the Australian Automobile Association, involved all the state auto clubs. In October Mr Moody and the other judges spent six days at the Australian Automobile Research Centre at Anglesea in Victoria testing all the vehicles.The judges' choice this year was the Mazda6 Touring, winner of the category for best medium car under $50,000. "It brings premium features to the category," Mr Moody said. There was no winner in the people mover category this year. AAA chief executive Andrew McKellar said it was the first time in the 13 years of the program that an award has been withheld."It's unfortunate that not one vehicle in that class meets the expectations of an Australia's Best Car," he said.Australia's Best Cars 2013Judges' choice: Mazda6 TouringBest light car: Renault Clio Expression TCe 120Best small car under $35,000: Hyundai i30 ActiveBest small car over $35,000: Audi A3 Sportback TFSI CoDBest medium car under $50,000: Mazda6 TouringBest medium car over $50,000: BMW 320iBest large car under $60,000: Holden Commodore VF SV6Best large car over $60,000: Lexus GS350 F SportBest people mover: Award withheldBest sports car under $50,000: Volkswagen Golf GTIBest sports car $50,000-$100,000: BMW M135iBest SUV under $45,000: Subaru Forester 2.5iBest SUV $45,000-$65,000: Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander CRDiBest Luxury SUV over $65,000: Volkswagen Touareg V6 TDIBest all-terrain 4WD under $100,000: Land Rover Discovery 4 TDV6Best 4x4 Dual Cab Ute: Ford Ranger XLRead the full story here. 

You know you're getting old when car comfort is more important than a stoplight sprint. Either that or, like me, you've recently spent too much time with doctors and comfort suddenly becomes the single most important thing in your driving day.I love the Ferrari 458, but right now I would hobble straight past the rip-snorter Italian thoroughbred on the way to a cushy Jaguar XJ limo. It would be the same situation for my first-choice funster, the Porsche Cayman.I've recently driven a race-prepared Fiat 500 Abarth and the pain was almost - almost - worse than the pleasure of romping the pocket rocket around the high-speed swoops and curves of Phillip Island. I was more than happy to slide back into the cushiness of a Chrysler 300 for the drive home, even if the seats in the motown monster don't give as much support as I normally like.The ride back to the airport got me thinking about the strengths and weaknesses of a number of vehicles that have recently passed through the Carsguide garage, focusing on how they make you feel in the body instead of in the head. Every week there are emails to CarsGuide from people of age, asking about upgrading - from a conventional passenger car into something in the SUV style that's easier on the hips and legs at mounting and dismounting time.An SUV can look like a good idea on the comfort front, but lots have bench-flat seats, crappy ergonomics and nowhere near enough suspension compliance. The Subaru Forester has a nice ride, but I prefer the seats in the Toyota RAV4. On the car front, the new Nissan Pulsar has seats that do nothing for me, but the Renault Clio is surprisingly comfy for a little, affordable car.My top favourite seat is a Recaro racing bucket that is almost shrink-wrapped to my shape, like a bathtub full of jelly that provides perfect support. But it's just about the toughest seat to get into or away from. So, right now, the first-choice comfort car is a Range Rover. It's stupidly expensive, but everything works for me, from a body that drops down on its air springs for easy access to beautifully-shaped front buckets finished in lovely leather and even a user-friendly automatic gearbox that means my left leg never has to move out of its comfort zone.This reporter is on Twitter: @PaulWardGover 

Reversing down highway is extremely dangerous but this driver didn’t seem to care - doing it for a whole 2km.We're not entirely sure if there's some connection to the bike rider who recently filmed himself doing 240km/h without any protection equipment. If there was some sort of prize for idiotic ideas, these guys would both be in serious contention.Watch the video of the driver reversing 2km down the highway on our desktop site.This reporter is on Twitter: @VladCARS 

As if the Renault Megane RS265 isn't enough, the French manufacture has upped the ante with a limited edition model called the RB8 -- for Red Bull 8. It's to celebrate the fourth consecutive victory of the Red Bull Racing Team in the Formula 1 World Championships, but we're not sure why the 8 is in the name. Only 120 of the RB8 will be available, all finished in Dusk Blue paint -- taking its inspiration directly from the race team's colours -- with Platinum detailing. It carries subtle Red Bull Racing branding, and features body-hugging Recaro front seats, the latest R-Link Multimedia system and TomTom Live navigation system, plus the latest on-board RS Monitor v2.0. The $49,990 RB8 is shod as standard with the same Cup chassis and Bridgestone tyres that helped Megane RS 265 Trophy establish a lap record at the Nurburgring. The carbon fibre effect dashboard boasts red highlights and is bisected by a grey centre band. The sporty effect is completed with red seatbelts. Further sporty details include alloy foot pedals, gloss black centre console and insert in the leather-wrapped steering wheel, and a platinum-finished Renaultsport gear knob. The RS Monitor delivers a new, more user-friendly and intuitive interface, which uses R-Link's 7-inch colour display to provide information on GPS tracked lap timing, information in 3D form and real-time access to power output data, 0-100kmh acceleration times, and G-Force read-outs. Power comes from a 195kW (265hp) engine with stop-start for better city economy.  

Away from the performance specials they produce from time to time, it's difficult to think of a French car in the past few years that ticked all the boxes.

Here's a great reason to prioritise good handling when buying your next car. Not only would it be immense fun to spend the odd weekend perfecting laptimes at your favourite track, but it could save you from having a crash.Imagine a big top-heavy SUV trying to avoid this accident. We're not sure if it would have slammed in the back of the Renault Clio, the side parapet or ended up offroad -- but it surely would have made it much harder to avoid trouble.Watch the Porsche close call thanks to slick driving video here.This reporter is on Twitter: @VladCARS 

Renault's drive for increased market share in Australia continues. The latest vehicle to receive the makeover and price reduction treatment is the Renault Koleos.Sales of the Koleos have almost doubled in the past 12 months and may improve yet again following a major restyle. Renault is calling the update of the Koleos Phase 3 guise. We first saw the new face of Renault when the Clio was reintroduced to Australia in September.  As well as the bold face, the Phase 3 Koleos has a new design of alloy wheels and chromed side protective strips.Inside are new trims designs and the option of brown leather upholstery. There's a redesigned audio interface and a new 7-inch touchscreen navigation system with multimedia functions. Renault Koleos Expression gains an alarm, lockable glove box and deadlocking.At $27,490, the Expression 4x2 petrol manual costs $1000 less than the vehicle it replaces. Even better, the driveaway price for the Expression is $27,990, but only as an introductory offer. This will increase to $27,490, plus on-road and dealer charges at a time yet to be nominated by Renault Australia.Renault Koleos Expression petrol automatic has a manufacturer's list price of $30,490. This is also down $1000 from the superseded model. There's no driveaway special on the Expression - or indeed on any others in the revised Koleos range.Renault Koleos Bose models now have two-tone 17-inch alloy wheel design, integrated satellite navigation with a touchscreen, front parking sensors, keyless start and an automatically dimming interior mirror. A rear view camera is available as an option on the Koleos Bose.The Koleos Bose has a recommended price of $35,490 for the 4x2 petrol automatic, $38,990 for the 4x4 petrol auto and $40,490 for the 4x4 diesel auto.Topping out the range is the Renault Koleos Privilege. It has two-tone 18-inch alloy wheels, and both front seats are electrically adjustable (previously only the driver's seat had this handy function. There's a trim option, with a choice between brown leather or brown interior with beige. The reversing camera is standard.The manufacturer's list price for the Renault Koleos Phase 3 Privilege CVT 4X4 Petrol is $44,740, while the Privilege CVT 4X4 Diesel is now $46,240.The 2.0-litre turbo-diesel has been revamped to increase its power by 17 kW, now producing up to 127 kW. Torque has gone from an already good 320 Nm to an impressive 360 Nm. We have yet to drive the new model but are looking forward to the punch it obviously produces and will report as soon as we have got ourselves into the driver's seat.Brown is the new black in Europe at the moment and it's no surprise the French Koleos introduces an interesting brown metallic to its range. We have always admired the Renault Koleos range for being just that little bit different from other medium SUVs. The touch of French flair appeals to us and this facelift adds further to that look and feel. 

The tiny tearaway of the Renault Sport family has been given an early clearance for Australia. The  Clio RS 200 was originally set for touchdown by March 2014, but the first of the French pocket rockets will now become early Christmas presents with a starting price of $28,790. They have been rushed through the system at Renault Sport in Dieppe in a reflection of Australia's second place in the RS world - only beaten by the home team.The Clio 200 made an impressive impact during a Carsguide preview drive in France at the start of this year, where it emerged as a mini Godzilla, and also during track laps at Sandown in Melbourne when F1 ace Mark Webber took the wheel. The turbocharged tot even shares the aluminium shift paddles for its double-clutch gearbox with the rampaging Nissan GT-R.The Christmas confirmation comes this week as Renault Australia continues its run of success with RS Megane models, which have now been delivered to 393 owners through the end of September. "We've cut six months out of the waiting times. Renault Sport has been very supportive and we've managed to get our cars early," says Emily Ambrosy, spokesperson for Renault Australia."Supplies will be modest at first but we'll be looking to ramp things up early in the new year." The RS 200 EDC takes its name from its 200-horsepower engine - that's 147 kiloWatts, matched by 240 Newton-metres - and its six-speed Electronic Double Clutch gearbox. It also gets a taut tweaking of the basic fourth-generation Clio chassis, brakes from the V6 Laguna model, larger alloys and a leather-wrapped cabin.The original plan was to take the car with the track-tuned Cup chassis settings, but Renault Australia has decided to also take the less-extreme Sport set-up. It's a contrast to the Megane, where customer demand means there is only a Cup car. "We believe the Sport is a good drive. Yes, it is the softer option. We've talked to customers and looked at some of the competitors and believe it has a place," says Ambrosy. The last time there was a Sport chassis in the local Renault Sport lineup was back in the days of the Clio 197, in 2010.The starting price is well below the $35,000 target set earlier this year, when Renault was aiming to slightly undercut the Volkswagen Polo GTi and Skoda Fabia RS it sees as the car's toughest opposition. The $28,790 sticker applies to a Sport chassis model, with the five-door body and EDC, with details on the rest of the lineup still to be confirmed. Ambrosy believes the RS 200 will be an early sellout, based on the reaction following the preview drives this year. "We certainly have had some very strong expressions of interest, but we only open the order book this week." 

It shares its mechanical package with the next Smart ForTwo, which could trim the price enough to be competitive down under following an official reveal at next year's Paris motor show.

Building on its increased sales success in Australia in the last couple of years Renault has announced that the Renault Fluence has been given a mid-life makeover