2024 Renault Kangoo E-Tech Reviews

A new SUV battlefield is about to open in Australia as Renault confirms local sales of its swish new Captur crossover.The Captur is smaller than the current compact contenders - including the Honda CR-V, Hyundai ix35, Subaru Forester and Toyota RAV4 - and the French brand believes it will also be a hit with younger shoppers.It is aiming for a sub-$20,000 starting price. Its most-likely rival is the Subaru XV, although Nissan is also coming soon with its funky Juke. The Captur is not a totally-done-deal yet, but everything points to sales early next year as the car is previewed in production form at the Geneva motor show."The first half of 2014 is when it's looking likely for Australia," the managing director of Renault Australia, Justin Hocevar, reveals to Carsguide. "Our business plan for Australia is looking very positive. We've still got a few hurdles to clear, but I don't think any are insurmountable. I had some very positive meetings last week in Paris."The Captur has been converted almost directly from an edgy concept car designed by its new styling chief, one-time Mazda man Laurens van den Acker. Its name has also been brought along for showrooms.Renault believes it's a city-focussed crossover and it definitely hits the same keys as the successful Range Rover Evoque, although the French brand is being more practical with a sliding rear bench seat, a multi-position boot floor, an 11-litre drawer-style glovebox and a range of infotainment systems including the R-Link approach to connectivity.It even weights the same as the latest Clio 3 to boost its efficiency. "As the brand's first urban crossover, Captur combined all the advantages of the MPV, SUV and family hatchback," says van den Acker.The Captur is based on the latest Clio compact so it's only 4.1 metres long and 1.7 metres wide, but it rolls on either 16 or 17-inch alloys and has jacked up suspension for the getaway look. Renault describes the cabin space as "generous".Keyless entry and hill-start assist are standard across the range, but Renault Australia is yet to confirm equipment including zip-off seat covers, a rear camera or the R-Link system.The mechanical focus at Geneva is on the EDC dual-clutch gearbox and turbo petrol 90 engine which gives 4.9 litres/100km, but there are two petrol and two diesel engines for the Captur. Hocevar is confident the Captur will open a new SUB category, based on its size and price."There's not a lot there in that size, especially in Australia. It's a light-class crossover, smaller than a Nissan Dualis and more like a Nissan Juke or Opel Mokka," he says."We haven't touched on the price yet. But, based on what's in the market, it's highly likely that the entry model will be in the very high teens or early $20,000s."This reporter is on Twitter @paulwardgover 

...Better Place’s decision to freeze its investment in Australia. The electric Renault was to have cost around $40,000, excluding the price of leasing the battery from Better Place. Lease deals entitled the owner to be able to pull in to a Better Place battery-swap station and exchange the pack for a fully charged one in what the company predicted would be around the same time it takes to refill a petrol-powered vehicle. The energy provider launched in 2011 with a plan to roll-out a national network of recharge points and battery-swap sites but this week announced it was withdrawing from Australia and the US to focus on the Israel and Denmark markets, where it has a more extensive recharge infrastructure. The press release also says Better Place will look for someone to take over existing customers in Australia, noting the company “is committed to finding alternative arrangements for existing customers in these markets”. Better Place is best-represented in Canberra, where 13 charge points are installed. Significantly for Renault, there are no battery-swap stations - and the Fluence ZE was specifically designed with a removable battery pack for “hot-swap” convenience. Renault Australia spokeswoman Emily Ambrosy says the Fluence ZE has been postponed “until further notice.” “The Fluence ZE launch was predicated around being able to recharge and swap batteries,” she says. “With Better Place winding down in Australia, we can’t give that flexibility to customers, so we’ve postponed it indefinitely.” A Renault press release says the company still believes in the future of electric vehicles and “will continue working towards the introduction of Renault-brand EV models in the future.” The most likely candidate is the Zoe, which is Renault’s well-shaped city car based on the Nissan Leaf powertrain and should arrive in Australia next year. GM Holden also had a deal with Better Place to provide electricity for its range-extending Volt. Holden says but isn’t as exposed due to Volt’s ability to recharge overnight off the domestic electric plug. Upgrading to 15 amp-powerpoints halves the time and Holden spokeswoman Shayna Welsh says new customers can contact ChargePoint and GE to install dedicated “quick-charge” units in homes, giving potential Volt owners a range of options. “Customers who have taken delivery of their home charge stations can continue to use them and receive power. We’re working through those issue with Better Place now, she says.”  

When you are at the cutting edge of F1 racing you have a fair old leg up if you also happen to make production cars. Therefore, it's hardly surprising that Renault can produce a car like the Megane RS265 - arguably the best front wheel drive car ever built.VALUEThat's a huge call but the Megane RS265 delivers the kind of drive feel you expect from a car costing over $100,000. It costs from $42,640 and don't forget, it's a FRONT wheel drive.TECHNOLOGYSpawned from the French Gendarmerie's requirement for a quick response car (read pursuit vehicle), the Megane RS 265 achieves 195kW(265hp)/360Nm output from its 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine. It's a lot of grunt to feed through the front wheels but Renault equips its stove-hot hatch with a tricky differential as well as an independent steering axis to completely eliminate the dreaded phenomenon of torque steer that can hinder a high powered front driver.DESIGNMore than that, the chassis is so well dialled in as to render all wheel drive redundant on all but icy roads. That means a substantial weight saving. Further saving weight and complexity is the RS265 six speed manual only suspension. There's not a dual clutch system to be seen and it doesn't need one.DRIVINGOn a drive program for the RS265, we covered roads previously driven in the latest Porsche 911. And there was precious little difference in the pace of the Renault compared with the Porsche - selling at five times the price. And you can actually accommodate two people in the back seat of the Megane RS265.It has cornering capabilities like few other cars and really does feel like it's on rails at silly speeds. We took the car to a race track to extend the envelope but came away humbled because not once did the stylish Renault put a wheel out of place. It makes mug punters look like hero drivers.But there are some shortcomings. The engine redline is set at about 6500rpm and it needs to spin a little harder to eliminate unnecessary upchanges. The car also resets to Normal mode instead of staying in Sport where the extra power is available and the chassis is fully dialled up. The radio is still a challenge with fiddly small dials and labels.Apart from that, we'd have one of these cars over a WRX, Evo or anything else in the performance all wheel drive segment.VERDICTIt's just a better mouse trap, a bargain performance car that looks as good as it goes (and sounds). Santa, where did you go.... 

It promises to be light years better than the awful Scenic RX of 2000, with similar appeal to a Subaru Forester.  

...another upcoming addition to the fourth-generation Clio lineup. It won't be as hot as the Clio RenaultSport, but the GT is expected with a 1.2-litre turbo engine and perhaps a Gordini badge.

The annual Salon du Chocolat is the peak show for the world's serious confectioners, but from the looks of this video the sugar goes to everybody's heads.This year's show being held in Paris seemed to bring out more than usual excess, with chocolate sculptures, chocolate jewelry and even chocolate fashion -- just don't get too hot on the dance floor in some of these outfits.But the highlight of the show was a Twizy city car from French brand Renault, covered in macaroons. Renault designed the showstopping car project with famed Parisian chef Pierre Herme, known as the 'Picasso of Pastry'. Herme's team took two days to attach 1700 macaroons in a range of flavours to the Twizy's body and wheels. It's not the first vehicle venture for Herme, who created a solid chocolate Renault Clio for the recent Paris motor show. 

"We've very interested," says Emily Ambrosy of the car, which was caught during European testing and is expected to be called the Sports Tourer in showrooms. 

There's something very feline about this car. Like a big cat it sits coiled, muscles bunched, ready to spring into action. Renault describes the latest Megane RS 265 8:08 limited edition as the ultimate hot hatch and we're inclined to agree.VALUE AND RANGEMegane RS 265 is available in three editions; entry level Cup ($42,640), sporty Trophy ($47,140) and luxury Trophy+ ($51,640). This one the limited edition Trophy 8:08 is $49,990 and only 100 examples are coming to Australia. The 8:08 is for the time the car set at the Nurburgring where it holds the lap record for a front drive car.TECHNOLOGYThe 2.0-litre turbocharged four delivers an extra 11kW of power and an additional 20Nm of torque but only in sport mode. The rest of the time it's 184kW/340Nm. The engine is mated to a short shifting 6-speed manual transmission, with 0-100km/h taking 6.0 seconds flat. It's not as fast out of the gates as some but that's beside the point. Mid-range response is ferocious and Renault Sport's Cup chassis together with a limited slip diff deliver unbelievable traction.DESIGNA series of subtle exterior changes have been made, to project a more forceful image. The front end has been designed, with the F1-style front blade, characteristic of Renault Sport models, now featuring two rows of six LEDs and chrome highlights. In addition, the front headlight masks are now sporty black. New 18-inch matt black wheels rims are standard but the 8:08 gets black 19s fitted with 235/35 Bridgestone Potenzas the same tyre used for the record.There's also leather trimmed Recaros, bi-xenon directional headlights and limited edition Trophy decals. In addition the Trophy 8:08 is available in two limited edition colours: pearl white and Renault Sport's signature liquid yellow.Unfortunately the inside doesn't quite live up to the outside. It's all a bit drab apart from the yellow seatbelts and yellow stitching on the upholstery, steering wheel and gear lever knob. Other sporty appointments include a black lacquer finish for the centre console and air vent surrounds, plus a carbon-effect finish for the door panel inserts. The Recaros could do with some tilt adjustment and the forward mounted door handles lack leverage making it difficult to pull back when the large doors are swinging towards another car or a wall.DRIVINGWhat a ripper. You won't want to give this one back. The new model benefits from some exhaust tuning and enhanced engine acoustics. Suffice to say it purrs like a pussycat on the motorway, turning over a lazy 2500 revs at 110km/h. Acceleration is strong, the clutch action is heavy at first and gear changes are not always as smooth as we'd like.But it's in the twisty bits that this car really comes alive. Mid-range acceleration is phenomenal and it has an indecent amount of grip for a front wheel drive car. The four-pot 340mm Brembos allow braking deep into the corner.VERDICTAnyone considering a WRX or EVO should seriously have a long, hard look at one of these babies. It's really that good and you really won't be disappointed.

The rebirth comes thanks to an unlikely liaison between Renault and Caterham. The two companies are already tied through Formula One and now Renault has tasked Caterham to create its 21st century hero cars for badging under the Alpine brand.Two sports cars are included in the plan and are expected on the road in late 2014 or early in 2015. There is also expected to be a Caterham version. Renault has already tested the potential for an Alpine revival with a great looking two-seater sports car and now it's put the pieces in place to make it a production reality, including construction at the Dieppe factory that already creates its RenaultSport versions of the Megane and Clio.Caterham is best known as the company that took over production rights of the classic Lotus 7, designed by F1 genuius Colin Chapman, and it has managed to keep the car alive over the years with a long string of technical updates that have not greatly affected the basics of the 1950s chassis and body package.But Alpine will be different, as Renault has big plans to create cars that can restore the bragging rights that originally came thanks to Monte Carlo Rally victories and success in the Le Mans sports car classic in the 1970s.A Renault Alpine 110 even won the first running of Australia's Castrol Rally, the most competitive and innovative forest fight of the 1970s, in the hands of national champion Bob Watson. Exact details of the Renault-Caterham liaison and car plan have not been revealed, but Caterham Group is taking a half share in the Automobiles Alpine Renault Company in January.“This innovative partnership with Caterham embodies a longstanding ambition: the creation of a sports car with the Alpine DNA. It carries both opportunities for the Dieppe plant and the development of its historic know-how," says Carlos Ghosn, chairman of Renault.Tony Fernandes, chairman of Caterham and founder of the AirAsia group that allowed him to springboard into Formula One, is upbeat about the new plan. "We know the markets we are going into and, particularly in my playground in Asia, there is a huge opportunity to replicate the AirAsia model and give consumers access to exciting, affordable products that marry our interests in F1 and technology and help make their dreams come true," says Fernandes.Renault knew it needed a new model for its Alpine plan and says Caterham is the right choice to help it. “Our ambitions of reviving Alpine depended on our ability to find a partner in order to ensure the economic profitability of such an adventure," says Carlos Tavares, chief operating office of Renault."Right from the start, we wanted to place the Dieppe plant at the heart of the project. Today, through our partnership with Caterham Group, we can enter a new phase:  the design of a vehicle that will embody the very essence of Alpine, a vehicle that will rekindle sporting passion once more. It could become a reality within the next three or four years.”