2011 Renault Kangoo Reviews

While the focus until now has been cutting the harmful engine emissions of cars, commercial vehicles should not be overlooked. Utes and vans and the like make up about 20 per cent of the vehicles sold in Australia and most of them probably clock up more kilometres each year than the average family car.With this in mind it's comforting to learn French car maker Renault has produced an electric version of its small delivery van the Kangoo - as well as the electric Fluence sedan. We drove both vehicles on a recent visit to Portugal but to be frank it was the Kangoo ZE that was more impressive.The Kangoo is targeted at business customers looking for an economical solution but one that is more "respectful" of the environment.Maybe it was the fact that we had lower expectations of the van, but we reckon it was the better drive. To put this in perspective we drove the 1.5-litre diesel version of the Kangoo not too long ago.While its a tough little competitor, the electric version could easily replace it and save operators of small fleets money into the bargain. Imagine a dozen of these things with a range of 170km which that take less than $100 a month to charge? It'd be perfect for a city-based delivery service like a courier or florist for instance.In Europe the battery is leased through the Better Place company which charges the equivalent of $95 a month which includes the power. Over there 70 per cent of delivery vans travel less than 100km a day.Renault has not confirmed whether it is bringing the Kangoo ZE to Australia, but given its strong desire to have us drive the vehicle it's a fair bet.The Kangoo ZE comes in two sizes, short and long wheelbase as well as a five-seat passenger version  - all with a 650kg carrying capacity. With a 22kWh battery that weighs about 260kg the ZE it has a range of about 150km from a single charge. The electric motor produces 44kW of power and 226Nm of torque. More importantly maximum torque (the important half of the equation) is available from zero revs. The battery does not intrude in anyway into the cargo area of the van which has the same capacity as the diesel.Unlike the Fluence however the battery cannot be swapped for a fully charged one. It must be plugged into a charge point to be recharged which takes six to eight hours or less with a commercial grade charger. The battery is mounted horizontally beneath the floor.The smaller lighter van is surprisingly nippy to drive and the pick of the bunch. The larger versions feel considerably heavier but the extra weight has little impact on power consumption. The harder you drive the van less range it has, but an eco button limits the speed of the van and can boost range by up to 10 per cent.With less moving parts Renault estimates maintenance costs are 20 per cent less than a petrol or diesel powered vehicle. That will also appeal to savvy fleet operators. With electricity something like 10 cents a kilowatt hour, it's a powerful argument.

There's no vehicle better suited to go electric than the small delivery van. Vast numbers of them spend their days idling around the cities and their nights sitting idle back at base - or at home, if they're owned by a small business. Most of them never stray far from town, their strongest features are practicality and economy, and their drivers would rarely spend red lights planning a screeching track start.So Renault has high hopes of success for the business case they're mounting to bring the Kangoo ZE plug-in van here. Of the three vans available in Europe, the most likely to arrive is the smallest two-seater, with the Maxi two-seater also on the wish list and the five-seater very much an outside chance.VALUEAs with the Fluence ZE, you buy the plug-in van but then enter into a 'battery subscription' with prices rising according to how much distance you buy.It's similar to buying a mobile phone and subscribing to a pre-paid plan - except that in this case the phone battery is part of the lease from the carrier. While that sounds awkward, it would be great if mobile phone batteries came with the Kangoo's guarantee of maintaining charging capacity and roadside breakdown assistance.There's no indication yet of what the plug-in van's price point will be in Australia, where - despite a succession of governments braying endlessly about the environment -- we still don't look like getting any tax incentives to drive green.In Europe where the pollies seem to be genuinely interested in advances other than salary review, a ?5000 deduction means the short wheelbase Kangoo ZE comes in at ?15,000 - the same price there as the internal-combustion version - with subscriptions starting at ?75 ($100) per month.So in Australia the little plug-in will have to fend for itself, arguing mainly on the basis of running costs. It will likely come in with a price above $30,000 but will be facing off against cheaper and cheerfully dirtier rivals - including the incumbent Kangoo, at $24,490 for both the 78kW/148Nm 1.6-litre petrol that uses 8.3L/100km and the 63kW/200Nm 1.5-litre turbodiesel (5.2L/100km).The bottom line is going to balance out sooner for those with high kilometres. But the running costs payoff includes about 20 per cent less in service costs with an electric motor, while medium to large businesses that have an emissions reduction target can use the Kangoo's zero output against their green bottom line. That will doubtless make them feel and look good, but in the end it's the dollars that count.TECHNOLOGYBehind the grille is a 44kW/226Nm electric motor powered by a 22kWh 400V lithium-ion battery pack - which Renault says has a 10-year lifespan.The 260kg pack is in a low central position under the rear floor, so there's nothing stolen from the 650kg payload and 3000-litre capacity (up to 4600 for the Maxi depending on the number of seats).The front wheels are driven via a CVT automatic - which is going to be welcomed by a lot of business drivers who find a manual shifter just adds to the day's chores in city traffic.Range is claimed to be 170km, but that will be with careful driving and unladen. Just as with petrol and diesel, carrying more weight will empty the 'tank' faster.However, unlike the fossil fuels, the erratic on-off pedal work of city traffic can help build reserves by capturing energy as you decelerate, although the Renault system doesn't scavenge during braking like the hybrid systems that are more familiar here.An 'eco' mode further conserves the charge by limiting the motor's torque, and shutting down the airconditioning, which means the button won't get touched during Aussie summers -- if ever.Recharging takes six to eight hours from the dedicated charge points, which increases to 10-12 hours from a standard household socket. But even an hour will top you up with about 20km range, Renault says.DESIGNFrom the outside, you can't tell it apart from any other Kangoo until you spot that there's a 'filler flap' in the grille for the charging socket - and that it's missing an exhaust system.In the cabin, the instrument cluster includes gauges for load and remaining charge, while you can keep an eye on the reserve of range through the trip computer.Built on the Scenic people mover platform, it's configured with choices of short or long wheelbases -- with the latter having a five-seat option - with a single sliding door and rear barn doors accessing the cargo area.The load floor height is a very accessible 575mm, which means it should continue to be popular for wheelchair mobility conversions.SAFETYIt doesn't have an ANCAP crash rating yet, and it's not reassuring that it only gets a single driver-side airbag - the passenger one is an extra option. However there are anti-skid disc brakes with brake assist for urgent stops and brakeforce distribution to compensate for the extra needed at some wheels when loading is uneven.DRIVINGYou slide into a high seat, but it's an uneasy spot with no reach adjustment on the steering wheel, and no rear-vision mirror on the 'blind box' smaller wheelbase of the two versions we tested.That leaves you relying entirely on side mirrors for reversing and parking. It's a manoeuvre that delivery vans do a lot of, and in the little European Kangoo it's not easy, but Renault Australia guarantees ours will have rear windows.Take-off is silent, with the motor giving a rising whine as speed climbs. But it's still very quiet at lower speeds, so an optional louder noise system is available for those who aren't keen on bouncing pedestrians off the bodywork.Both the short and long versions were quick to get going, but the smaller one kept the action up and switched direction more readily - although with a touch of jitters that suggested it would benefit from a load in the back.No surprise that the longer wheelbase felt calmer, but it was also a bit more reluctant to keep tipping in toque so smartly. It's just 160kg heavier, but it makes a noticeable difference, which suggests that the shorter wheelbase will be similarly less urgent with freight on board.The Renault electric system's 'motor braking' is so strong that the lift-off deceleration is often enough to slow you down by itself. We went for quite a while without hitting the brakes both in some urban stretches and a patch of gentle downhill bends.The steeper uphill runs meant jamming the throttle pedal to the floor to maintain speed, and that's going to suck up the charge and slash the range. But overall the Kangoo was an easy drive - even a fun one in the short wheelbase.VERDICTIt's going to do nearly everything the any other small van can -- except for more than 200km without stopping. If it comes in at a price that pays for itself in a reasonable amount of time, you'd have to consider it. That will change to 'buy it' if the government ever puts our money where its mouth is.RENAULT KANGOO ZEPrice: $30,000 + (est)Warranty: 3-year 150,000km (est)Engine: 44kW/226Nm electric motor and 22kWh 400V lithium-ion battery packTransmission: CVT, FWDBody: 2-door plus rear doors, seats 2Safety: no crash rating, 1 airbag, ABS, EBD, BAThirst: 0L/100km; 0g/km CO2Top speed: 130km/hRange: 170kmRecharge: 6 to 8 hours (16amp) 10-12 hours (10amp)Payload: 650kg, capacity 3000Weight: 1410kgDimensions (mm): length 4213mm, width 1829mm, height 1805mmWheelbase: 2697mm, tracks front/rear 1521/1533

The number of small delivery vans has grown dramatically in the past few years. Like Doctor Who's Tardus they're bigger inside than you think and often fit the bill better than a larger van, with offerings from VW, Holden, Peugeot and Renault — to name a few.VALUEFor $25,990 driveaway Renault's recently updated Kangoo runaround represents excellent value. For the same price you can have either the 1.6-litre petrol version with a four-speed auto or the 1.5-litre turbo diesel with a five-speed manual transmission.DESIGNThe new Kangoo is built on the Scenic people mover platform and offers a greater level of driving refinement, not to mention a surprisingly high driving position. Longer and wider than before, the diesel can swallow 3.0 cubic metres and carry a payload of up to 800kg, compared with the previous model's 2.75 cu m and 530kg. It's also significantly more than the petrol version's 650kg.Unlike some competitors, however, it comes in only the one length or wheelbase with a single sliding side access door. The kerb-side sliding door provides 635mm of access, while the rear barn-style doors open wide for bulkier items. Six tie-down points are provided in the rear.A driver's airbag is standard along with four-wheel disc brakes, with ABS with EBD (Electronic Brake Distribution) and EBA (Emergency Brake Assist). Sadly, electronic stability control remains an option and is available only with the petrol model. Bluetooth and cruise control with a speed limiter are standard. The equipment list is generous and you can stream audio from your Bluetooth phone.A load area liner and load area lighting complete the package. Kangoo comes with a 3-year 150,000km warranty which includes roadside assistance.TECHNOLOGYKangoo's 1.5-litre turbo-diesel engine generates 63kW of power at 3750 revs and 200Nm of torque from a low 1900 revs. Offering class leading fuel economy of 5.2 litres/100km, with a 60-litre tank it has a range of well over 1000km. The engine is quiet and smooth thanks to a double flywheel damper, multi injection cycle and specially designed engine mounts.DRIVINGOur test vehicle the 1.5-litre turbo diesel was a real surprise packet, small and manoeuvrable and quite nippy. The elevated driving position, big windows and large exterior mirrors provide plenty of vision and the large wide opening doors make getting in and out a snack. Unlike larger diesels there's a limit to the amount of torque available and this means having to change down on steeper hills.We got 5.9 litres/100km over a distance of almost 500km during testing. Because the cabin is not physically separated from the load area the van is quiet noisy inside and it is difficult to strike a balance between hot and cold with the airconditioning.The seating position is comfortable, but the steering wheel is not reach adjustable and height adjustment for the driver's seat is optional, with a parcel shelf overhead for storing items. A bar behind the driver provides some protection from the load moving forward in the event of an accident.The new model is larger than before. Loads of up to 1218mm wide will slide between the rear wheel arches.

You know a van has left a good impression during a test drive when you think about buying one. That's what happened when I tested out the new Renault Kangoo.I changed my mind when my dirt bike wouldn't quite fit - well, it would fit but the front tyre was touching the folded forward passenger seat. Of course, it is reasonable that it wouldn't fit given this is a compact van and larger machines like a Toyota HiAce or Hyundai iLoad would be better suited for dirt-bike lugging.The reason I liked the Kangoo so much is that the drive experience is very similar to a Renault car. There is a bit more road noise, even with the optional rubber cargo mat, but other than that it is pretty much the same.The interior looks like that of a Renault car, although the plastic is rock hard, and you get all the features such as cruise control, electric windows, steering wheel audio controls and a Bluetooth phone system with a streaming function that means it can play music from your iPod without it being plugged in.I had the petrol version, which uses a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine that generates 78kW and 148Nm, figures that aren't going to impress anyone. Still, there is adequate performance for getting about. It's not the smoothest engines in the world, but isn't too rough either.The only transmission is a four-speed automatic which does the job well enough.My fuel use worked out to 7.2 litres per 100km which is quite reasonable.I also tested out a diesel version. This has a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel which generates 63kW and 200Nm and is only available with a five-speed manual. While it also doesn't set any records in terms of smoothness and quietness, it has adequate performance and uses just 5.9l/100km.The Kangoo is affordable at $24,490 and has anti-skid brakes, but the standard model only gets a driver's side airbag when at least two airbags should be standard. Electronic Stability Control (ESC) is available as an option on the petrol model.