Renault Kangoo vs Isuzu D-Max

What's the difference?

It’s an honest and willing little worker and, given the much lower purchase price compared to its VW Caddy Van equivalent, is worthy of consideration if you’re in the market for a small van. Just don’t expect premium safety at this end of the market. And Renault should show more confidence in Kangoo by backing it with a longer warranty than three years. 

Unquestionably rugged, capable, and surprisingly comfortable, the D-Max is the quintessence of the modern ute formula: (Almost) everything you need, with none of the things you don't.

While it's still missing a handful of bells and whistles compared to some of its notable rivals, it's easy to see why this Japanese stalwart punches above its weight in the Aussie and New Zealand sales charts.

Everything counted for, this one (LS in NZ, LS-U in Australia) is even my pick of the range, though I'd be tempted to splash for the X-Terrain (or at least the optional heated seats) if I lived on NZ's icy South Island.

This is a tried and tested formula that has earned the little French workhorse a loyal following, particularly in Europe. Its front wheel-drive chassis has a 2697mm wheelbase and 10.7-metre turning circle, with simple but robust MacPherson strut front suspension, rack and pinion steering, four-wheel disc brakes and a well-designed beam rear axle. This uses torsion bar primary springing supplemented by a pair of secondary coil springs for competent carrying of heavy loads.

The Compact lives up to its name with its 4213mm overall length and 1829mm width but the cabin is reminiscent of Doctor Who’s Tardis. The low seating height relative to the Kangoo’s 1815mm height, combined with its large glass areas, create a spacious and airy cabin environment with vast headroom you would not expect to find in such a small vehicle.

The D-Max backs its rugged reputation with tough looks, which have been brought up to a more contemporary style for this latest generation.

The signature Isuzu 'kabuto' grille brings with it instant recognition of the brand’s industrial robustness as also worn by its medium- and heavy-duty trucks.

A strong bodyline featuring a new geometric theme for the brand, light fittings and all, looks ready to rumble, and combines nicely with the high ride height, thick tyres, and big wheel arches to sell the idea of this truck's off-road prowess.

One thing I might like the most about the overall guise is how it avoids being delicate. This D-Max continues the simple panel work which looks as though it’s ready to be coated in mud and not easily damaged.

Again, it’s not as iconic a design as the tough American styling of the Ranger or the more refined looks of the new Amarok, but it still looks and feels more modern than most of its rivals, particularly the dated HiLux.

Chrome is tastefully applied on this LS-U grade to uplift the design ever so slightly, at least compared to the blacked-out pieces on lower variants.

Hopping in the cabin and the geometric theme is continued in the seats, wheel, and across the dash with the vent fittings.

It's even mirrored in the little digital element in the dash, where each side of the pattern serves as the temperature and fuel gauge, respectively.

Little touches like this help the interior feel more consistent and thoughtfully designed than the previous (and decidedly industrial-feeling) D-Max, so props to the brand for including it.

It’s also much more comfortable than the previous D-Max, with a more generous application of soft-touch surfaces, welcoming seats clad in tough cloth material, and in this grade, carpet floors.

Ours had thick rubber floor mats to help protect the carpet beneath, but lower grades get vinyl flooring for all your agricultural adventures.

Overall, I like it. There’s just enough luxury and modern features in the cabin for it to be very liveable, while maintaining an honest, practical feel.

The Kangoo’s 1270kg tare weight and 1810kg GVM results in a 540kg payload rating. However, we always quote kerb weights (with full fuel tank) rather than tare weights (with only 10 litres of fuel) in our reviews to keep things consistent. So if you add the missing 46 litres of petrol (or about 36kg) to the published tare weight, that drops the payload to just over 500kg which is still a very useful half a tonne.

The EDC-equipped Kangoo also has no tow rating, so if you need that capability you’ll have to opt for the six-speed manual version which is rated to tow up to 1050kg of braked trailer.

The cargo bay in our test vehicle is accessed through non-glazed sliding doors on each side (with 635mm max opening) and the optional twin barn-doors at the rear. These feature 180-degree opening to assist forklift access, asymmetric design (to minimise visual obstructions in the rear-view mirror) and a demister/wiper/washer on the left-hand door.

The cargo bay’s 1476mm internal length, with 1218mm between the rear wheel housings, means it can take either an 1165mm-square Aussie pallet or 1200 x 800mm Euro pallet. There’s also 3.0 cubic metres of total load volume available.

The load floor has a protective mat and three cargo-securing points each side plus two more at mid-height. The doors and lower internal panels are lined and there’s neat plastic mouldings over the wheel housings. However, there’s no cargo protection behind the passenger seat and only two tubular steel protective bars behind the driver’s, so if you’re moving lots of heavy stuff we’d recommend either the optional steel bulkhead or an aftermarket steel mesh-type cargo barrier.

Standard cabin storage options include a bottle holder and storage bin in each door, a cave-like storage cubby in the centre dash-pad and a smaller one above the glovebox. The centre console has two cup holders and a lidded storage box that doubles as an armrest. The optional overhead cabin storage shelf fitted to our test vehicle is well designed and can hold heaps of stuff.

On the topic of practicality, this D-Max has a useful and spacious cabin.

For what it’s worth, I like the cloth seat trim available on this grade, which strikes me as hard-wearing and easy to clean.

The seats are also wide and have significant padding and bolstering so you’re comfortable and don’t get thrown around too much.

The wheel is reach and height adjustable, while the seats manually slide back and forward, but have electric adjust for lumbar. Many who use this truck for adventure or agricultural applications will prefer a manually sliding seat, so I see this as fair.

It was easy for me to find my own driving position, and I had very good visibility over the bonnet, out the rear window, and down the side, with generous wing mirrors (which, no doubt, will also come in handy when towing). 

The cab is quite high, so the addition of side-steps in this grade was a welcome touch for my much shorter partner to be able to clamber in and out of the cab easily.

In terms of amenity for front passengers, there are large bottle holders and map pockets in each door, a further two large bottle holders in the centre console alongside the manual handbrake, a bay underneath the climate controls suitable for phones (though finished in a hard plastic material, so things may slide about), a small but deep armrest console box, and a decent-sized glove box.

Of course, Isuzu carries over additional pop-out cupholders in the dashboard, apparently an important feature amongst the truck's dedicated fan base.

Isuzu has maintained physical controls, particularly for climate functions which are operated via a line of toggles, as well as maintaining physical buttons for core functions of the multimedia suite, like volume and a home shortcut.

Sadly, the 9.0-inch multimedia set-up is let down by ugly, basic software, but it gets the job done, and most of the time you’ll be negotiating with phone mirroring anyway.

Wireless CarPlay is a nice touch, but bring a cable, because it isn’t paired with a wireless phone charger.

The back seat is similarly generous, offering solid leg and headroom, and the shapely seat trim continues, which goes a long way to ensuring your passengers don’t have to feel like an afterthought.

While I would have liked the rear doors to open a little wider, in case you wanted to fit a child seat for example, the cabin width is impressive.

The rear seat backs can be folded down should you want to store bulky objects, or even fit a second battery or power converter behind for camp or work set-ups.

Rear passengers are also treated to a USB outlet, dual adjustable air vents, a large bottle holder in the doors, pockets on the backs of the front seats, and a flip out coat hook. Accessibility is helped along by big handles on the inside of the B-pillar.

The tray offers healthy dimensions and in this case comes with a plastic ISUZU-embossed tub-liner, though you’ll have to fork out extra for a tonneau cover.

The tie-down anchor points are also located high on the sides, with none in the base of the tray, which was frustrating as I couldn’t ocky strap my ski equipment down, although I could fit my 172cm long skis in there on an angle.

The tailgate scores a soft-open piston, which is nice. You won’t have to pay extra for a tow receiver, though, as it comes standard on this grade.

Again, the D-Max is also missing a few tricks found standard on rivals, like the Ranger's tray side-steps. Still, aftermarket support for D-Max tray accessories remains strong.

Tray dimensions come in at 1570mm long, 1530mm wide, and 490mm deep, with 1122mm between the wheel arches.

Which D-Max do we have for this adventure test? It’s the upper mid-spec LS-U. At least, that’s what we call it in Australia. In New Zealand, this truck is simply called the LS, although the spec matches exactly.

In Australia you’re looking at a price-tag of $61,000, before on-road costs, for a 4x4-equipped dual-cab model, while in NZ the same truck costs NZ$68,490 (AU$62,993).

Advantage Australia. We also win in other areas, check out the ownership section for more.

Either way, this grade comes equipped with two-tone 18-inch alloy wheels clad in Bridgestone highway terrain tyres, LED headlights, a 9.0-inch multimedia touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a reversing camera with rear parking sensors, chrome exterior highlights, cloth interior trim with carpet floors, keyless entry and push-start ignition, heated wing mirrors, a tyre pressure monitoring system, a six-way manual adjust driver’s seat with power lumbar support, aluminium side steps, dual-zone climate control, a tow bar receiver, and a plastic tub liner for the tray.

In Australia there’s also a slightly upgraded LS-U+ ($63,500) which offers this spec in 4x4 only with the addition of leather seat trim and heated front seats, as well as eight-way power adjust settings for the driver.

It also scores illuminated vanity mirrors in the sun visors (something my partner took pleasure in reminding me of).

In NZ, this is an option pack for the LS (4x4 dual-cab only), valued at NZ$2000. These are features otherwise only available on the flagship X-Terrain in both countries (AU$67,500). 

Equivalent-spec rivals in this 4x4 dual-cab space include the Ford Ranger XLT ($62,490), Mitsubishi Triton GSR ($56,940), Nissan Navara ST-X ($58,445) and Toyota HiLux SR5 ($62,490), not to mention this truck’s platform-mate, the Mazda BT-50 XTR ($59,130).

It sits at the upper-end of the pack then, for price, but utes are sold on reputation, of which the D-Max has no shortage.

Is it good value? If you’re okay opting for Japanese dependability and a completely under-stressed drivetrain combined with a solid towing capacity, then, for sure.

However, newer rivals like the Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok offer more SUV like luxuries in the cabin, a more thorough and modern-feeling multimedia suite, as well as a bigger V6 engine. So it’s all a trade-off.

This Euro 6-compliant 1.2-litre petrol engine is a variant of that shared by numerous Renault passenger cars, but with more power and torque tapped at lower rpm that’s better suited to this load-carrying workhorse role. In other words, it’s not peaky and has good flexibility, but does require 95-98 RON premium petrol.

The direct-injection turbocharged four-cylinder produces 84kW at 4500rpm. Its 190Nm of torque peaks at 2000rpm yet remains close to full strength all the way to 4000rpm, which is admirable for such a small engine and highlights the benefits of modern variable vane turbocharger technology.

It also offers a manually-switched ECO economy mode and Renault’s ESM (Energy Smart Management), which allows kinetic energy produced under deceleration/braking to be recovered by the engine’s alternator and stored in the battery. Given the amount of stops and starts in a typical working van’s life, Renault claims most of this recovered energy assists in engine starting.

The six-speed EDC dual-clutch automatic transmission provides brisk acceleration from standing starts and snappy near-seamless shifting, in either auto mode or when using the sequential manual shift function.

One of the D-Max's strongest attributes is the powerplant residing under its bonnet.

Re-purposed from the brand’s medium-duty truck range, the 3.0-litre four-cylinder (4JJ3-TCX) turbo-diesel engine produces 140kW/450Nm, and is mated to a six-speed Aisin-sourced torque converter automatic transmission.

Drive is sent primarily to the rear wheels, with a selectable '4H' mode which can be switched to on the fly at up to 100km/h, as well as a low-range '4L' mode.

This new-generation version also scores a built-in rear differential lock and snorkelled diff breathers to increase wading depth (now 800mm).

While power isn’t as high as its six-cylinder rivals, this engine has a reputation for longevity and strength, and just in terms of driving feel and torque delivery, it feels more straightforward than many of its 2.0-litre twin-turbo rivals.

Suspension is delivered via a coil-sprung double wishbone set-up in the front, and leaf springs in the rear with gas shock absorbers. There are disc brakes in the front with drums at the rear.

Important off-road figures include a 30.5-degree approach angle, 19-degree departure angle, and a 23.8-degree breakover. Total ground clearance is 240mm.

Payload is 990kg in the LS-U with GVM coming in at 3100kg. Towing capacity is 3500kg for a braked trailer or 750kg unbraked.

Renault’s official combined figure of 6.5L/100km looked optimistic given the dash readout was showing a 9.7 average at the end of our test, which covered just under 300km without the use of ECO mode and with more than a third of that distance under maximum GVM loading.

Our own figure, calculated from actual tripmeter and fuel bowser readings, worked out at 8.8L/100km. Therefore, based on our figures, you could expect a ‘real world’ driving range of around 630km from its 56-litre tank.

The D-Max LS-U has an official combined cycle consumption figure of 8.0L/100km which sounds a little ambitious.

In my week with the truck I travelled 300km, largely on sealed roads, but with a healthy amount of 4H usage on some unsealed, steep, and snowy tracks, as well as a lot of topography changes in mountainous Otago. 

The result was 10.4L/100km. It’s over the official number, but reasonable considering the conditions the truck was subjected to. The D-Max has a 75-litre fuel tank, and has a diesel particulate filter.

Theoretical range is close to 940km, dropping to around 720km based on our real-world number.

Thanks to the twin rear barn-doors we were easily able to load a 325kg weight block with the forklift, which combined with our crew of two was line-ball with the vehicle’s payload limit of just over 500kg. The rear suspension only compressed 40mm with heaps of bump-stop clearance remaining, while the nose dropped a mere 8mm.

Over a heavily patched and notoriously bumpy section of bitumen back road there was not a hint of bottoming-out and the Kangoo would not be thrown off-line or lose its composure over a variety of other roads on our test route.

This included our 13 per cent gradient 2.0km-long set climb at 60km/h. The dual-clutch automatic  self-shifted down to third gear, where the engine settled at around 3000rpm to easily pull its maximum payload to the top. Engine braking on the way down though was almost non-existent, but not unexpected given its small cubic capacity and the load it was trying to restrain. Fortunately, the four-wheel disc brakes were more than capable of compensating for that shortfall.

As a tradie’s vehicle its applications are limited by its diminutive size, half-tonne payload capacity and lack of towing ability. However, there are plenty of other job requirements for which the Kangoo could be well suited, particularly city delivery work.

Our D-Max was put to work clambering up the snow-encrusted mountains of the Otago region in NZ, exploring unsealed hills for hiking, and heading up to the region's popular ski locations.

The most immediate advantage of having a 4x4-capable vehicle in these environments is being able to sail right past most snow chain stations without having to deal with the inconvenience of fitting the things unless it’s a particularly icy day, and it did get close on some occasions when there was a dumping of snow.

Nevertheless, I was impressed by the level of grip offered by the stock Bridgestone Dueler H/Ts fitted in such low-traction conditions.

And while we didn’t explore the edges of the 4x4 system’s ability in deep mud or at full articulation, you could feel the additional traction at play keeping the truck heading where it was pointed on the dirt, grit, and snow we covered.

While the power figures from the 3.0-litre engine aren’t as impressive as some rivals, the big four-cylinder engine effortlessly pushes through rough terrain with plenty in reserve.

It feels unstressed and the slick-shifting automatic never kicked up issues.

It’s quite clever when heading downhill, with a simple squeeze of the brake pedal enough to get it to kick down and hold a gear to control your descent. Useful in the snow.

We switched up to 4x4 on-the-fly at about 50km/h as we passed 2WD chain stations. It takes a handful of seconds, and is a neat ability for not holding up a column of all-wheel drive vehicles behind you.

Under heavy acceleration, like entering a 100km/h zone, the engine is quite noisy, missing some of the refinement of its smaller capacity or six-cylinder rivals, and there’s a little extra noise and vibration at these speeds.

But at commuting velocity where the torquey engine doesn’t need to exert itself, refinement is impressive.

In fact, the D-Max seems quite liveable as a daily driver thanks to its great cabin features, superb visibility, and speed responsive steering, making it a breeze to negotiate alleyways and parking lots with its ultra-light feel at low speed in 2WD.

It firms up the faster you go, or for those worried about a vague steering feel when venturing off the tarmac, it immediately becomes full of feel when you switch up to 4H.

I would have liked nicer software, though. It doesn’t make the most of its little digital panel nestled between the analogue dials in the instrument cluster, which, aside from the fuel consumption and tyre pressure screens, doesn’t show particularly useful information.

The main issue is the large multimedia screen. It works wonderfully with wireless Apple CarPlay, but the stock software you’ll need to use to program the built-in navigation, radio, and settings is ugly and clumsy, albeit simple to use.

One thing I particularly liked about the D-Max this time around was its ride.

The suspension seems like a standard ute set-up with the coils in the front and leaf springs in the rear, but Isuzu has seemingly tuned the agricultural feel out (like the steering, clearly a response to negative feedback from the previous-generation truck).

The ride is now excellent, proving supple over all sorts of terrain, and at a variety of speeds.

The rear is particularly impressive, with forgiving leaves which prevent too much of the usual ladder-chassis jiggle, and stop the rear bouncing around too much on corrugated surfaces when unladen.

This nice ride is no doubt helped along by the very agreeable wheel size and tyre combination, which allows plenty of rubber for soaking up hits.

The new Ranger may have an even better ride, but the D-Max is better sorted than the current HiLux, that’s for sure.

Overall we’re left with a ute which is as ready for daily duties as it is eating up dirt, snow, and work. Other than the over-and-above luxury standards set by the Ranger and Amarok what more can you ask for?

The D-Max was built with Australia’s strict safety requirements in mind, and to that end, its safety equipment is of a high standard, even on the base SX 4x2.

Modern active equipment includes auto emergency braking with turn assist, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert (which automatically switches off when towing), driver attention alert, and adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go function.

Additional equipment at this LS-U grade includes rear parking sensors and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

The D-Max features an impressive array (for a ute) of eight airbags, and has dual ISOFIX and top tether mounting points on the outboard rear seats.

The D-Max has a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating to the tough 2022 standards.

Interestingly, in our time with the car, we found on days with sub-zero temperatures and a layer of frost, the front-facing crash prevention items, like auto emergency braking and lane keep assist would not function, as they rely on a stereo camera system (as opposed to a radar) atop the windscreen which cannot focus when covered in a layer of frost.

This would be remedied in a few minutes of running the front defogger at maximum temperature to melt the ice, but this serves as a reminder of the flaws of a stereo-camera set-up, and to add extra caution when the outside temp dips below zero.

The Kangoo comes with a three years/unlimited km warranty. Scheduled servicing every 12 months/15,000km whichever occurs first. Capped-price servicing of $349 for the first three scheduled services.

Isuzu offers a six-year or 150,000km warranty in Australia, which is an extra year over a lot of its rivals. But frustratingly, it’s distance-limited, a potential issue given how many of these utes are used by long-distance travelling caravanners and the like.

Count your blessings, though, because our Kiwi friends are only treated to a three-year/100,000km warranty on the same truck.

You can get up to seven-years of roadside assistance in Australia if you stick with Isuzu’s official service schedule and network, while in NZ this is covered for three years or 100,000km under the same conditions.

Australians also score a seven-year/105,000km capped price service program which costs between $335 and $799 per visit, for a yearly average of $527, which you might be surprised to learn is actually more affordable than the HiLux ($580 per year), mainly because the HiLux needs to be serviced twice as often.