Renault Kangoo Compact 2017: Review

Name: Renault Kangoo Compact 2017: Review
Brand: Renault

With a new 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine and the option of a dual-clutch automatic transmission, Renault is making some bold claims for its entry-level compact LCV

Renault Kangoo Compact

Road Test

Melbourne, Australia

The Kangoo Compact represents the latest revision to Renault's strong-selling compact LCV range. With a new 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine, the French maker says the unit makes more power and torque than the out-going 1.6-litre petrol engine, while also delivering a 21 per cent drop in fuel consumption. Available with either a six-speed manual or a new six-speed dual-clutch automatic, the Kangoo Compact is priced from $23,490 plus on-roads.

While Renault is arguably better known in commercial circles for its medium-size Trafic and large Master vans, the company has been making significant inroads at the lightest end of the commercial spectrum, namely LCVs with a GVM of under 2.5 tonnes.

In fact, Renault says it has sold over 4000 Kangoos since the model's Australian debut in 2011. Admittedly, sales for the model were down five per cent in 2016 but the French maker still rounded out the year with a 30.2 per cent slice of the market.

That trails Volkswagen's Caddy (45.6 per cent), but it's well ahead of Suzuki's APV (12.6 per cent), Citroen's Berlingo (8.4 per cent), and Fiat's Doblo (3.6 per cent). It's also the highest market share of any Renault model sold in Australia.

New power

To spur Kangoo sales on, Renault has just introduced a new entry-level model, the short-wheelbase Kangoo Compact, with a new 1.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine mated to either a six-speed manual or a new 'EDC' Efficient Dual-Clutch auto transmission. The engine replaces the out-going 1.6-litre petrol engine, which is still available in run-out.

Impressively, Renault says the new mill pumps out eight per cent more power and 30 per cent more torque than the old engine, to produce a maximum output of 84kW and 190Nm, the latter delivered from 2000rpm to 4000rpm.

Simultaneously, fuel consumption is said to be 21 per cent lower – down to 6.2L/100km for manual models and 6.5L/100km on autos (ADR Combined cycle).

The short-wheelbase Kangoo petrol range also scores new technology, including side airbags, cruise control (with speed limiter), hill-start assist, Renault's Grip Xtend (for added traction in instances of low grip), an Eco mode and reversing sensors.

The cargo bay now gets a factory mat, with all these features bringing the Kangoo Compact in line with larger Kangoo Maxi models.

Lighter loads

The Kangoo Compact on test here, with dual-clutch auto transmission, has a payload limit of 540 kilograms and 3.0 cubic metres of space. With the new cargo mat, a total of 10 tie-down points, a cargo bay light and 1218mm between its wheel arches, it's a well-appointed load bay, and one that will happily accept a standard Australian pallet.

The cargo bay floor is 609mm high (550mm when fully fuelled) and there's easy access via the twin sliding side doors, which can be optioned up with glazing ($290 for both). However, the shape of the side door apertures and the seating (and the driver's cargo barrier) limit side access, which measures just 530mm wide on the offside and 620mm on the nearside.

A top-hinge tailgate is standard fitment. This limits forklift access, not that forklift-type loads will be common for a compact LCV like this. Barn-style doors are a factory option ($190).

We conducted this review with the LCV running both empty and with up to around half of its payload limit, and it handled the weight without a problem. At full load the 1.2-litre engine would no doubt be feeling the strain, but then these occasions would largely be the exception, rather than the rule, for a compact LCV.

Cabin comfort

After opening the door with the rather lightweight door handle, the first impression inside the cab is one of space – and one of plastic. There's a heap of headroom and the windscreen sits well forward of the occupants, creating a sense of spaciousness many won't readily associate with an LCV.

There's an expanse of dark textured plastic everywhere you look, and while it's not especially pleasing to the eye or touch, it should promise years of hard-wearing life. Our test vehicle's footwells were lined with sturdy rubber mats that should prove equally easy to clean.

The fabric-upholstered driver's seat is comfortable and features the standard six-way manual adjustment. You can't recline the seat back too much because of the cargo barrier, but we far prefer the additional safety the latter provides.

The drive position feels natural and places the well-shaped shifter within easy reach. The plastic steering wheel, with inset controls for the cruise control and a separate pod for audio, is adjustable for tilt but not for reach. A dead pedal is provided.

We like the rugged, easy-to-use nature of the various controls, from the two-in-one fan/temperature dial for the (effective) heating and cooling, to the chunky manual park brake.

Pairing a phone is easy and we love the dash-top bin, which has heaps of room for odds and ends. It's also home to Renault's optional R-LINK 7-inch touchscreen unit with sat-nav ($890), which can also be mated with a reversing camera ($1290, including R-LINK/sat-nav) in models fitted with the optional barn doors. There's barely room under the shifter for the lower cup holder to be of any use but the upper holder is in an easy-to-reach spot; there are decent bottle holders in the door side pockets and overhead shelving is also available ($90).

Easy handling

On the road, the engine is remarkably quiet, but there is a bit of wind noise and especially road noise, which combine to create a bit of 'boom' in the cargo bay. It's par for the course for a commercial, and it still wasn't too difficult to hear the stereo or maintain a phone conversation.

The Kangoo's shining light, however, is its easy handling around town. It's no harder to drive than the average passenger car, perhaps with the exception that rear-three-quarter vision is restricted by the all-steel sides. However, you quickly adapt and learn to reverse into parking spots to provide full vision when exiting, and here the reverse parking sensors help.

The steering box is fairly short, at just over three turns lock to lock, and the turning circle is good, despite the front-wheel drive format. With a 1.8m roof height it'll fit into multi-storey car parks with ease.

The suspension strikes a workable blend of comfort and carrying capacity and the brakes are impressive, with good power and feel.

There's hill hold assist in both manual and auto models, and we were pretty impressed with our test vehicle's dual-clutch automatic transmission, which can be driven in auto or sequential (manual) modes. This six-speeder flicks through its ratios with speed and refinement, although at very low speeds – like in stop/start traffic or when parking – it can be a little grabby. It's no major issue, however, and one to which we soon became accustomed.

The new 1.2-litre engine is a surprise package. We've ridden plenty of motorcycles with larger-capacity engines but in the Kangoo Compact, this unit certainly punches above its weight.

It's acceptably sprightly off the line, with very little in the way of lag, and it pushes through a still-useful midrange to a pleasingly strong top end. It holds its own in traffic, for sure, yet it's still happy enough to lope along at 100km/h on the motorway, where the engine is spinning at 2000rpm.

During our week of running around town, both with and without a load, we achieved 9.2L/100km on the trip computer, which actually translated as 8.7L/100km at the bowser. The Kangoo Compact comes with a 56 litre fuel tank (take note: 95RON minimum), which delivers an effective range of over 500 kilometres.

Our test vehicle was resplendent in Star Blue, an optional metallic hue that adds $600. Standard no-cost solid colours span white, grey, and red.

Like its larger van siblings, the Kangoo Compact also has reasonable plastic protection at all four corners, which should bear the brunt of most scuffs and scrapes.

Conclusion

Renault's Kangoo Compact makes for a compelling commercial proposition. Its solid workhorse credentials are now bolstered by a pleasing list of standard inclusions, while its aftersales backup – which includes the expertise of Renault's Pro+ network of LCV specialists – means it should be investigated by anyone considering a new vehicle in this niche.

2017 Renault Kangoo Compact pricing and specifications:

Price: $27,090 (as tested, plus ORC)

Engine: 1.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol

Output: 84kW/190Nm

Transmission: Six-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel: 6.5L/100km (ADR Combined)

CO2: 147g/km (ADR Combined)

Safety Rating: N/A

What we liked:

>> Smaller engine still does a good job

>> Pragmatic list of standard inclusions

>> So easy to drive