Small LCV Comparison 2014: The Verdict

This review gives some idea of the choice available in the small LCV market, and is not a head-to-head comparison in the truest sense.

Citroen's Berlingo is a traditional offering in this market niche: a two-seater with a large cargo bay. Renault's Kangoo Maxi Crew takes this format and adds the flexibility of additional seating (in some models) and car-like appointments, thereby opening up the appeal to business owners with families. And Suzuki's APV treads the budget-conscious path, delivering a basic load space without the frills – what you see is what you get.

While we would have eagerly thrown Volkswagen's Caddy into the mix, had one been available, these three small LCVs make for an interesting comparison in their own right. Let's take a look at how each fared in the judges' scoring across our five evaluation categories…

While none of these vehicles will set pulses racing in outright terms, the Kangoo triumphed in our performance testing by a fair distance over the Berlingo, which in turn eclipsed the APV by a similar margin.

The Euros are a leap ahead when it comes to braking while the Kangoo scored full marks for its gearshift action and suppression of vibration and harshness.

The APV also scored well for its gearshift action and for its manoeuvrability, but fell down in too many other areas to mount any serious challenge.

The Kangoo was king here, its load-carrying ability, flexibility and capacity – combined with excellent comfort, noise suppression and ergonomics – seeing it home ahead of the Berlingo, with the APV in third.

The Berlingo scored consistently well but was marked down for its more restricted visibility and higher cabin noise, while the APV's limited comfort and adjustment, high noise level and basic cabin saw it bringing up the rear.

While this category represented the second-lowest priority in terms of available points, a vehicle's score here is still indicative of the general level of care that's gone into its creation.

Here the Kangoo again took top honours but only by two points from the Berlingo – both Euros scored well in this category, with the presentation of the Kangoo's cargo bay, its dashboard and console, paint and interior plastics particularly impressive.

The APV was always going to cop a hammering in this category, its paint and cargo bay presentation the best attributes across a range of criteria that achieved poor to mediocre point scores.

To that end our 'technology' category had the least amount of points available, and while the Kangoo pipped the Berlingo by a nose – its superior lighting and illumination and heating/venting/air-conditioning (HVAC) the telling factors – no vehicle was especially strong in this regard.

In line with its 'minimalist' ethos the APV performed poorly in this category, where it just can't hope to match the features of its Euro rivals.

The purchase price is just the beginning – it's the total cost of ownership that business owners and fleet operators are (or should be) thinking about when considering any purchase. Fuel efficiency, service intervals and costs, resale values – these are all aspects to think about before signing the dotted line.

Here too the Kangoo was a clear winner, offering excellent value in terms of warranty, servicing and equipment levels in particular, although judges were less enamoured with the higher purchase price and higher accessory pricing.

If the APV was ever going to get up it was going to be in this category but it wasn't to be – the Berlingo slotted into second some six points adrift of the Kangoo and just one point ahead of the APV. The Suzuki's bargain-basement purchase price and affordable accessories were still not enough to offset its miserly equipment level and lack of roadside assistance.

Renault is having a bet each way here, hoping it can draw further buyers into the Kangoo's net with the Maxi Crew's dual-purpose nature – only time will tell if its gamble has paid off.

It will hold appeal for buyers with older kids but some may see it more as a compromise of each role rather than a star performer in both, and for many parents a full five-star ANCAP safety rating is a 'must have' – an area where the Kangoo Maxi Crew falls short.

If that added passenger-carrying ability holds no appeal, the Berlingo is a practical alternative with most of the Kangoo's features but with a $3000 lighter price tag.

It's not quite as refined as the Kangoo Maxi Crew and it doesn't quite match the French vehicle for performance, but it's comfy, practical, and has everything you could expect of a vehicle in this class.

That leaves the APV, which is clearly gunning for the price-sensitive end of the market. On paper and across our scoring it falls short, but that doesn’t provide the full picture for this basic but affordable machine.

There's something to be said for an honest work hack of which an owner need not fret about subjecting to the rough and tumble of daily life. It's also fair to say there will be certain fleet environments where the APV's limited charms are entirely sufficient – after golf buggies, it's the LCV of choice on Queensland's Hamilton Island, for example.

And the fact remains, at the time of writing it was only one unit behind the Kangoo in small LCV sales in this country – it's obviously found its niche.

Ultimately it's a big 'thumbs up' to Renault's latest addition to its LCV family, the Kangoo Maxi Crew.

Now let's see if this auspicious debut can keep Renault's current LCV momentum rolling. We're tipping it will, because it's an eminently worthy vehicle in so many respects.