Renault Introduces
the All-New Kangoo
The all-new
Renault Kangoo offers the driving comfort of a passenger vehicle
and the optimised loading volume of a commercial vehicle in one
compact, attractive package – and unlike its competitors, the Kangoo
is available with an optional four-speed automatic transmission.
With the introduction
of the all-new Kangoo, Renault’s Australian commercial vehicle range,
which includes the highly praised Trafic mid-sized van and the space-
conquering Master, is now complete.
Recognised as the leader of commercial
vehicle manufacturers in France and Western Europe, Renault has
a sound reputation for producing well-designed, attractive and efficient
commercial vehicles. Since the launch of the first-ever Kangoo in
Europe in 1997, Renault has manufactured over 760,000 Kangoos. With
the release of the Series 2 Kangoo in 2001, the vehicle’s popularity
continued to build and in 2003 Renault sold almost 110,000 of the
compact vans and claimed 26% of the segment.
The Renault Kangoo has been chosen
by many fleets around the world as its preferred vehicle – including
the British Gas Company, and the Swedish, French, German and Spanish
Postal Service - testimony to the flexibility and sound reputation
of the vehicle.
The Kangoo’s fresh-faced styling
adds to its appeal. Elliptical headlamps, a plunging bonnet with
central crease and a front grille with horizontal slats reflect
the Kangoo’s cheeky personality and guarantee that the vehicle stands
out from of its bland competitors.
Powered by the same 1.6-litre 16
valve engine found in Renault’s popular Clio hatch, the Kangoo generates
70 Kw of power at 5,000 rpm and a handy 148 Nm at a standard 5-speed
manual gearbox or an optional 4-speed automatic transmission – the
only compact van in the Australian market to offer this option.
In addition, all automatic transmission
Kangoos add the latest generation Bosch 8.0 ABS anti-lock brakes
and EBD (electronic brake distribution) as standard features.
In Australia, the Kangoo will be
offered in one highly equipped variant, including features previously
unknown in this segment. Standard appointments include power steering,
compact disc player, air-conditioning, heat reflective windscreen,
remote central locking and electric mirrors and windows.
Safety equipment offered on the
Kangoo includes driver’s side airbag, seatbelts with pre-tensioners
and load limiters, front disc brakes, ABS and EBD (standard on automatic
versions, optional on manual versions), collapsible steering column,
reinforced and padded doors, protective steel-reinforcing bars around
the driver’s seating area and an innovative flexible front spoiler
to enhance on-road stability.
Optional equipment includes an additional
steel sliding door – with or without windows, fog lamps and a versatile
rear flap with optional glass above the barn doors which further
extends the cargo area.
But the real test of any commercial
vehicle is in the flexible use of space and cargo carrying capacity
and here the Kangoo delivers in spades. With a payload of 600 kilograms
and a storage width of 1.17 metres, the Kangoo offers usable cargo
space of 2.75 square metres. Easy access to the cargo area is assured,
with a low loading sill of 535 millimetres, 180-degree opening rear
barn doors and a standard side sliding door. Four anchorage points
on the floor ensure any load can be safely secured.
Just as important to any fleet operator
are maintenance and servicing costs, and once again the Kangoo doesn’t
disappoint. In line with Renault’s overall aims of offering attractive,
competitively priced and operator-friendly products to the market,
the Kangoo comes with an innovative servicing policy. Major services
are at 30,000 km intervals with minor service intervals (oil change)
at 15,000 km and all Renault commercial vehicles are back up by
a three-year, 100,000 kilometre warranty.
The fashion-conscious Kangoo comes
in a range of attractive colours, including glacier white, lemon
yellow, Caribbean blue, cherry red (metallic), carmen red and cosmic
grey (metallic).
Priced at just $18,990* for the
manual-transmission variant and $21,490* with the four-speed automatic
transmission, Kangoo offers an excellent economical addition to
the compact commercial vehicle segment.
According to Renault Australia’s
Manager for Commercial Vehicles, Adam Le Fevre, the all-new Kangoo
is destined to attract a lot of attention from business fleet operators.
“With its high levels of passenger vehicle comfort, long list of
standard features and the first-time offering of an automatic transmission
in this segment, the Kangoo will appeal to all purchasers considering
a compact commercial vehicle,” Mr Le Fevre said.
Rudi Koenig, Renault Australia’s
Director of Operations, welcomed the addition of the all-new Kangoo
to Renault’s Australian commercial vehicle range. “Following the
outstanding success of Renault’s CV sales in Europe, we are very
pleased to present the range here in Australia. With its big brothers
the Trafic and Master, we can now offer a comprehensive product
line-up for Australia’s commercial vehicle buying public,” Mr Koenig
said.
The Kangoo is available from Renault’s
Commercial Vehicle Centres in all capital cities from September
1st.
*Prices are recommended retail only
and do not include dealer delivery or government charges or optional
extras including metallic paint.
Renault’s all-new Kangoo
– the inside story
An economical yet powerful engine
equals lower operating costs
Renault’s all-new Kangoo provides
excellent performance which is particularly well adapted to urban
and suburban operations. The zippy 1.6-litre 16 valve engine, originally
found in the popular Clio hatch range, is notable for a torque curve
which increases ease of driving and provides good response from
low speed – an advantage when the vehicle is laden.
Fuel consumption is low and the
1.6-litre engine is notable for its balance between economy, low
emissions and reduced operating costs.
For additional ease of driving,
the Kangoo is available with an optional four-speed Proactive automatic
transmission. With its nine shifting strategies and the use of fuzzy
logic, this transmission takes into account the type of driving
and the road profile and adapts its shifting accordingly, providing
levels of driving pleasure and fuel consumption almost identical
to those achieved by the manual transmission variant.
A streamlined, expressive design
Renault’s all-new Kangoo offers
expressive styling including smooth elliptical headlamps, rising
high in the wings, a plunging bonnet highlighted by a central crease,
body coloured bumpers plus a front grille with horizontal slats
to make it stand out from the general run of commercial vehicles.
To provide better protection for
the bodywork against minor impacts, an enveloping moulding surrounds
the rear doors and wide protective strips run along the sides of
the vehicle. It is a design which combines good looks with functionality
and improves ease of use.
User-friendly, functional and
comfortable
The standout feature of the all-new
Kangoo is its comfortable, car-like appointments. The dashboard
is attractive and functional, with a light finish on its lower section
and an anti-reflective treatment on its upper surfaces. A cavernous
stowage with glovebox lid, along with a user-friendly centre console
which incorporates a drink-holder and removable ashtray ensure efficient
storage of all occupants’ equipment.
Driving comfort is optimised in
the Kangoo. The front seats provide superior sideways support through
the addition of dense foam padding and noise insulation is optimised.
The underside of the dashboard and the bulkhead are isolated with
padding of 30 millimetre thick foam. Stiffened engine mountings
and a reinforced subframe are implemented to reduce the transmission
of vibration within the cabin.
In addition, the four built-in tie-down
points in the all-new Kangoo ensure any load can be safely secured.
With a payload of 600 kilograms
and a storage width of 1.17 metres, the Kangoo offers usable cargo
space of 2.75 square metres. Easy access to the cargo area is assured,
with a low loading sill of 535 millimetres, 180-degree opening rear
barn doors and a standard side sliding door.
Safety – a Renault imperative
Renault’s reputation for enhancing
levels of active and passive safety in its passenger vehicles is
well recognised, and the commercial vehicle range benefits from
the company’s commitment to safety research.
The all-new Renault Kangoo offers
driver’s side airbag, seatbelts with pre-tensioners and load limiters,
front disc brakes, ABS and EBD (standard on automatic versions,
optional on manual versions), protective steel-reinforcing bars
around the driver’s seating area and an innovative flexible front
spoiler which improves side wind stability and driver control enhance
on-road handling as standard equipment.
An optional passenger side airbag
is also available on both models.
In addition, the steering column
collapses in the event of an impact and prevents the intrusion of
the steering wheel into the cabin. The sides of the bulkhead, together
with the sill sections have been strengthened to provide better
cabin stiffness in an impact. The dashboard is less intrusive and
reduces the risk of knee injury. The door padding is soft and energy
absorbent and provides the best protection for the pelvis and abdomen
in a side impact.
A sound investment
The design and development of components
with a view to their end-of-life recycling has led Renault’s engineering
departments and suppliers to seek innovative solutions and to take
recyclability into account in their design, development and quality
processes. Methods of attachment – including the protective mouldings
and surrounds, the sliding door panel and the sill and B-pillar
trims - have been designed to ensure easy dismantling.
The front bumper
and grille, made from recycled material, represent progress in using
fewer different materials in vehicle manufacturing.
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