Renault was among the first to announce the availability of a complete line-up of Euro 6 engines for Kangoo, a year before the introduction of the emission standard on September 1 this year. Though offering the same 75hp, 90hp and 110hp outputs as the Euro 5 motors, torque rises by around 20Nm on each engine.
The vans use a NOx trap in the exhaust system, but have managed to meet Euro 6 standards without any requirement for exhaust additive fluids. However fuel consumption is slightly down on some Euro 6 models, which also carry a £400 premium. It’s hardly surprising therefore to see that Renault continues to offer Euro 5 engines, as in this test vehicle, for as long as possible.
The firm upgraded the Kangoo range late last year, introducing Business and Business+ trim levels in line with its larger Trafic and Master models. This included an improved standard specification, with all models now having a full steel bulkhead and a DAB radio, with Bluetooth, USB and Aux inputs as standard.
All Kangoos come with an ECO mode, load area lighting, roof bar fixings, ESC with Hill Start Assist and Grip Xtend, electric front windows, a height adjustable driver’s seat and Renault’s anti-intruder device (RAID).
For those that tick the Business+ option box (£700) there are also electrically-operated folding door mirrors, one-touch electric windows, a centre console with armrest, an overhead parcel shelf, rubber flooring in the rear, manual air conditioning, a body coloured front bumper and rear parking sensors.
Renault had equipped the test van with the optional folding mesh bulkhead and fold-flat passenger seat (£225), taking load length in this model from 1,731mm to 2,502mm, while boosting load volume from 3.0m3 to 3.6m3.
If even that’s not enough load length for you, and you don’t want to go up to the larger Kangoo Maxi model, the test van also came with a folding roof flap (£220) at the rear. This clever option allows you to literally move a section of the van roof forwards, to allow longer loads to protrude at the rear. Neither option does much for the internal noise levels of the Kangoo though, which rise rapidly with road speeds.
Our test van was equipped with the mid-range 1.5-litre engine delivering 90hp and 200Nm of torque in Euro 5 trim.
You have to make do with five gears in the 90hp model, unlike the range-topping 110hp motor, which gets a six-speed gearbox. It’s fine for urban and country use, but can get a bit wearing on longer motorway trips.
The good news is a claimed combined fuel figure of 67.3mpg and a CO2 rating of just 110g/km for this Kangoo model. Not bad for a van offering a 650kg payload.
If that’s not enough carrying capacity, Renault is now offering an 800kg version of the van too, a new high for the Kangoo line-up. Fleet managers will approve of the van’s two year/25,000 miles service intervals and the reassurance of Renault’s four-year/100,000 mile warranty.
Externally the updates to Kangoo may not be instantly apparent, but the additional specification and upgraded carrying capacity add up to a major improvement for the compact Renault.
What we think
Euro 5 or 6, the revised Kangoo is a lot of van for the money. With the potential for reduced costs and a boost in specification, everyone's a winner.