The 2013 Renault Kangoo van range has been overhauled with the introduction of the longer Kangoo Maxi van variant and a $3500-lower starting price.
The revised Renault Kangoo range starts with the new short-wheelbase petrol manual model, which is priced from $20,990, while the price of the existing SWB petrol auto is now $22,990 (down $1500).
The SWB models feature a 78kW/148Nm 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. The new five-speed manual variant consumes 7.7 litres of fuel per 100km, making it about seven per cent more efficient than the four-speed automatic (8.3L/100km).
Both models have an identical 3.0-cubic metre carrying capacity and a 650kg payload and now come with dual sliding doors.
The Renault Kangoo Maxi long-wheelbase replaces the short-wheelbase diesel manual model. While $500 more expensive than the discontinued SWB diesel, the new $24,990 Kangoo Maxi is 384mm longer, offers 33 per cent more cargo capacity (4.0 cubic metres) and 23 per cent more carrying capacity (800kg).
The Kangoo Maxi also boasts a more powerful 82kW/240Nm four-cylinder diesel engine (up 19kW/40Nm) and a six-speed manual transmission (replacing the old five-speed). Fuel consumption climbs marginally from 5.2L/100km to 5.5L/100km.
Twin barn doors are standard at the rear of the Kangoo Maxi, with a tailgate is available as an option.
The entire Renault Kangoo range now comes with unpainted front and rear bumpers, unpainted door mirrors and small plastic wheel centre caps. Renault Australia says these extremities are the most commonly damaged parts of the vehicles, and insisted reverting to unpainted body parts and deleting wheel covers allows it to replace damaged components more quickly and affordably.
Two option packs are available to customers to enhance their Kangoo’s specification. The $2000 Pro Pack adds satellite navigation, rear parking sensors, a cargo barrier and a plastic liner for the cargo area walls and floor. The $3000 Premium Pack includes sat-nav, rear parking sensors, side airbags, body-colour bumpers, electric door mirrors, foglights, height-adjustable driver’s seat and a non-slip timber floor. Petrol models score 15-inch alloy wheels while the Maxi diesel gets full covers over steel rims.
The line-up revisions come just a few weeks after Renault revealed a facelifted version of the Kangoo, which is due in Australia around the end of the year.
