Small LCV Comparison 2014: Renault Kangoo

With its second-row seating neatly folded into the passenger footwells, the Renault leads the way in cargo volume with 4.0 cubic metres, ahead of the Berlingo's 3.7 and the APV's 3.4. However, it trails its rivals for outright payload capacity with 740kg, behind the Berlingo (750kg) and the APV (785kg).

While its cargo bay length measures 1030mm with the back seats up, this extends to 1970mm with them down (250mm more than the Berlingo). Longer items up to 2380mm can be accommodated with the front passenger seat folded forward.

The Kangoo also has the greatest cargo bay height and the greatest number of tie-down points.

Renault claims a width between the wheel arches of 1218mm but by our measurements it's 1150mm – and that's the difference between accepting a standard Australian pallet or not.

Like the Berlingo, the tie-down points themselves could be sturdier, but there are 10 of them in total (six in Berlingo, none in APV). The soft back of the second-row seating will wear fairly quickly, we anticipate.

Access to the cargo area is easy through the twin sliding side doors and the rear 60/40 barn doors. The latter feature easy-to-use latches that unhook to allow the doors to open to 180 degrees (the Berlingo has a similar arrangement, while the APV has a top-hinged tailgate).

Driver comfort is excellent, with a supportive seat with plenty of adjustment and a tilt-adjustable steering column. Synthetic rubber-lined front footwells don't look pretty but should withstand significant use and abuse – more so than the Berlingo's felt-lined footwells (admittedly with sturdy mats).

For the driver and front passenger the cabin is more passenger car than LCV but the Berlingo fares better as far as internal storage goes.

The Kangoo was the quietest of the trio on test, recording 71dBA at 80km/h versus 73 for the Berlingo and 80 for the APV.

It also has better visibility than the Berlingo, courtesy of rear side windows. Both Frenchies are some way behind the 360-degree glasshouse of the APV.

The bonnet was supported by a gas strut and gave good access to an engine that, although neat enough, was let down by some exposed loom work around the battery.

On the plus side, the front fascia fits tightly to the body, much like the remainder of the Kangoo's panel gaps. The Jet Black metallic paint was well-finished, too, and presented with a little less 'orange peel' than that of the Berlingo's.

The cabin felt more modern than both other vans on this test and, although it did consist primarily of hard monotone plastics, Renault has used a blend of contours and textures to add interest.

Like the Citroen, the Renault did provide some interesting placement points for some of the secondary switchgear. At least the window and mirror controls were found in the usual place.

The Kangoo's cargo area was much neater than the Berlingo's with fewer areas of exposed metal framework visible to the eye – or hand.

The Kangoo outperformed the others in all our acceleration tests. The linear manner in which its power and torque is produced tends to mask its real-world performance, as it calmly pushes on through the rev range long after the others have signed off.

With 400kg on board the Kangoo glided up climbs without complaint, its turbo-diesel barely noticing the extra payload. It was ahead of the Berlingo, and especially so the APV, in this respect.

The greater flexibility of the Kangoo's six-speed manual transmission, a shift light and 'ECO' mode delivered only incremental gains in fuel efficiency (see specs, below), though here it still placed ahead of its rivals on test.

The clutch is light and progressive and the shifting action is the most precise of the bunch – heavier than the Berlingo or the APV but smoother, with little freeplay.

The steering also feels heavier but affords a greater sense of security.

Body roll is nicely controlled even with some weight in the back, yet the ride remains reasonably compliant when unladen.

With a turning circle of 11.9m, it's the most unwieldy of the bunch but then it also has the longest wheelbase. It's not especially troublesome in tighter confines but the accessory reverse parking sensors aren't a bad investment.

The brakes offer good power and plenty of feel at the pedal; here the Kangoo edged out the Berlingo and trounced the APV in the 60-0km/h deceleration test.

The Kangoo's high level of general refinement is underlined by its overall lack of vibration or harshness. It really does feel like a passenger car, just with the added bonus of extra capacity and flexibility of payload.

The Kangoo Maxi Crew is expensive at $27,990 (plus ORCs), but this it comes with standard second-row seating and has the most powerful and efficient drivetrain here, plus a six-speed manual gearbox.

Driver and passenger airbags are also standard-fit, along with stability control. Navigation is a $950 option while metallic paint will set you back $800.

There’s a 36-month warranty, but it covers 200,000km where most offer only 100,000km. Roadside assistance is offered for the duration of the warranty period while servicing intervals are set at 12 months/15,000km (whichever comes first).

A big bonus for the Kangoo is the inclusion of a capped-price servicing plan that costs $349 at the first service and lasts for three visits (up to 45,000km).

The previous model Kangoo cost $24,490 in 2011, according to www.redbook.com.au. Its median private sale price today is $15,050 for an example with 60,000-90,000km recorded. That’s a best-on-test retained value figure of 61 per cent.

The dashboard looks altogether contemporary with its clear, three-dial instrument cluster and a large centre stack containing push buttons for the climate control (standard on our test vehicle), and a neat head-unit array.

The Bluetooth functionality is integrated into the audio system and is easily and quickly dealt with when connecting a new phone. The audio system is controlled remotely via a satellite pod on the steering column which does take a little familiarisation to use effectively.

It's a similar story for the cruise control, whose function is split between switches located on the steering wheel and the lower dash fascia (for on-off and speed-limiter function).

The trip computer is controlled via a flick of the small rocker switches on the right-side steering column stalk, and the power windows have conventional rocker switches on the doors.

The central locking is operated via a button in the centre of the dash and the Kangoo's lights, controlled by a rotating switch on the left-side steering column stalk, include a dusk-sensing (auto.) function. Like the Berlingo, the indicators have a push-to-pass (three-flash) function too.

2014 Renault Kangoo Maxi Crew pricing and specifications:
Price: $27,990 (plus ORCs)
Engine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 81kW/240Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Fuel: 4.7L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 123g/km (ADR Combined)
Max. rated payload: 740kg