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Chris Fincham13 May 2018
REVIEW

Renault Kangoo Maxi 2018 Review

New auto makes little French van a more relaxed option for delivering goods
Review Type
Road Test
No more manual shifting

As some-one who gets frustrated battling the peak-hour traffic on the way to work, the prospect of doing it eight hours straight – as courier drivers and other small business operators face on a daily basis – is daunting.

However, after a week zipping around in Renault’s range-topping Kangoo Maxi van, fitted with a car-like turbo-diesel donk and new, quick-shifting dual-clutch transmission, I’d opt for something like this if required to cart floral bouquets or tasty baked goods around all day in a timely fashion...

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Biggest little Renault van

The Renault Kangoo Maxi is the ‘biggest’ little van in Renault Australia’s commercial line-up, and until recently you could only order one with a six-speed manual transmission – a shortcoming when rivals like Citroen Berlingo and Volkswagen Caddy are offered with auto ‘boxes.

The good news for potential Renault Kangoo Maxi drivers is that, while it’s a cog short of the Caddy’s seven-speed dual-clutcher, it works really well in the Kangoo, particularly around town where these vehicles spend most of their time.

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The Kangoo Maxi gets the bigger 1.5-litre turbo-diesel, delivering a decent 81kW/250Nm, and the dual-clutch transmission goes a great job of keeping it in the go-zone around 1500-2000rpm (peak torque is 1750Nm). Shifts are pretty much seamless around town; the close ratios ensuring it’s swiftly into fifth gear at suburban speeds which also saves on juice.

A new ‘creep mode’ virtually eliminates any clunky low-speed shenanigans common with dual-clutch transmissions, and a hill hold feature assists with smooth get-aways. You can still change gears manually via the gear lever, but we never felt the need to.

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Fuel economy another highlight

The downfall of all this zippiness is some over-revving on the highway, around 2250rpm in sixth gear. However, the engine still remains smooth and relatively quiet, and it didn’t seem to affect economy, which ranged from a fuel-sipping 4.2L/100km (mostly highway), to 5.9L/100km average around town, which included carrying a heavy load at one point. That’s good enough for a range of 1000km from the 60-litre fuel tank.

At one point we loaded up around 400-500kg of building waste in the load area, and while we could feel the extra weight it didn’t dent around-town performance too much.

The Renault Kangoo Maxi’s one square metre bigger cargo area than the Kangoo Compact is also a bonus for those who want to carry more, or bigger stuff. While width and height of the cargo area are similar, the extra 386mm in length in the Kangoo Maxi makes a difference. The Maxi also comes with four more tie-down points on the black plastic lined floor (14 in total), and access to the cargo area is excellent, with a sliding door on each side and barn doors at the rear.

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The Maxi also comes standard with tubular protection bars behind the driver’s seat, which didn’t quite slide back far enough to accommodate my 188cm frame. But that was our only major complaint about the cabin, which offers goldfish bowl-like visibility through the tall windscreen and side windows (although they’re too big for the sun visor to block early morning sun). The upside is you’re less likely to bang your head getting in and out.

There are handy arm rests on both sides of the driver’s seat, and though steering wheel only adjusted for height, I was far more comfortable in the Kangoo Maxi than Toyota’s larger but less driver-friendly HiAce van.

Ergonomics are also pretty good, despite some fiddly buttons, with the basics covered including a trip computer, steering wheel controls for major functions, and a decent Bluetooth audio system which doesn’t have to be cranked up too high as there’s minimal ‘boom’ from the cargo area when driving.

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Minor ergonomic gripes

The seats are firm but offer some support and padding, and there are a few small storage areas for odds and ends. Our only other gripe is the position of the lever-type handbrake in the centre console, which can interfere with a cord running from the 12-volt outlet and a cup-holder.

Ride and handling is also impressive for a commercial van; the Kangoo soaking up the bumps admirably and only thumping over big potholes. The pliant suspension also takes speed bumps in its stride and it corners confidently on the 15-inch steel wheels with Continental rubber; good news if you’re carrying precious cargo.

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Steering is light and reasonably direct, the turning circle relatively tight, and it remained stable in strong cross-winds on the freeway. It’s also easy to park, and it fits in most undercover carparks at a shade over 1.8m high.

Priced at $29,990 (plus on-road costs), or $3000 above the manual-transmission version, the self-shifting Renault Kangoo Maxi should make the daily drudge a less stress-full affair.

Pricing and Features
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How much is a 2018 Renault Kangoo Maxi Automatic?
Price: $29,990 (plus ORCs)
Engine: 1.5-litre  four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Outputs: 81kW/250Nm
Transmission: Six-speed dual-clutch
Fuel: N/A (see text)
CO2: 123g CO2/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Four-star ANCAP (2017)

Further reading:
<a href="/editorial/details/auto-shifter-for-renault-kangoo-diesel-110324/?__source=editorialArticle&driver_crosssell=editorial.in.article.link" data-article-id="ED-ITM-110324">Auto shifter for Renault Kangoo diesel<br> </a>Renault Kangoo 2017 Review
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Written byChris Fincham
See all articles
Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Expert rating
72/100
Engine, Drivetrain & Chassis
15/20
Price, Packaging & Practicality
14/20
Safety & Technology
14/20
Behind The Wheel
15/20
X-Factor
14/20
Pros
  • Car-like driveability
  • Smooth gearbox
  • Forgiving ride
Cons
  • Pricey auto option
  • Fiddly dash buttons
  • Limited oddment storage
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