Renault Kangoo E-Tech Electric
The new Renault Kangoo is here at last. Has it been worth the wait?, asks John Kendall
Renault Kangoo E-Tech Electric
The new Renault Kangoo is here at last. Has it been worth the wait?, asks John Kendall
It’s taken a while, but Renault’s new Kangoo has landed in the UK. Has it been worth the wait? Just like its rivals, the previous model had been on the market for many years. That’s because vans generally sell in smaller numbers than cars and it takes manufacturers longer to cover the costs of development and manufacturing. The result here is a van based on the latest generation of Renault cars, sharing switchgear and instruments with them.
Customers have a choice of petrol, diesel and electric power but it’s the electric variant that we drove at the launch. Like the previous model, there’s a choice of L1 and L2 models as well as a crew van. Panel vans offer body volumes of 3.3m3 and 4.2m3 respectively. Similarly, maximum payload for L1 is 608kg, rising to 764kg for L2 models.
Electric models are powered by a 90kW electric motor, which generates 245Nm of torque. Renault quotes a WLTP range of 186 miles, more than its Stellantis rivals. You would be looking at an overnight re-charge from a 7.4kW wallbox. Renault is one of the few manufacturers to offer 22kW AC three-phase charging which will charge from 20 per cent to 80 per cent in a claimed 1h 21mins. This comes down to 40 minutes using an 80kW DC charger.
Just as the interior carries a strong resemblance to models such as the Clio and Captur, there’s a strong external resemblance too. The large Renault diamond badge on the front leaves little doubt about the Kangoo’s maker, while also concealing the front mounted charging point.
Renault claims 44-litres of storage space in the cabin, with half this coming from the overhead storage. A 1.5-litre dash top storage bin includes a USB charging port enabling phones to be charged and kept out of sight. Useful options include the Easy Inside Rack, providing secure roof level inside storage in the load area for items up to 2.5m long. Side loading doors each side come as standard.
Kangoo is available in two trim levels, Start and Advance.
Standard equipment includes Bluetooth connectivity, automatic headlamps and rain-sensing wipers, a lidded glovebox, air conditioning, heated, electric door mirrors, sliding side loading doors each side, cruise control and speed limiter. There are a host of options and option packs, which would make it easy for fleets to spec the Kangoo as they need. It’s a welcome new competitor in the compact high-cube van segment.
ON THE ROAD
Like all electric models, driving the Kangoo E-Tech electric is simplicity itself. Once you’ve turned the power on, use the dashboard-mounted drive selector to choose your drive mode - reverse, drive or regenerative braking. This helps to slow the van without using the brakes, while also feeding energy back into the battery. In fact there are three regenerative braking modes, so if there’s a load on board, you can step up the braking force to counter the additional momentum. As well as the three regenerative braking modes, there are two drive modes, “Normal” and “Eco”. In “eco” mode, power is limited and acceleration reduced to maximise range.
Progress is quiet, the van offers respectable performance and handles well. The Kangoo cab would be a pleasant place to spend a working day.
A neat power saving touch is the heat pump heating system, which will help to reduce the amount of energy needed to heat or cool the cabin. Further energy saving is available by using the pre-conditioning to heat or cool the cabin while the van is still on charge, ensuring the right temperature before you hit the road.
