Review of the new Renault Kangoo Range

Sooner or later we all have to face the fact that we're growing up. Things that seemed enormous fun a few years ago now have us wondering what the attraction ever was. Cars also undergo this process, usually aping their human counterparts by getting bigger and a little thicker in the middle as they age. The Renault Kangoo may not have yet succumbed to middle age spread, but it has become a far more mature proposition than the first batch of rather crude van-cum-cars that first made their way to these shores back in 1999.

Those initial Kangoos harked back to the Renault 4, a lightweight box that never broke down, engendering the same kind of warm fuzziness amongst family buyers. As a result, by the end of 2002 Renault had shifted no fewer than 10,818 cars. About 55% of these went to fleet users who appreciated a genuine dual-purpose vehicle. The pattern was replicated across Europe and before too long the once derided van-based MPV sector had become one of the hottest tickets in town.

Duelling it out with its great rival, the Citroen Berlingo Multispace, the Kangoo has in recent years undergone a series of revisions to try to wrest superiority from its Gallic counterpart. The Citroen offered a big sunroof so the Renault offered two, and then rammed the point home by improving quality, safety and introducing a rather curious four-wheel drive version dubbed the Trekka which is now no more. Since then it's been a case of regular tweaks to the line up in a bid to keep things fresh.

There are now eight Kangoo variants from which to choose, spread across a range offering a choice of two trim levels - Authentique and Expression. There's also the choice of two petrol and two diesel engines, offering between 68hp and 95hp. The 1.2 and 1.6 16-valve petrol engines offer lively performance and excellent combined cycle fuel economy of 40.4 and 37.7mpg, while the 1.5-litre dCi 68 and dCi 84 common-rail diesels offer even greater torque at lower revs and 51.4 and 53.3mpg.

"The Kangoo is an easy car to like: it's easy to see why so many have been sold."

Another string to its bow is that the Kangoo has another unique proposition in its class - automatic transmission. For the latest range, this can be allied to the 1.6 16V engine on either trim level, offering even greater ease-of-use and refinement for longer journeys.

Other than that, the recent changes have been all about trim and specification tweaks, including two new interior upholsteries and several new options. The specific improvements to the Authentique and Expression trim levels see the former gain £200 of extra equipment, namely a 30W CD player and overhead parcel shelf to complement its new 'Kaleidoscope' interior trim. Meanwhile, the Expression receives new 'Gabor' interior trim and, when specified with metallic paint, body coloured front, rear and side mouldings, similar to those available on larger Megane.

In addition to impressive fuel economy, the Kangoo range also features the cleanest engine in its class too, in the form of the dCi 84. Beating rivals such as the Citroen Berlingo Multispace, the Fiat Doblo and Peugeot's Partner, this engine boasts carbon dioxide emissions of just 139 grams per kilometre which is notable for several reasons as it comes in under the important 140 gram emissions threshold.

The Kangoo's platform is based on that of the MKII Renault Clio, which means that it's wonderfully agile around town, with light quick power steering, short gearing and great visibility through those huge windows. It isn't quite as confident as its supermini stablemate on the open road however - for many of the same reasons. A revised spoiler below the body and a bumper extensions means that this Kangoo is a good deal more resistant to cross winds than its predecessor.

As we've said, four powerplants are on offer, all lifted directly from the Clio supermini. You can opt either for a high-tech common rail dCi turbo diesel in 68 or 84bhp form, or select between 1.2 or 1.6-litre petrol engines. Despite the excellence of the petrol engines, it's the dCi diesels that still make more sense, travelling as they do five miles further on every gallon (in 80bhp guise) and endowed as they are with an extra dose of mid-range pulling power.

In summary, the Kangoo is an easy car to like: it's easy to see why over 130,000 have been sold in Europe already. Sure, for not much more, you could buy a secondhand large-sized MPV but it's easy to admire the way that the Kangoo brings the latest Renault technology home at an affordable price. The latest models offer a level of sophistication few would credit, illustrating just how far the Kangoo has come in such a short time. Basically, it's still fun, all of which just goes to prove that there's a lot to be said for growing old disgracefully.

TOP 5 KANGOO DEALS

The results below show the top KANGOO deals on buyacar

Renault Kangoo 1.6 Extreme 5dr Auto Estate
Price £10,635 Read Kangoo Reviews	Save £2,045
Renault Kangoo 1.5 dCi 106 Dynamique TomTom 5dr Diesel Estate
Price £12,663 Read Kangoo Reviews	Save £2,817
Renault Kangoo 1.5 dCi 86 Dynamique TomTom 5dr Diesel Estate
Price £12,060 Read Kangoo Reviews	Save £2,670
Renault Kangoo 1.6 Expression 5dr Auto Estate
Price £11,715 Read Kangoo Reviews	Save £2,315
Renault Kangoo 1.5 dCi 106 Expression 5dr Diesel Estate
Price £11,983 Read Kangoo Reviews	Save £2,647
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