Renault Kangoo

Renault Kangoo at a glance

The Kangoo combines a car-like front end with a tall, boxy load area, so the same body serves as a delivery van and a five-seat family car. Front-wheel drive is standard; the first generation also offered factory four-wheel drive. Its rivals in Europe are the Volkswagen Caddy, the Citroën Berlingo, the Peugeot Partner and the Fiat Doblò. The wider Renault story is in the history of Renault.

First generation (1997–2008)

The first Kangoo was introduced in October 1997, previewed by the Pangea concept, and went on sale as a van and as a passenger model. At first it had one sliding side door; from 1998 a second one on the other side was available, a rare feature in its class at the time. The 4x4 Trekka arrived in 2001–2002 with raised suspension, black plastic trim and a fording depth of 400 mm. A facelift in March 2003 brought new headlights, a two-part grille with the diamond badge and body-coloured bumpers.

Petrol engines ranged from 1.1 to 1.6 litres with 8 or 16 valves, and diesels from 1.5 to 1.9 litres, naturally aspirated and turbocharged. Selected versions:

A five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic drove the front wheels, while the more powerful 4x4 versions had an automatically engaged rear axle with a viscous coupling. Suspension is by MacPherson struts at the front and a twist beam at the rear, with front disc and rear drum brakes and ABS on all versions. Kerb weight ranged from 1,055 to 1,375 kg, ground clearance was 140 mm, and the passenger version's boot held 650 litres, or about 2,600 litres with the rear seat folded.

The first-generation Kangoo was also sold as the Nissan Kubistar from 2003 to 2009, and the three-door Kangoo Be Bop leisure model sold about 1,400 units from 2009. In Argentina, the Santa Isabel plant in Córdoba built 374,591 Kangoos from 1998 to 2018.

Second generation (2007–2021)

The second Kangoo went on sale in May 2007. Based on the Scénic II, it was wider and more car-like, and came as the short Compact (3,898 mm), the standard Express or passenger model (4,213 mm) and the long Maxi (4,666 mm). The seven-seat Grand Kangoo followed in July 2012, 40 cm longer than the standard car, and from September 2012 Mercedes-Benz sold a version as the Citan. A facelift in early 2013 brought new headlights and a larger diamond badge in line with Renault's new design language.

The passenger Kangoo II has a boot of about 660 litres, which grows to 2,600 litres with the rear seats folded, and the floor stays nearly flat. Euro NCAP gave the Kangoo II four stars in 2008. Later cars offered ESP, emergency brake assist, ISOFIX mounts, side airbags and the R-Link 7-inch touchscreen.

Kangoo Z.E. electric van

The Kangoo Z.E. arrived in October 2011 with a 44 kW motor, 226 Nm and a 22 kWh battery under the load floor. It covered 170 km on the NEDC cycle and about 100 km in everyday use, less in winter. Top speed is 130 km/h. In 2012 it was named International Van of the Year, and a specially trimmed electric Kangoo was presented to Pope Benedict XVI that year. The Z.E. 33 version of 2017 brought a 33 kWh battery, 270 km NEDC (Renault quoted about 200 km in real use), 7 kW charging and a heat pump. In Europe, buyers could lease the battery separately for about 30 to 70 euros a month. Global Kangoo Z.E. sales reached 48,821 by December 2019.

Third generation (from 2021)

Renault unveiled the third Kangoo on 12 November 2020 and started sales in early 2021. It uses the Renault–Nissan CMF-C/D platform and is built at Maubeuge.

The E-Tech Electric has a battery of about 44–45 kWh net and a WLTP range of about 285–300 km. It charges at 11 or 22 kW AC and optionally at 80 kW DC, which takes the battery from 15 to 80% in about 31 minutes.

The electric van carries 608 kg in L1 form and 764 kg as an L2. Road testers praised its range, comfort and refinement, and criticised the charging speed and the lack of a load-through bulkhead. The van comes in two lengths: L1 is 4,486 mm long with a 2,716 mm wheelbase, and L2 4,910 mm with a 3,100 mm wheelbase, with interior load lengths of 1,806 and 2,230 mm. The L2 is 424 mm longer than the L1.

Size, boot and load space

Euro NCAP results for the Kangoo

Euro NCAP tested the third-generation Kangoo in 2021 and awarded four stars: 78% for adult occupants, 87% for children, 67% for vulnerable road users and 72% for safety assist. The Nissan Townstar carries the same rating. The second generation earned four stars in 2008.

Reliability and what to check

First-generation Kangoos are cheap to buy and simple to repair, but early cars rust, and the sliding-door runners and rear door locks wear out. Owners also report coolant leaks, soft gearbox mounts that make the gear lever feel vague, worn suspension bushes and anti-roll bar links, and wiring faults. The second generation is more refined but has thin noise insulation and firm seats. On any Z.E., check the battery's state of health and whether the battery is owned or leased.

Rivals: how the Kangoo compares

Compared with the Volkswagen Caddy, the Kangoo has offered a factory electric version for longer, since 2011. The Citroën Berlingo and Peugeot Partner give similar space and comfort, while the Renault Dokker, derived from the Dacia Dokker, was the low-cost alternative. Use the 1cars comparison tool to set the Kangoo against these vans, check each version in the specifications section, or browse the vans section for other models.