The
Renault Kangoo and
Kangoo Express are
panel vanA panel van is a form of solid van, smaller than a lorry or truck, without rear side windows...
and
leisure activity vehicleA leisure activity vehicle is a small van, generally related to a supermini or subcompact car, with two or three seat rows, and a large, tall car boot and tailgate. An early example of the category was the Matra Rancho introduced in 1977...
produced by French automaker
RenaultRenault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
since 1997. The Kangoo is manufactured in the MCA plant in
MaubeugeMaubeuge is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It is situated on both banks of the Sambre , east of Valenciennes and about from the Belgian border.-History:...
,
FranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and in
Santa IsabelSanta Isabel is the Spanish and Portuguese name of one of two Roman Catholic saints, Saint Isabel of France and Saint Isabel of Aragon. Various places have been named for either of such persons. These include: Argentina:...
,
ArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. The version for the ASEAN markets was assembled by the Tan Chong Euro Cars Sdn. Bhd. (TCEC) in its
SegambutSegambut is a sub-district and a parliamentary constituency in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.From the high-end condominiums of Mont Kiara and Sri Kiara to the middle-class areas of Taman Sri Segambut and Bandar Manjalara, and the rural areas of Segambut Dalam and Kampung Sungai Penchala, the Segambut...
plant. The model was also sold by Nissan in Latin America and Europe as the Kubistar until late 2009 in Europe, when it was replaced by the
Nissan NV200The Nissan NV200 is a light commercial vehicle produced by Nissan. It was first shown as the NV200 Concept at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show. Though it is an alternative to the Vanette, it is only available as a van model...
.
First generation
The first generation Kangoo was introduced in 1997. It was facelifted in 2003, resulting in a
Phase II model. The Phase II vehicles are distinguished by their new nose styling, standardised across the Renault range, with the Renault diamond mounted on a body colour panel in the centre of the grille and teardrop headlamps.
The rear windows and seats of the Kangoo could be removed, producing the
panel vanA panel van is a form of solid van, smaller than a lorry or truck, without rear side windows...
Kangoo Express. The Kangoo became popular with the mobility-impaired and wheelchair users due to its height and accessibility and because it could be adapted to include mounting points for
wheelchairA wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
s.
Both the Kangoo and Kangoo Express were available in
four-wheel driveFour-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4×4 is a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously...
versions and a lengthened version was also available, with an increased cargo area. A
pickup truckA pickup truck is a light motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area .-Definition:...
version was sold in the
SwedishSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
market. In some countries, such as
Malaysia, the Kangoo was assembled by Nissan with a third row of 3 seats.
Break'Up
The Kangoo Break'Up was a four wheel drive concept car announced in 2002 and previewed the 2003 facelift design, together with a pick-up style rear. It was powered by 1.6 L engine producing 110 hp.
Four wheel drive
The 4WD version of the Kangoo was introduced in 2002 and was marketed under the model name
Trekka. It should not be confused with the Skoda-powered New Zealand built utility vehicle named
TrekkaThe Škoda powered Trekka was a light utility vehicle manufactured in New Zealand between 1966 and 1973. It is the only vehicle designed and manufactured in New Zealand to have entered commercial production for an extended period...
, which was marketed in the Antipodes for several years around 1970 .
The Kangoo Trekka's all-wheel drive system differed from the
Renault Scenic RX4The Renault Scénic is a compact MPV produced by French automaker Renault, the first to be labelled as such in Europe. It is based on the chassis of the Mégane small family car. It became 1997 European Car of the Year on its launch in late 1996...
in its inclusion of a Nissan sourced automatic torque coupling "ATC", a hydraulic coupling that would engage drive on all four wheels should the front wheels start to lose traction. This still allowed the Kangoo Trekka to run in front wheel drive in most conditions, saving fuel. Working in combination with the ATC, the Kangoo Trekka also featured an electronically controlled "ASR" traction control system which could brake the front wheels to arrest traction loss.
The suspension was similar to the standard Kangoo only strengthened and raised to provide more ground clearance and wheel travel. These changes gave the Kangoo Trekka a 400 mm (15.7 in) fording depth and 28-degree hill-climbing capability. The Kangoo Trekka was marketed in the United Kingdom with a choice of two engines, the 1.6 L 16-valve petrol engine and the 1.9 L dCi common-rail turbodiesel. In 2005 these models were priced at £12,600 and £13,600 respectively. The Diesel produced a peak torque of 133 lbft and returned over 7 L/100 km on the combined (urban and extra urban) fuel consumption test. The petrol engine had a 0 to 60 mph (0 to 96.6 km/h) time of 14.3 seconds and a combined fuel consumption of 9 L/100 km.
The interior of the Kangoo Trekka was spartan and the rear bench seat could be folded forward to provide a 2.5 m³ (88.3 cu ft) loading area to which sliding side doors provided better access.
Engines
The Kangoo and Kangoo Express was/is available with a choice of multiple engines:
- 1.0 L D-series petrol, 59 hp (8v) / 68 hp (16v)
- 1.2 L D-series petrol, 60 hp (8v) / 75 hp (16v)
- 1.4 L 8v Energy petrol, 75 hp
- 1.6 L 16v K-series petrol, 95 hp
- 1.5 L dCi
Common rail direct fuel injection is a modern variant of direct fuel injection system for petrol and diesel engines.On diesel engines, it features a high-pressure fuel rail feeding individual solenoid valves, as opposed to low-pressure fuel pump feeding unit injectors...
turbodieselTurbodiesel refers to any diesel engine with a turbocharger. Turbocharging is the norm rather than the exception in modern car and truck diesel engines...
, 57 hp/65 hp/
68 hp/70 hp/
82 hp/85 hp/
88 hp
- 1.9 L F-series D diesel, 55 hp/65 hp (normally aspirated, indirect injection)
- 1.9 L F-series dTi turbodiesel, 80 hp (direct injection)
- 1.9 L F-series dCi turbodiesel, 80 hp/85 hp
- Electric Electri'cité (limited edition)
- Plug-in Hybrid Elect'road
The Elect'Road is a plug-in series hybrid version of Renault's popular Kangoo. Sales began in Europe in 2003, mainly in France, Norway and a few in the UK. The Elect'Road was sold alongside Renault's Electri'cité electric-drive Kangoo battery electric van...
(limited edition)
Some LPG and
CNGCompressed natural gas is a fossil fuel substitute for gasoline , diesel, or propane/LPG. Although its combustion does produce greenhouse gases, it is a more environmentally clean alternative to those fuels, and it is much safer than other fuels in the event of a spill...
variants of petrol engines have also been produced.
Second generation
The
New Renault Kangoo and
New Renault Kangoo Express were the new generation light commercial vehicle (LCV) in Renault's lineup. Based on the Scenic and manufactured in Maubeuge, sales began in January 2008.
The Kangoo van is often used by
La PosteLa Poste is the mail service of France, which also operates postal services in the French Overseas Departments of Réunion, Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guiana, and the territorial collectivities of Saint Pierre and Miquelon and Mayotte...
, the national postal service of
FranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Bodystyles
The Kangoo has 4 bodystyles: the Kangoo Compact, the Kangoo Van, the Kangoo Van Maxi, and the Kangoo Van Maxi Crew Van. The Kangoo Compact is used for smaller deliveries with a payload 500 kg, while the Kangoo Van is used for larger deliveries and has a payload of 650 kg or 800 kg. The Kangoo Van Maxi has the most payload of 800 kg and the Kangoo Van Maxi Crew Van has a maximum floor length of 1.33 m.
Kangoo Express Z.E.
As part of its
Z.E.The Renault Z.E. is a program of all-electric cars from Renault and it began with a series of Z.E. concept cars. The first production car is the Renault Fluence Z.E. that is scheduled for sales to the public in Israel and Denmark by late 2011 as part of the Better Place network...
electric carAn electric car is an automobile which is propelled by electric motor, using electrical energy stored in batteries or another energy storage device. Electric cars were popular in the late-19th century and early 20th century, until advances in internal combustion engine technology and mass...
initiative,
Renault has developed a Kangoo Express Z.E. model
that will be manufactured at its Maubeuge plant.
A planned Renault battery plant near Paris that will supply batteries for the vehicle was delayed due to technical constraints. Construction will start in the second quarter of 2012 and production of batteries is expected to be delayed to 2014 or 2015. Instead, Renault will have to buy batteries from a joint venture between Nissan Motor and
NEC, a Japanese multinational IT company, has its headquarters in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. NEC, part of the Sumitomo Group, provides information technology and network solutions to business enterprises, communications services providers and government....
, and from
LG ChemLG Chem Ltd. , often referred to as LG Chemical and also known as Lucky GoldStar Chemical, is the largest Korean chemical company and is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea...
of South Korea.
Customers in several countries can pre-reserve models at the
Renault-ZE website with an expected release in 2011. European pricing is €20,000 before any government incentives and excluding VAT (€15,000 excluding VAT and including a tax incentive subsidy of €5,000). In addition to buying or leasing the vehicle there is a separate monthly subscription costing from €72 (excluding VAT) for the battery. Filling up' on energy (160 km) for Kangoo Express Z.E. will cost between one and two euros, depending on the local price of electricity (kW h).
Specifications
The Kangoo Express Z.E. has the same dimensions as the internal combustion model.
It uses a
synchronous electric motorA synchronous electric motor is an AC motor distinguished by a rotor spinning with coils passing magnets at the same rate as the power supply frequency and resulting rotating magnetic field which drives it....
with rotor coil. Its peak power is 44 kW at 10,500rpm, while maximum torque is 226 N·m (166.7 ft·lbf). Its top speed is capped electronically to 130 km/h (80.8 mph).
The vehicle is powered by a 22 kW·h lithium-ion battery pack.
Other electric vehicles
CleanovaCleanova are a set of plug-in hybrid vehicles by the Société de Véhicules Electriques , a joint venture between Dassault and Heuliez. Cleanova II is based on Renault Kangoo....
II is a hybrid-electric drive train system, used in a vehicle based on Renault Kangoo, with two electric versions: full-electric vehicle (FEV) and plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV).