RENAULT has plumbed in the familiar 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine from its passenger-car range into the trusty Kangoo compact van, bringing more performance and better fuel efficiency than was achieved by the ageing 1.6-litre naturally aspirated engine.

We spent a week driving one fitted with a six-speed dual-clutch transmission – the only automatic Kangoo available in Australia, at least until the diesel-auto arrives later this year.

Apart from a significant payload penalty over the pre-update 1.6-litre version, especially in automatic form, the Kangoo’s new driveline adds plenty of appeal to what was already a solid compact van offering.