Renault Kangoo Maxi bounces in

RENAULT Australia has shuffled its Kangoo light commercial van range by adding a long-wheelbase Maxi variant and overhauling its line-up to include sharper pricing.

Coming in at $24,990, the new turbo-diesel only Kangoo Maxi is 384mm longer than the short wheelbase diesel that has been discontinued.

The extra length means extra cargo space for the hard-working Renault which has cargo capacity of 4.0 cubic metres, up 33 per cent on the regular Kangoo.

Carrying capacity is also up by 25 per cent for the longer Kangoo, from 650kg to 800kg.

Powering the Kangoo Maxi will be Renault’s 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel that produces 85kW and 240Nm of torque which is 25 per cent more power than when the same engine was used in the short wheelbase version.

The diesel will be mated to a six-speed manual gearbox and is capable of achieving fuel economy figures of 5.5 litres per 100kms on the combined cycle.

Sliding doors on either side of the Kangoo Maxi make for easy access while the rear features twin barn doors as standard. A wagon-like tailgate is an option.

The short wheelbase Kangoo also gets an update for 2013, with the addition of a five-speed manual gearbox to the 1.6-litre petrol model that records fuel consumption of 7.7 litres per 100kms.

This brings the opening price for the Kangoo down to $20,990 plus on road costs for the petrol manual, making it one of the cheapest LCVs on the Australian market, just behind the 1.6-litre Citroen Berlingo that retails for $19,990 and the Suzuki APV that kicks off from $18,990.

Renault Australia has also dropped the price of the short wheelbase automatic by $2000 from $24,990 to $22,990.

A number of exterior styling flourishes have been changed for the 2013 Kangoo update, including unpainted manual door mirrors and front and rear bumpers which Renault says is “to better cope with the bump and grind of urban delivery duties.”

An optional Pro Pack adds sat-nav, rear park assist and plastic lining for the cargo area for $2000 while the Premium Pack adds extras like fog lamps, electric mirrors, body-coloured bumpers and side airbags for $3000.

LCV brand manager for Renault Australia Lyndon Healey said that the Maxi will give Renault a boost in the LCV market.

“We enjoyed a very successful year in 2012, with LCV sales up more than 98%,” he said. “The arrival of the Maxi and the new manual petrol short wheelbase version with its appealing starting price, allow us to expand the appeal of the Kangoo far more than before.”

A facelifted Kangoo featuring Renault’s new corporate face was revealed last month but is not expected to make it to Australia until the end of 2013.

Last year the Renault Kangoo was the third best-selling light commercial van in its segment with sales of 357 units, trailing the Volkswagen Caddy with a massive 1852 units and the Suzuki APV in second place with 485 sales.

2013 Renault Kangoo pricing*

SWB 1.6l Petrol	$20,990
SWB 1.6l Petrol (a)	$22,990
Maxi 1.5 Diesel	$24,990

*Excludes on-road costs