Renault Kangoo E-TECH

Kangoo E-TECH hits the spot

Andrew Walker

Renault’s electric Kangoo has been around for 10 years and in that time, 75,000 have been sold. Renault has just introduced a new electric model – the Kangoo E-TECH – and it comes with more tech and safety, an improved interior, better storage solutions and most importantly, a bigger battery range. We popped across the Channel recently, to give one a drive.

What’s new ?

The all-new Renault Kangoo van has been built on a new platform and features a fresh exterior design, advanced technology and a brand-new interior, bringing it bang up to date in a very competitive sector. There are two versions: Start or Advance. They both come in long and short-wheelbase formats.

Battery, range and charging

Fitted with a 45kW battery, the new Kangoo E-TECH delivers up to 186 miles (WLTP). The battery can be recharged using a home 7.4kW charger in just over six hours, while rapid DC charging up to 75kWh gives users an 80% charge in 42 minutes. The battery size, 45kW, means that if you utilise a night time charging discount offered by the likes of Octopus Go, at 7.5p a kWh between 00.30 – 04.30 am, you can take your Kangoo E-TECH from a third full to fully charged overnight at a cheaper rate.

Safety and technology

New Kangoo E-Tech comes with ADAS, which includes optional Advanced Lane Keep Assist, Active Emergency Braking System (AEBS) and Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop and Go. It’s also now available with wireless smartphone charging, an 8” touchscreen, EASY-LINK display plus smartphone integration via Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Practicality

The E-TECH boasts the same cargo carrying ability as its ICE counterpart, which is great news for operators. This means a load volume of up to 4.2m3, 615kg of payload and a 1,500kg towing capacity. It also comes with a choice of Easy Inside Rack retractable interior gallery and can be ordered with a range of door and glazing options to suit your trade or business.

Driving modes and spec

The Kangoo comes with two driving modes, Eco or Normal plus three levels of regeneration, which are accessed via the gear lever.

The good news is that the cabin is much improved over the previous version, so you now get a touchscreen infotainment screen lifted straight out of the Renault passenger car range. Clever touches include twin USB’s and 12v socket neatly hidden in a dash top lidded box and a sliding glove box.

The latest Renault system works with both Apple Car Play and Android Auto. There’s cruise control, air-con, an electric handbrake and clear and concise twin speedo and power dials in front of the steering wheel. The stubby gear lever is easy to reach and by pushing it to the right you engage the regenerative braking.

Thinking about the van’s range, Renault has included a heat pump to warm the van without stealing power from the battery. UK models also come with a heated windscreen, seats and steering wheel. You can pre-programme your Kangoo E-Tech to warm up via your smartphone and set up the charging time remotely as well.

Interior storage

Our French Kangoo featured a lovely sliding glove box, a dash top lidded box with the two USBs and a 12v socket inside. The two door pockets are large enough for two drinks each, with room for two more in the cup holders sat between the front seats. There’s also a central armrest with storage space inside.

On the road

The first thing you notice is just how quiet the electric Kangoo is. Noise does enter the cabin but it’s from the tyres not the engine. Our French Kangoo featured a half bulkhead and a moveable mesh cage located behind the passenger, so the noise was perhaps more noticeable than in a model fitted with a full bulkhead, as all UK models will be. UK customers can also specify a glazed bulkhead as well.

Our test model had a pallet with a 750kg load, to reflect real driving conditions. Despite this, the ride is somewhat jerky and we bounced around over some poorly maintained roads. Things improved when the tarmac got better, so a dual carriageway and the A1 motorway were far more comfortable and quieter.

On the motorway, the E-TECH Kangoo offers plenty of torque, so overtaking slow moving traffic is easy. The brakes are good and if you select brake regeneration ‘B’, even the strongest level isn’t too intrusive. Furthermore, Apple Car Play connected seamlessly and the touchscreen menu and response speed are all pretty good.

Real world range

Driving for 2.5 hours on a warm June day, with two on board, we travelled 80 miles and used up nearly a half of the vans range. About par for Renault’s claimed battery range.

Pros

It has a car-like interior, excellent battery range and that heat pump is a real plus. The load space is clever, especially the under roof storage, and there are SWB or LWB versions. Charging is quick thanks to the smallish 45kW battery and standard UK 22 AC + 80 DC charging. The same cargo space as the ICE Kangoo means no compromise for operators choosing to go electric.

Cons

Over poor road surfaces, the ride is a bit of a let down, probably not helped by the battery weight. The A pillars obscure the driver’s view a little.

CC&V VERDICT

The new Kangoo electric is pretty damn good. Our whistle-stop drive meant we didn’t have enough time to assess the battery range properly, but we’d surmise that a 150 -175 mile range is achievable with a load and two passengers in warmer weather. Lots of clever space-saving load area options, such as an internal roof rack for a ladder to fit under the roof, and the closing lid-top box with twin USBs – Renault has thought of pretty much everything. The only negative is an uneven ride on undulating roads, but that’s a common problem for EVs. Otherwise it’s big thumbs up from us.

CC&V RATING:

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