Renault Kangoo Maxi Crew 2014 Review

The purchase of a light commercial vehicle is a big decision for any small business and buyers want maximum flexibility and utility for their money. That flexibility often includes family or recreational pursuits come the weekend, and it's here where Renault's latest addition to its LCV range, the Kangoo Maxi Crew, really shines.

It's the latest model in a family of LCVs that's on a roll in this country. Renault Australia delivered around 2200 commercial vehicles in 2013, double that of its 2012 figure, and says it's aiming for 3000 in 2014, with Kangoo, Trafic and Master – and a major contract with Australia Post – all playing their part.

Renault is effectively hedging its bets with the Maxi Crew, hoping to attract buyers who want a commercial and a passenger vehicle in the one attractively-priced package.

Available in the same 3081mm long-wheelbase format as the turbo-diesel, two-seater Kangoo Maxi, the Kangoo Maxi Crew is a five-seater, with the second row of seats folding flat for extra load space when required.

The national press launch of the Maxi Crew saw motoring journalists sample the vehicle with a 60/40 split-fold rear seating arrangement, which is available now, potentially allowing for a longer load and one or two rear passengers, while a Maxi Crew with a single rear three-seat bench with sliding cargo barrier (add $1450) will go on sale in September. The latter trades the flexibility of the split-fold seat for the added safety of the cargo barrier.

Lyndon Healey, Model Line Manager for Renault LCV, says the Maxi Crew opens up a range of possibilities.

"This is targeted at small business owners who are looking for a bit of flexibility to carry people and goods, with a bit of dual-purpose thrown in – you can throw in your mountain bike or dog on the weekend," he says.

Healey says the Maxi Crew brings the best of both worlds to the LCV market.

"Our competitors have got very specific vehicles for both purposes – a passenger-carrying version and a commercial version – but I think we can get a fair proportion of both those markets with this single vehicle," he says.

The five-seater Maxi Crew is only available in a turbo-diesel with six-speed manual transmission – Healey says an automatic version is 12 to 18 months away – and now sits alongside the two-seater turbo-diesel Kangoo Maxi. There's also the shorter-wheelbase (2697mm) two-seater Kangoo, which comes with a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with either five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission.

Pricing starts from $19,990 (plus on-roads) for the SWB petrol manual, rising to $22,990 for the SWB petrol auto and $24,990 for the Maxi, culminating in $27,990 for the Maxi Crew.

Our brief taste of the Kangoo Maxi Crew sees us head from Melbourne's Tullamarine airport to the central Victorian township of Daylesford, taking in largely country roads and some highway.

Like the rest of the 2014 Kangoo range, Maxi Crew benefits from a mild cosmetic revision, better soundproofing, an improved finish and a stronger body shell.

Hopping behind the wheel we're greeted by a car-like interior but with appreciably more space. There's quite some distance between the driver and windscreen and plenty of head room – it's anything but cramped and will accommodate taller folk with ease.

The fit of the textured, hard plastics of the dash are of a high quality – Renault says its collaboration with Mercedes-Benz over the latter's Citan people-mover, which shares the Kangoo chassis, and has provided spin-off benefits such as tighter tolerances, an improved auto transmission, and some safety upgrades.

Speaking of safety, Maxi Crew benefits from driver and passenger front airbags plus stability control, traction control, and ABS. Front side airbags are a $490 option, while Maxi Crew also gets Hill Start Assist and Extended Grip, the latter for use in particularly slippery conditions.

Because it's categorised as a commercial vehicle there is no ANCAP or NCAP safety rating for Maxi Crew, although Renault says a people-carrying version in other markets, the Grand Kangoo, has achieved a four-star NCAP rating.

There's a deep storage bin between the front seats, a large clip-out shelf overhead, and a sizeable storage shelf on top of the dash, where there's also room for the optional sat-nav ($950). The glovebox, however, is shallow and the door sidepockets fairly slim.

Heading out of the airport and onto some winding rural roads, it's immediately clear Kangoo Maxi Crew is a cut above your average LCV. Noise in the cabin, though still above that of many cars, is well suppressed, and the handling is secure and sure-footed. It actually shares its chassis with Renault's Scenic, a compact multi-purpose vehicle last sold in Australia several years ago.

Alloy wheels and exterior trim are complemented by niceties including climate-control air-con, cruise control, auto lights and wipers, foglights, and power mirrors. There's even a feature that detects an oncoming vehicle at night, automatically dipping Maxi Crew's high beam in response.

The stereo/comms system features Bluetooth connectivity but is limited to two front speakers.

Maxi Crew's 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel is said to produce 81kW at 4000rpm and 240Nm at 1750rpm. On the road it's a fairly steady-as-she-goes performer, getting the job done without fuss or fanfare. I'd like to see a little more grunt off the bottom end while an extended climb up the Western Freeway necessitates a couple of downshifts to hold the 110km/h limit, but it is an LCV and in this respect Renault's claim of 4.7L/100km (combined) is the headline. Having said that, after a day of heading up hill and down dale, Crew's trip computer was indicating 6.1L/100km – that's with a 100kg load and a few adults on board.

In any case, it's a frugal thing and its economy is enhanced by its 'ECO' mode, which reduces torque and alters the accelerator pedal mapping to achieve a claimed fuel saving of up to 10 per cent. It noticeably reduces the vehicle's sparkle, as it were, but will pay dividends during the metro-bound working week.

The brakes are strong and provide adequate feedback while the six-speed manual shifts smoothly, aided by the light clutch.

Sitting in the second row of seating sees the ambience shift from 'car' to 'LCV', with plenty of steel around the pop-out-hinged windows in the sliding doors, and fixed seat-belt anchor points. There's plenty of legroom, however, and plenty of space in general – it's fine for day trips, if a little Spartan for family trips away, where the lack of a cargo barrier in this version should also be taken into consideration.

The sliding doors have a wide aperture for easy access and the seats fold completely flat to better accommodate a load. Maxi Crew has 1.3 cubic metres of load space with the rear seats up and 4.0 cubic metres with them folded down – it's a good amount of room to take up to its maximum payload of 740kg, while the barn-style rear doors in no way impinge on the access width.

The front passenger seat doesn't quite fold flat but with it down, the Maxi Crew can handle items up to 2.88m long.

A durable synthetic rubber mat sits over the bare steel floor and there are eight well-placed anchor points to help secure a load. The wheel arches offer minimal intrusion and there is a dedicated side light, although two would be better.

Maxi Crew's low 1.8m height won't offend in multi-storey carparks, where its small 10.7m turning circle will also be appreciated.

Savvy buyers will also be attracted to Maxi Crew's 15,000km service intervals, Renault's Capped Price Service Program, and standard three-year/200,000km warranty, with three years of roadside assistance.

While this drive served only as a quick first taste of Kangoo Maxi Crew's charms, it amply demonstrated the broad flexibility of the concept. Based on this first look, Kangoo Maxi Crew seems well positioned to add to Renault's current LCV momentum.

2014 Renault Kangoo Maxi Crew pricing and specifications:
Price: $27,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 81kW/240Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Fuel: 4.7L/100km (Combined Renault claim)