Matt Brogan•23 Jul 2014
REVIEW
Renault Kangoo Maxi Crew 2014 Long-term Review - 2
Mixed duties prove no match for Renault’s kitsch-looking cargo carrier, but would I own one?Renault Kangoo Maxi Crew
Long-Term Test (Update)
As long-term test cars go, the motoring.com.au crew usually pilot an array of hatches and SUVs familiar to the suburban driveway. Taking the Renault Kangoo Maxi Crew home for the weekend, I found that not only was I the odd one out in the street-front credibility stakes, but also in the midst of some weird kind of vehicular moral dilemma.
As an SUV owner myself, and the resident of a street home to no fewer than nine high-riding wagons (not bad considering there are only 19 homes in my street), the Kangoo looked, well, a little out of place. Kind of like the proverbial sore thumb, or dare I say, dog’s bollocks.
But as the weekend repertoire of trips to the hardware store cum nursery, runs to the supermarket and various family errands began to elapse, the Kangoo inaugurated itself as a valuable member of the household – and one we soon found, quite oddly, very practical.
Not only is the large cargo area an absolute bonus when you find your trolley full of things you never knew you needed, it’s also at a great height for the loading and unloading of heavy items. Being ‘vertically challenged’, I often find the load height of our SUV to be difficult when weighty items are to be carried, especially when they’re of a cumbersome or irregular shape (big thanks to aunty for the heavier-than-lead concrete pot plants).
The cabin area is equally commodious. It’s only a short step-up to the floor, which was a boon for old and little legs alike. Both noted that the eye-height side windows were great for looking out of, while junior nephews seemed enthralled with the novelty of riding in a van.
Now, novelty might be one thing to a pair of hyperactive eight-year-olds, but to grown-ups it can be seen as, well, just plain weird. The Kangoo is a kitsch looking beastie, and one that certainly scores you some pretty weird looks just about every time you step out of it in public. It seems we’ve all become quite familiar with the sight of a hatch or SUV, and the LCV, no matter how practical, is something that is shunned by most; hence the aforementioned ‘dilemma’.
You see the more time I spent in the Kangoo, the more practical it became. It’s small enough to park just about anywhere, is easy to manoeuvre and has more useable space inside than my ‘large’ seven-seat SUV. It’s also quieter than I expected, surprisingly peppy (excusing the briefest of step-off lag) and remarkably fuel efficient. Renault claims 4.7L/100km on the combined cycle and in spite of running around the ‘burbs for most of the weekend, I managed just 6.7L/100km, according to the trip computer.
But are these reasons, all be they very good ones, enough to convert me from socially-accepted SUV owner to quirky van driver? I think not. As undeniable as the little Kangoo and its multi-talented approach to mixed duties might well be, the aspersions cast in the gaze of my fellow suburbanites is just too hard to ignore.
And it’s this ‘safety in numbers’ mentality that is likely to be the Kangoo’s worst enemy.
As a vehicle fit for an impressively vast variety of tasks the Kangoo Maxi Crew makes a heck of a lot of sense. It’s kind on the hip pocket, a hit with the kids and useful well beyond the capabilities of any ute or SUV when sampled in the ‘weekend’ setting. But I just couldn’t bring myself to be the trend-setter in a society where your metal speaks volumes of your status.
Yes, that’s a pretty poor reflection on my need for social acceptance (and that of my family’s), but I dare say I’m not the only one. You’ve only got to look at how popular the Skoda Roomster was to validate this point, and it’s this very hurdle that I feel will hold the Kangoo back from becoming a family favourite... well, that and the asking price. But that’s a story for another day.
Related reading:
2014 Make Model Type 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 (ADR Combined)
CO2: 123g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: N/A
| What we liked: | Not so much: |
| >> Capable ride/handling blend | >> Step-off lag in stop-start traffic |
| >> Outstanding fuel consumption | >> List price is getting up there |
| >> Quieter cab than many rivals | >> Odd-to-operate technology |
Tags
Renault
Car Reviews
People Mover
Family Cars
Tradie Cars
Written byMatt Brogan
Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalists
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Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
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