Maxi Appeal as Renault stretches Kangoo LCV in Two Directions at Once

VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA – Marc 1, 2013: Renault Australia is providing even more value for light commercial van buyers with the debut of the long wheelbase Maxi model in 2013. A new short wheelbase manual transmission petrol model joins the Kangoo range, bringing the entry pricing down to $20,990. At the same time the specification of the petrol automatic model is revised to reflect a new, lower, starting price of $22,990.

The new Renault Kangoo Maxi turbo-diesel model is powered by a 25% more powerful version of the proven and frugal four-cylinder previously employed, now developing 82kW and 240Nm of torque. The Renault Kangoo Maxi also delivers 33% more cargo capacity at 4.0 cubic metres, and 25% more carrying capacity (800kg vs 650kg).

The Kangoo Maxi is 384mm longer than the short wheelbase turbo-diesel model it replaces, and shifts up a gear to offer six manually selected speeds.

The Renault Kangoo Maxi continues the tradition of delivering excellent fuel economy; with a combined fuel use figure of just 5.5-litres per 100km.

There are sliding doors on either side as standard, and twin barn doors on the rear, though a tailgate is available as an affordable option.

The Renault Kangoo Maxi starts at a manufacturer’s recommended retail price of $24,990, (which does not include stamp duty or other on road costs).

Joining the new Renault Kangoo Maxi in the 2013 Kangoo family is a light and smooth shifting five-speed manual gearbox for the new 1.6-litre petrol short wheelbase entry model. Fuel consumption is a meagre 7.7-litres per 100km.

This new short wheelbase petrol manual Kangoo also comes with a highly competitive manufacturer’s recommended retail price of $20,990 plus on road and statutory charges. This makes it one of the most affordable light vans on the market.

It offers the same 3.0-cubic metre carrying capacity and a 650kg payload as the existing automatic transmission petrol-powered version. Dual side sliding doors are now standard fit on all new Kangoos.

In addition to the productivity and convenience enhancing dual side sliding doors, the Kangoo range is now supplied with unpainted bumpers front and rear, to better cope with the bump and grind of urban delivery duties. Small plastic wheel centre caps, and unpainted, manual door mirrors, are also fitted in order to meet market expectations for affordable replacement parts.

Bumpers, wheels and door mirrors are the most often damaged components, so by reverting to unpainted bumpers, deleting wheel covers and painted mirror backs, Renault is able to replace damaged components quickly and very affordably, reducing downtime for operators.

Renault has also developed two option packs to give customers plenty of choice in their vehicle’s specification.

The new Pro Pack costs $2,000 and adds integrated satellite navigation, rear park assist, AS4034 compliant cargo barrier and cargo area plastic lining (for wall and floor).

The Premium Pack has an RRP of $3,000 and features integrated satellite navigation, rear park assist, side airbags, body colour bumpers, fog lamps, height-adjustable driver’s seat, electric door mirrors and a non-slip timber floor. Petrol models add 15-inch light alloy wheels with the

Premium Pack, while the turbo-diesel Maxi has full wheel covers on steel rims.

Many of these features remain available as individual options. The unique ‘Girafon’ sliding roof flap, a glazed tailgate, glazed sliding doors or delete sliding doors are also available as individual customer-order options.

“The arrival of the new Renault Kangoo Maxi opens up many additional possibilities for us in the light commercial market,” said Lyndon Healey, LCV Brand Manager at Renault Australia.

“Plus, the repositioning of the automatic transmission petrol model and a new entry manual transmission petrol model mean that we are able to deliver what our market has told us it wants.

“We enjoyed a very successful year in 2012, with LCV sales up more than 98%. 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.

“By creating two option packs we are giving customers a very affordable way to equip these vehicles to ideally match their needs. We took on board comments from customers and prospects when we created the specification of these new vehicles, and so we are confident these newcomers will continue the success of the Kangoo in Australia.

“The Kangoo offers very high levels of driver comfort because it is built on a passenger car chassis, and with its frugal and efficient engines, it keeps customer satisfaction high, and running costs low.

“We have also just made Capped Price Servicing at $349 per scheduled service for three years a regular feature of the Renault LCV line up, so when coupled with our three year/200,000km factory warranty and our ever-expanding dealer network, we expert to see many more business operators than ever selecting a Renault Kangoo for their urban delivery duties,” he said.

“Meanwhile, in Europe, Renault continued its unbroken 15-year run as the best-selling LCV brand at the end of 2012. We will be leveraging all this market-leading know-how to ensure that our LCV customers in Australia understand exactly why Renault is Europe’s best-loved LCV brand.