Renault’s Kangoo van wins IVOTY!
Would you not love to have an IVOTY? Probably yes, because IVOTY stands for International Van of the Year. This title is awarded by a panel of European motoring journalists to the best light commercial vehicle (LCV) released over the past twelve months. The new Renault Kangoo came first in a tough field of 14 LCVs across 11 different brands.
The main criteria to choose the IVOTY are a vehicle’s contribution to efficiency, safety, sustainability and environmental standards in the LCV sector.
This is the fourth IVOTY award for Renault, following the Master (1008), Trafic (2002) and Kangoo Z.E. (2012).
The new Kangoo is a very clever LCV. It has an Open Sesame side door, where the absence of the B-pillar makes a huge 1.45m door opening, the largest in the LCV sector.
The Easy Inside Rack is a retractable interior shelf to store long objects close to the ceiling and maximise the 3.9m3 storage capacity.
In front, the Kangoo has optional seating for three adults, and this configuration allows the central backrest to be folded down and used as a small work desk. The cabin is ergonomic and people-friendly, with an 8-inch multimedia display, smartphone docking port, 15W wireless charger, hands-free keycard and two USB ports and two 12V sockets.
The safety features are more than generous for an LCV, with rear-view assist, active emergency braking, trailer swing assist, adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist.
The Kangoo has a braked towing capacity of 1 500kg and the standard payload of 600kg can be boosted to 800kg.
There are a number of fuel-efficient engine and transmission options available. There are the 1.3TCe petrol and 1.5 Blue dCi diesel with a choice of a six-speed manual or seven-speed EDC auto. You can also opt for either the Ecoleader diesel and petrol engines, which uses 4.8L/100km and 6.1L/100km respectively.
The Kangoo is manufactured at the Maubeuge plant in Northern France and the Santa Isabel factory in Córdoba, Argentina. The Maubeuge factory was recently equipped with a new battery assembly section for the Kangoo EV, due for release in 2022.
We do not yet know if or when we will get the new Kangoo, but you will know as soon as we do if you to our newsletter.
