Test drive by Renault Kangoo 1997 - 2003 Minivan

Useful volume

Small distorted vans have always been popular among merchants, salesmen and various artisans. But this does not mean at all that this vehicle is suitable only for transporting goods. Being, for example, the only car in the family, a hard worker who, as a rule, performs the functions of Vladimir heavy truck, can also be used as just a large car for family needs.

 

The Renault Kangoo single -collar, who debuted a year ago at a car dealership in Barcelona, \u200b\u200bwas clearly made at the peak of the identical to each other Peugeot Partner and Citroen Berlingo Multispace. Therefore, when the renault van came to us on the test, we reasonably decided to use one of the machines mentioned as a background. It was easier to get Partner. This model (in the cargo -passenger version - with windows and the second row of seats) has already visited our test (motor #7, 1997). This time we took a purely cargo version.

 

Kangoo and Partner were surprisingly similar to each other. The appearance of Partner, however, is more conservative, but the main thing in this case is still the insides. The same engines and carrying capacity, very similar equipment of the salons and the design of pendants, steering, brake systems ... Plus, both of these French women were white.

 

From the side, both cars seem tiny (apparently due to unusual proportions), but you just have to see the half-meter air layer of the head of the one who sits at the wheel, as everything immediately falls into place.

 

Renault Kangoo is a new machine for Moscow. Looking at her playful appearance, one cannot but notice that it was created with an eye on the very popular Renault R4. The name causes associations with a kangaroo, but the car itself is completely different from this beast. Rather - on a hamster or chipmunk. The abundance of funny body surgery helps to revive the image of the image. Original, stretched over the rear vertical faces of the body and highly raised lanterns - not only a design sophistication, but also care for passive safety.

 

The car is equipped with a transversely located gasoline, with fuel injection, a 4-cylinder power unit with a volume of 1.4 liters and a 5-speeded gearbox. The hood rests forward, which, let's say, did not really like it - excluded access to the engine from the most convenient side. On top, the motor is covered with a flat protective casing. Beauty may be saved by the world, but at the same time complicate the service - this is certainly. At the end of the engine, there is a non -defended pulley for the drive of the absent pump of the power steering of the steering rack.

 

Behind the high plastic front bumper are hidden by massive corrugated energy -absorbing spars. In general, taking care of security touches. A skeleton of metal-shapes passes throughout the body, protective elements are inserted into the door ... Safety belts are adjustable, for additional money you can get a couple of airbags.

 

The look from below revealed the traditional torsion rear suspension with longitudinal levers and Macpherson in front of the Renault. Some details of the front axle were rusty. Strange- the car is completely new ... We also saw the wonderful protection of the engine and the gas and brake tubes stretching under the bottom. Russian buyers will surely like this. Front disc and rear drum brakes are quite archaic and also traditional solution for the French. We came across a copy without ABS - in this case, it is an option.

 

The cargo compartment is so high that there was a young lady of medium height - with a mournful bowing of her head and slightly bending his knees. And in length and width it is even larger! For the sake of the experiment, we drove 10 people into it - and they were free there! The main purpose of the van is to carry goods, so the walls of the compartment are completely deaf, without windows, and the floor is absolutely even. Behind the back of the left seat - from the floor to the ceiling - two massive pipes are stretched (so that when sharply braking, some walking box does not spoil the mood of the driver). The right seat can be removed, which will increase the volume of already not a small cargo compartment.

 

Having moved the seats forward, between the polics of the passenger and cargo units, you can find two impressive sizes of the box, in which it is convenient to hide interchangeable shoes, specialists or drugs.

 

The equipment of the driver’s workplace is scarce, but not wretched. Gray plastic torpedo harmonizes well with white body panels and a gray-blue fibrous upholstery of seats. The entire upper side of the panel is concave and performs the functions of the shelf. There are few devices to the funny. In the center of the composition is a switch speedometer with an electronic outnight of the odometer -hour, on the left and right - giant scales of the thermometer and fuel. Everybody. Control bulbs will be told about otherwise.

 

Around the dashboard are the deflectors of the ducts of the stove, which is controlled by three rotating handles (speed, temperature and stream distribution). There is no air conditioning. Above the stove is a nest for a receiver. A chubby, without a pillow of safety (option) The steering wheel slightly blocks the devices. There are two levers under it, which are responsible for the wipers, spray, turn signals, headlights and a crax. Sometimes, after rebuilding from a row, the turn signals have to be turned off forcibly.

 

Near the left knee - the corrector of the headlight position. As in any truck, correction is needed here so that when completely loading, do not blind drivers of oncoming cars. The mirrors and windows drive will have to be controlled by means of muscle force.

 

The chairs are harsh, but thanks to their profile they are convenient. Adjustments - minimum: do not relax at work!

 

Handing back, you cast a look at the salon mirror out of habit. And he is not here - the back door is deaf! Scary with habit. What is done on the left and visa and right, see, is remarkably visible into the side mirrors, but, for example, a tree standing behind, a tree is determined only by the characteristic sound of a crushing metal. Kangoo partner in the test in this regard is more convenient. Its window is highly located in the back door is not the limit of dreams, but still helps to get some idea of \u200b\u200bthe situation from behind.

 

Kangoo pedals and steering are much softer and more informative than Partner. They both behave on the go almost in group, but Kangoo is clearly more temperamental. The maximum torque of its engine is somewhere in the area of \u200b\u200baverage revolutions. The traction motor allows you to slowly roll in the fifth gear. Switching is clearly happening, only the spring of the box lever resists when the 1st and 2nd gears are turned on.

 

A short, nimble car is perfect for traveling around the city, allowing you to go through the sly, and from unpleasant consequences of unwanted contacts it is protected by rubber overlays on the sides. True, at first there are difficulties with determining the front dimensions - this is the fault of a short humpbacked hood, not visible from the place of the driver, even if you specially stretch your neck.

 

Hard suspensions of both machines are designed to transport 800 kg of healthy cargo and, in the absence of a load, perfectly transmit the driver's information about the road relief. But with a load - comfort, as in a limousine!

 

Probably the main difference between the vans is in the convenience of loading them. In the crowd metropolis, it is not always possible to successfully park the car. And here, of course, Kangoo looks preferable. Its cargo compartment has two doors - the right shift and rear swing, the left sash of which is much wider than the right. Partner can contrast this with only one swing back - with two identical wings.

 

In Kangoo, all four doors and a gas tank hatch unlock with one key, it is also the ignition key key. The doors of the cargo compartment from the inside have handles - probably for the independent exit of the loader forgotten by everyone.

 

There are several options for equipping the van. There is a version with a rising back door; There is with a swing and at the same time - with a leaning back of the roof; There is with a mesh septum behind the driver ... In some machines, there are shelves above the head of the latter, and electric windows are also offered as options; automatic machines of maintaining the temperature regime of the stove; Glass weakening solar radiation and, as already noted, airbags and ABS.

 

It is too early to evaluate the reliability of the Kangoo, for the year of operation (18,000 km), Partner had to change the oil once (there was not an old carbon fucker) and replace the bushing of a transverse stabilizer after a meeting with an open sewer hatch.

 

During the test, in a pause, a peasant approached Renault Kangoo and, after an attentive examination, asked, putting his finger at the cargo compartment: and this for music, or something?. However, thought.

 

Alexey Strelkov
 
 

 

A source: Motor magazine [No. 10/1998]