Van of the Year 2023: Renault Kangoo
The Renault Kangoo is the 2023 Auto Express Van of the Year, with the Fiat Ducato and Toyota Corolla Commercial commended
It has been a long time coming to the UK, but the arrival of the all-new Renault Kangoo was worth the wait, because it improves on its predecessor in every conceivable area. And that’s why it’s our 2023 Van of the Year.
On the outside, the latest Kangoo has a bolder look, with wide-set headlights and a familiar Renault badge on the nose. A narrower glass area adds some dynamism, but this doesn’t come at the expense of cargo carrying.
There’s 3.3 cubic metres of space in the standard Kangoo, while the Maxi model has a longer wheelbase and body to create 4.2 cubic metres. Cargo weights of a tonne are available in the Maxi van, too.
Twin sliding side doors are fitted as standard to help with access, while twin rear doors are also included. Renault offers practical extras for the cargo bay, including its Easy Inside Rack, which is mounted to the underside of the roof and allows long, flat items such as ladders to be stored securely out of sight, rather than on a roof rack.
The cab is spacious enough to offer the option of a twin passenger seat, while the Kangoo can be had with the latest driver and safety assist systems from Renault’s passenger car line-up.
Petrol, diesel and electric drive are offered. The Blue dCi models return official economy of up to 53.3mpg, while the Kangoo E-Tech has a quoted 186 miles of electric range and fast recharging from 20-80 per cent capacity in 40 minutes. Overall, the Kangoo has everything that a small-van buyer could possibly need.
Our choice
Renault Kangoo ML19 Blue dCi 95 Advance (£21,150 ex. VAT)
The Kangoo is great value in Advance guise, which features kit such as smartphone connectivity, a two-seat passenger bench, rear parking sensors and a Thatcham-approved alarm. Renault is currently offering a three-year/60,000-mile service plan with selected finance offers, too.
Commended
Last year’s class winner still holds all the cards in the large-van sector, with a wide range of panel van styles and cargo weights, plus a variety of chassis-cab conversion options, too. As with the Kangoo, the option of electric drive is the icing on the cake for Fiat Professional’s big cargo carrier.
If you don’t need the space offered by a van, but could do with something more utilitarian than an estate, then the Corolla Commercial could fit the bill. Apart from the large, flat cargo area, the Commercial is identical to our Estate Car of the Year in terms of comfort, performance and efficiency.
You’ll find all the information on our New Car Awards 2023 winners and the reasons why we chose them on these pages. Just follow the links below to read more…
New Car Awards 2023: the winners
Special edition of Auto Express
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