The all-new Renault Kangoo van has won the International Van of the Year award (IVOTY) 2022, decided by a panel of 24 European journalists.
Renault’s latest innovative van was recognised as the best light commercial vehicle (LCV) out of 14 such vehicles released over the past 12 months.
The award was presented during the Solutrans trade fair in Lyon, France.
The Pan-European jury of 24 leading journalists specialising in commercial, industrial, and transport vehicles, placed Renault’s latest van in front of 14 light commercial vehicles from 11 different brands that have also been released in recent months.
For the IVOTY jury, the main criteria are the vehicles’ contribution to the efficiency, safety, sustainability and environmental standards of the light commercial vehicle sector.
This is the fourth time that a Renault commercial vehicle has won the IVOTY award: Master (1998), Trafic (2002), and Kangoo Z.E. (2012).
One of the new Kangoo’s standout features is the ‘Open Sesame by Renault’ side door where the absence of a B-pillar allows for a large right-hand side door opening spanning 1.45m – claimed to be the largest side access portal in the LCV market.
Another notable innovation is the ‘Easy Inside Rack’, a retractable interior rack to safely store long objects close to the ceiling for more efficient use of the 3.9m3 of storage capacity.
Along with a braked towing capacity of 1,500kg, Kangoo’s standard payload capacity of 600kg can be optionally increased to 800kg.
Power comes from a range of fuel-efficient 1.3 TCe petrol and 1.5 Blue dCi diesel engines, coupled with either six-speed manual or seven-speed EDC automatic transmissions, as well as two Ecoleader diesel and petrol engines with claimed fuel consumption figures of 4.8L/100km and 6.1L/100km respectively.
The new Kangoo’s interior is described as modern, refined, and ergonomic with improved thermal and acoustic comfort, 60L of storage space and optional seating for up to three adults.
This configuration allows the centre backrest to be folded down, turning it into a vestigial work desk.
State-of-the-art connectivity is provided by the new Renault EASY LINK multimedia system featuring an 8.0-inch display, Smartphone docking station, 15W wireless charger, Renault hands-free keycard for easy and secure access, as well as two each of USB and 12-volt power sockets.
Safety features include Permanent Rear-View Assist, Active Emergency Braking, Trailer Swing Assist, along with the Motorway and Trafic Companion package that brings together Adaptive Cruise Control with Lane Keeping Assist.
According to Renault, the Kangoo van, which is manufactured at the company’s Maubeuge facility in the north of France, is aimed primarily at corporate fleets, tradespeople and business owners looking for a tailor-made vehicle that boasts the latest technology and innovation to suit their business needs.
Since 1997, the factory in Maubeuge has been the flagship production site for the Kangoo.
Renault invested $699.4 million to transform the site, installing a new High Speed XXL press line for stamping very large panels, 630 sheet metal robots, new application robots and a new paint quality control line.
The factory was also equipped with a new battery assembly workshop to prepare for the arrival of the new Kangoo electric model, which is set to hit the market in 2022.
Since Kangoo’s launch in 1997, Renault has produced 4.3 million units worldwide – in both passenger and utility vehicle versions – across three generations.
With Maubeuge as the main production facility, Kangoo was also manufactured at the Santa Isabel factory in Córdoba, Argentina.