Press Release
WELL-BEING AND COMFORT IN EVERY SEAT
New Kangoo focuses on well-being, shared enjoyment, and travelling comfort. Many of Kangoo’s features have been upgraded, while its exceptional roominess enhances the cabin space experience.
A very automotive world
What is most striking about New Kangoo is its interior space. Its cabin feels bright and spacious thanks to its extensive glazed area. A people carrier made for families, New Kangoo can comfortably accommodate five adults. It has grown 18 cm in length compared to its predecessor and that increase has been lavished on interior space. With 118 mm more elbow room than Kangoo, New Kangoo now provides three fully-fledged seating spaces in the rear. The plentiful leg-room, which is on a par with what is on offer in Vel Satis, is the best in its class at 210mm – 43mm more than Kangoo. Drivers and front-seat passengers also enjoy elbow room that allows the most freedom of movement on the market: 1510 mm, which is 90mm more than Kangoo.
With comfort and quality still the prime concerns, New Kangoo has been treated to a totally reworked dashboard. It adds style, modernity, and carefully considered ergonomic design. Instrumentation is modern, and some trim levels add a touch of class with chrome rims for the binnacles. The very short stalk controls and steering-wheel controls for the radio & CD player fall naturally to hand. For superior comfort, radio and navigation data displays (which come as an option) can be remote-controlled (in some trim levels). Dash data displays are shaded by prominent cowlings so that they are easily legible even in bright light. Special attention has been lavished on the quality and finish of materials. Even the dashboard’s various pillars and beams have been faced with trim.
Ergonomic considerations were uppermost in the design of the driver’s position in order to ensure optimum comfort. The gear control is located in the central console and falls naturally to hand. The height of the driver’s seat can be adjusted by up to 20mm. Its benefits are further enhanced by a footrest – a new ergonomic addition which optimises driver comfort. New Kangoo’s driver’s position is identical to that of an MPV. The seats have been entirely overhauled and redesigned to provide excellent support and comfort. In some trim levels seat backrests are fitted with trays. New Kangoo boasts an original, aircraft-style hand brake – a carry-over from the Mégane philosophy, which helps free up a huge volume of space between the seats. Also for reasons of ergonomic design and comfort, the electric window controls are now located on the door elbow-rests. Finally, to ease access to the rear seats, the two sliding side doors2 open to a width of 635mm.
New Kangoo focuses on the shared ride experience down to the most minute details. The optional interior communication mirror, located in the console of the stowage rack, truly bridges the gap between front and rear occupants. Thanks to its rounded surface front-seat occupants can communicate more effectively with those in the back seat, particularly children, without having to adjust the regular rear-view mirror.
At the rear is an optional feature that is entirely without precedent in the leisure utility segment - electric windows that slip entirely out-of-sight into the sliding side doors. Also designed to improve ergonomics is the location of the electric window control: in the centre pillar’s facing trim. Some trim levels also provide rear passengers with a 12V plug socket, at the base of the central console where the elbow rest is located.
Thermal and acoustic comfort levels unprecedented in the segment
New Kangoo provides standards of thermal and acoustic comfort that are worthy of an MPV. Firstly, it benefits from automatic climate control in some trim levels. Its air-conditioning performance is remarkable, whether measured in terms of how fast or how quietly it operates. Thermal comfort is evenly distributed between the front and rear of the car thanks to the system’s architecture, which has outlets at the feet of each passenger.
As for acoustics, New Kangoo has reaped the benefits of Renault’s achievements in the field. Its underbody has been specially engineered to attain the highest standards of acoustic performance. A material that swells to fill cavities has been inserted in the box sections to absorb noise and vibrations from the powertrain and the outside. Fifteen-millimetre-thick absorbent felt pads the wheel arches, floorpan, and boot space underlay mats to prevent noise from propagating. Taken as a whole, these different measures bring gains of 3dB in high- octave frequencies – the equivalent of a noise reduction of 50%. New Kangoo’s engine cradle is specially insulated from noise, which reduces vibration and increases steering precision.
