The Renault Kangoo and Kangoo Express are panel van and leisure activity vehicle produced by French automaker Renault since 1997. The Kangoo is manufactured in the MCA plant in Maubeuge, France, and in Santa Isabel, Argentina. The version for the ASEAN markets was assembled by the Tan Chong Euro Cars Sdn. Bhd. (TCEC) in its Segambut plant. The model was also sold by Nissan in Latin America and Europe as the Kubistar until late 2009 in Europe, when it was replaced by the Nissan NV200. The first generation Kangoo was introduced in 1997. It was facelifted in 2003, resulting in a Phase II model. The Phase II vehicles are distinguished by their new nose styling, standardised across the Renault range, with the Renault diamond mounted on a body colour panel in the centre of the grille and teardrop headlamps. The rear windows and seats of the Kangoo could be removed, producing the panel van Kangoo Express. The Kangoo became popular with the mobility-impaired and wheelchair users due to its height and accessibility and because it could be adapted to include mounting points for wheelchairs. Both the Kangoo and Kangoo Express were available in four-wheel drive versions and a lengthened version was also available, with an increased cargo area. A pickup truck version was sold in the Swedish market. In some countries, such as Malaysia, the Kangoo was assembled by Nissan with a third row of 3 seats. The Kangoo Break'Up was a four wheel drive concept car announced in 2002 and previewed the 2003 facelift design, together with a pick-up style rear. It was powered by 1.6 L engine producing 110bhp.
The 4WD version of the Kangoo was introduced in 2002 and was marketed under the model name Trekka. It should not be confused with the Skoda-powered New Zealand built utility vehicle named Trekka, which was marketed in the Antipodes for several years around 1970 . The Kangoo Trekka's all-wheel drive system differed from the Renault Scenic RX4 in its inclusion of a Nissan sourced automatic torque coupling "ATC", a hydraulic coupling that would engage drive on all four wheels should the front wheels start to lose traction. This still allowed the Kangoo Trekka to run in front wheel drive in most conditions, saving fuel. Working in combination with the ATC, the Kangoo Trekka also featured an electronically controlled "ASR" traction control system which could brake the front wheels to arrest traction loss. The suspension was similar to the standard Kangoo only strengthened and raised to provide more ground clearance and wheel travel. These changes gave the Kangoo Trekka a 400 mm (15.7 in) fording depth and 28-degree hill-climbing capability. The Kangoo Trekka was marketed in the United Kingdom with a choice of two engines, the 1.6-litre 16-valve petrol engine and the 1.9-litre dCi common-rail turbodiesel. In 2005 these models were priced at £12,600 and £13,600 respectively. The Diesel produced a peak torque of 133 lb·ft (180 N·m) and returned over 40 mpg-imp (7 L/100 km; 33 mpg-US) on the combined (urban and extra urban) fuel consumption test. The petrol engine had a 0-60 mph time of 14.3 seconds and a combined fuel consumption of 31.4 mpg-imp (9.0 L/100 km; 26.1 mpg-US). The interior of the Kangoo Trekka was spartan and easy to clean. The rear bench seat could be folded forward to provide a 2,500-litre (88 cu ft) loading area to which sliding side doors provided good access.
The New Renault Kangoo and New Renault Kangoo Express were the new generation light commercial vehicle (LCV) in Renault's lineup. Based on the Scenic and manufactured in Maubeuge, sales began in January 2008. The Kangoo van is often used by La Poste, the national postal service of France. The Kangoo has 4 bodystyles: the Kangoo Compact, the Kangoo Van, the Kangoo Van Maxi, and the Kangoo Van Maxi Crew Van. The Kangoo Compact is used for smaller deliveries with a payload 500 kg, while the Kangoo Van is used for larger deliveries and has a payload of 650 or 800 kg. The Kangoo Van Maxi has the most payload of 800 kg and the Kangoo Van Maxi Crew Van has a maximum floor length of 1.33 meters. As part of its Z.E. electric car initiative, Renault has developed a Kangoo Express Z.E. model that will be manufactured at its Maubeuge plant. A planned Renault battery plant near Paris that will supply batteries for the vehicle was delayed due to technical constraints. Construction will start in the second quarter of 2012 and production of batteries is expected to be delayed to 2014 or 2015. Instead, Renault will have to buy batteries from a joint venture between Nissan Motor and NEC, and from LG Chem of South Korea. Customers in several countries can pre-reserve models at the Renault-ZE website with an expected release in 2011. European pricing is €20,000 before any government incentives and excluding VAT (€15,000 excluding VAT and including a tax incentive subsidy of €5,000). In addition to buying or leasing the vehicle there is a separate monthly subscription costing from €72 (excluding VAT) for the battery. Filling up' on energy (160 km) for Kangoo Express Z.E. will cost between one and two euros, depending on the local price of electricity (kWh). The Kangoo Express Z.E. has the same dimensions as the internal combustion model. It uses a synchronous electric motor with rotor coil. Its peak power is 44 kW (59 hp) at 10,500rpm, while maximum torque is 226 N·m (167 ft·lbf). Its top speed is capped electronically to 130 km/h (81 mph). The vehicle is powered by a 22 kW·h lithium-ion battery pack.