2011 Renault Kangoo available in Australia

The Renault Kangoo has enjoyed huge sales success in Europe for years, and is home to over 1.5 million customers. This new model is based on the Renault Scenic platform though, so it's less 'industrial' in comfort levels compared with rivals while still offering plenty of rear space and an 800kg payload (diesel).

It's available with either a diesel or petrol engine, too, so it's quite versatile depending on your requirements. The 1.5-litre turbo-diesel engine is the most economical of the two, capable of providing fuel consumption figures of just 5.2 litres per 100km. It's also friendly to the environment, emitting just 137g/km CO2.

The 1.6-litre petrol engine is no wallet-hungry petrol-guzzler either. It's capable of providing fuel consumption figures of 8.3L/100km. The petrol engine is the more powerful of the two though and outputs 78kW of power and 148Nm of torque, compared with the diesel's 63kW and 200Nm.

Engine performance is one aspect, but cargo space is where this car shines. With the two seats in the upright position, the Kangoo offers a rear compartment depth of 1731mm and a width of 1218mm between the rear wheel arches. There's also a kerb-side sliding door that opens wide enough to swallow objects 635mm wide.

Safety-wise, the Kangoo comes with ABS brakes, driver's airbag, electronic brake distribution and emergency brake assist. Other comforts include an MP3 compatible stereo system, Bluetooth connectivity and cruise control.

The Renault Kangoo is available now at $25,990 drive away, with either the petrol engine and a four-speed automatic gearbox or the diesel version fitted with a five-speed manual.