Volkswagen Caddy VS Renault Kangoo
Volkswagen Caddy
Likes
- Nice to drive – for a van
- Comfortable
- Handy camping additions
Dislikes
- AWD would be nice
- Issues with bed set-up
- Not enough handy camping additions
Renault Kangoo
Likes
- Spacious cabin
- Half-tonne payload
- 1500kg towing
Dislikes
- No ANCAP rating
- No full-size spare
- No stays to hold barn-doors at 180-degrees opening
Summary
Volkswagen Caddy
The universal appeal of road-tripping with a vehicle that offers an all-in-one solution to car camping has been growing enormously in recent years.
“What’s car camping?”, I hear you ask. Well, I’m talking about staying overnight or longer in a vehicle that affords you the ability to sleep in, eat in, and perhaps even cook in it.
As such, self-styled camper vans have gained an even bigger foothold in the market in recent years than they had in the years prior to the global pandemic, even though some of these vehicles, like this new VW Caddy California Maxi, don’t offer cooking facilities. That doesn’t seem to faze many (any?) current or potential owners of camper vans, or mini camper vans, or even those who like the idea of car camping, much more than actually ever doing it.
This five-seater van certainly looks the part and fits in with the #vanlife philosophy, but is it worth your consideration in such a variety-packed camper van market? Read on.
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | — |
| Fuel Type | Diesel |
| Fuel Efficiency | 4.9L/100km |
| Seating | — |
Renault Kangoo
Small commercial vans (Under 2.5-tonne GVM) are well suited to full electric drivetrains. Given their relatively small payload ratings and external dimensions, these vans are ideal for light short-haul deliveries in congested urban settings, as they can easily negotiate narrow city laneways and squeeze into tight delivery parking zones. And all with zero tailpipe emissions.
French manufacturers are spearheading small electric vans in Australia, with Peugeot having introduced its E-Partner in 2023 belatedly followed in mid-2024 by Renault with its new E-Tech based on its third-generation Kangoo.
We recently spent a week aboard the latest electrified Renault workhorse to see if it has what it takes to offer a compelling alternative to traditional petrol/diesel rivals.
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| Safety rating | — |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | — |
| Fuel Type | Electric |
| Fuel Efficiency | —L/100km |
| Seating | 2 seats |
Verdict
Volkswagen Caddy7/10
The appeal of a ready-made camper van is undeniable and the VW Caddy California comfortably occupies a niche within a niche.
This van is nice to drive but it also manages to be a functional and comfortable camper, albeit a very basic one.
There’s no getting around the fact that, while it does have a bed and a camp table and two chairs, it’s lacking cooking facilities and a fridge … and the list goes on.
This is perfectly fine if you intend to take the rest of your gear (portable stove, fridge etc) as carry-ons for infrequent nights away, but if your vehicle is going to be your camp for regular multi-day trips away then a lot of other approaches make more sense. You could, for instance, buy a 4WD or AWD wagon and a camper trailer. You might spend a little – or a lot – more than what you’d spend on this van alone, but your opportunities for adventure would be a whole lot more expansive.
In the end, it depends on what you want to do with it. This van is more than fit for purpose and it may well provide a more-than-great introduction to the adventure lifestyle for some.
Renault Kangoo7.8/10
This vehicle would be well suited to short-haul city and suburban working roles, given its zero tailpipe emissions, compact size, useful driving range, half-tonne payload and energetic performance.
Ideally, it would also have access to back-to-base overnight charging at home or depot rather than having to rely on the inconvenience of public charging, which could be a deal-breaker for some – along with its high purchase price.
Therefore, careful consideration should be given to determine if a petrol or electric Kangoo is best suited to your requirements and budget.
Design
Volkswagen Caddy
VW’s Caddy California looks good on the outside.
Its interior layout and the materials used – durable plastics on the dash etc. fabric seat covers, and sturdy carpet on the floor – are well suited to an outdoorsy lifestyle that will inevitably bring dirt, sand and mud into the interior at regular stages of the vehicle’s life.
The sliding doors either side – and the large opening when the rear tailgate is lifted – make the Caddy California a more versatile camper proposition than vehicles without those ingress points because the interior can be more readily accessed.
The folding bed, which sits behind the second-row bench seat, ready to be unfolded and used, is a handy addition and, as it’s supported on the vehicle body, that supposedly helps to make it easier to set up and pack down than it otherwise might be.
However, I had some difficulty in unfolding it all the way out flat, even with the front seats moved all the way forward. Perhaps with some more time and, dare I say it, patience, I could have managed better.
Also the fold-out struts, on the base of the bed and that are meant to slot into B-pillar recesses, seem a bit too flimsy for my liking, especially if the bed can be reasonably expected to cope with the weight of two adults. The mattress is not a particularly spongy one either – but, hey, camping should involve at least some degree of discomfort. Otherwise, why would some people describe it as “roughing it”? I jest – anyway, you could easily replace the standard mattress with something more substantial if you get the urge.
There are folding chairs and a table provided, although I’d be looking to the Aussie camping gear market for more sturdier examples of this kind of outdoors furniture, especially if you plan to put your equipment through regular and prolonged use.
Renault Kangoo
The SWB E-Tech rides on a 2716mm wheelbase with MacPherson strut front suspension, coil-spring rear suspension, rack and pinion steering and four-wheel disc brakes.
Its compact external dimensions of 4488mm length, 1859mm width and 1830mm height are well suited to space-restricted areas, albeit with a 11.3-metre turning circle that’s lineball with the shortest HiAce mid-sized van.
Externally the E-Tech appears well armoured for work duties, with its prominent use of unpainted dark grey plastic for the hubcaps, front and rear bumpers and along its flanks, to best deflect the bumps and scrapes often inflicted on these areas in hard-working vans.
Its contemporary exterior design is matched by an equally modern and work-focused interior, with two fabric-covered bucket seats, wipe-clean vinyl floors and a tasteful blend of grey and black surfaces that create a pleasant working environment.
The E-Tech’s unique instrument panel has a multi-function energy gauge in place of the rev-counter found in petrol models and its battery charging port is located behind the large Renault ‘diamond’ badge in the centre of the grille.
Practicality
Volkswagen Caddy
The Caddy California is a five-seater: two seats in the front and a three-seater bench seat as the second row.
Upfront, the driver and passenger seats are manually-adjustable for height, with four-way adjustable lumbar support, and tilt-and-depth adjustment on the seat cushion. They are cloth trim but feel adequately supportive and comfortable and have a height-adjustable centre armrest, stowage compartments and two drink holders.
There are storage spaces aplenty – including a dash with multiple stowage compartments, and an illuminated glove box – as well as two USB-C ports.
The digital cockpit is easy enough to use, as is the touchscreen multi-media unit and we had no strife setting up our smartphone for Apple CarPlay, and although the screen is on the wrong side of small, it’s clear and crisp enough to get a decent idea of what’s going on.
The second-row bench seat is a 2/3-1/3 split, and the second row can be folded, double-folded and removed separately. The two outboard passengers also get access to a folding table in each of the front seat-backs.
This second row of seats has ISOFIX child seat anchors in the two outboard seats and there are top tether points on all of these second-row seats.
The rear luggage compartment has a cover and there are storage bags fitted to the interior walls in the cargo area and also a 12-V outlet back there, as well as LED lights in tailgate.
Renault Kangoo
With its 1707kg tare weight and GVM 2230kg, the SWB E-Tech has a 523kg payload rating, so it’s a genuine half-tonner.
It’s also rated to tow up to 1500kg of braked trailer. And with its 3730kg GCM (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) it can haul its maximum payload while towing its maximum trailer weight, which is impressive.
The cargo bay, which offers 3.3 cubic metres of load volume, is accessed through sliding doors on each side with (by our measure) 625mm openings, or through asymmetric barn-doors at the rear. Both can be opened to 180-degrees to enhance forklift and loading dock access.
The load area is 1806mm long and 1590mm wide with 1248mm between the rear-wheel housings, so it can carry one standard Aussie pallet or two Euro pallets, held in place by a choice of six floor-mounted load-anchorage points.
A protective load floor-liner is available as an accessory, the walls and doors are lined to mid-height and there’s internal lighting.
The front doors open to a full 90 degrees, providing conspicuously wide access. The cabin has a spacious and airy feel, even for someone my height (186cm) thanks to a high roof height relative to the seating position, plus ample leg and elbow room.
The solid bulkhead, which doubles as a cargo barrier, insulates the cabin from most cargo bay noise and minimises demand on the climate control air-con, which thankfully provides three physical dials rather than the distraction of touchscreen prompts when adjusting settings.
Cabin storage includes a large bottle holder and bin in the base of each door, plus a sizeable clamshell-lidded compartment in the dash-pad ahead of the driver. This incorporates a handy smartphone holder, which can be moved to either side depending on driver preference.
There’s also a large open storage area in the centre of the dash-pad plus a full-width overhead shelf, single glovebox and a centre console containing two cupholders and open trays for small items.
Our only criticisms are the lack of hinge detents or struts to hold the rear barn-doors open in their 180-degree positions, given that a gust of wind when loading/unloading can slam them shut with potential injury for the operator.
We also think full-electric vans need to provide dedicated storage for their charging cables, as they are often treated as an afterthought.
For example, our E-Tech’s bulky public-charging cable was coiled up between the bulkhead and passenger seat backrest. This required the seat base to be slid about 50mm further forward to accommodate it, resulting in reduced passenger backrest angle and legroom.
Other test vehicles have been supplied with these cables sitting on the passenger floor, stuffed into overhead shelving etc which are all unsatisfactory locations for such an important piece of equipment.
Price and features
Volkswagen Caddy
Before we get cracking, it’s important to note that we tested the 2.0-litre TDI320 variant (diesel); there is a 1.5-litre TSI220 petrol variant available.
It’s also worth mentioning that the Caddy California Max is built off Caddy Maxi people-mover variant on an extended long-wheelbase platform.
Our test vehicle has a manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) of $54,990, not including on-road costs. As tested our Caddy California was $56,105 because it has Copper Bronze metallic paint, which costs $1115.
As standard, it has five seats (two in the front and a three-seat bench as the second row), a newly designed dash and instrument cluster featuring a full-colour digital cockpit, an 8.25-inch colour touchscreen (with sat-nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), two-zone climate control, keyless start, a lifting tailgate, and a stack of other features too numerous to list here. Find out for yourself, do your own research for there’s joy in that.
Driver-assist tech includes adaptive cruise control, lane keeping, lane assist, and park assist and park distance control in the front and rear.
The California package includes a foldable bed, storage bags, a foldable table and two chairs, as well as additional interior lighting and ventilation vents.
There are numerous VW genuine options available, including a panoramic glass sunroof as well as a tent that can be attached to the rear of the vehicle, but it was unavailable at time of writing.
Renault Kangoo
The Kangoo E-Tech is available in short wheelbase (SWB) or long wheelbase (LWB) configurations.
Our test vehicle is the SWB version in standard 'Mineral White' paint, which shares the same front-wheel-drive powertrain as its LWB sibling consisting of a single electric motor, single-speed automatic transmission and 45kWh lithium-ion battery for a list price of $61,990.
That’s $2K more than its Peugeot E-Partner Pro Long Auto rival and a whopping $20K more than its Kangoo SWB Petrol 1.3L EDC sibling. Our example is also fitted with the ‘smart’ rear-view mirror option ($800) which projects a sharp digital image from a rear-facing camera.
The E-Tech’s standard equipment list includes work-focused 16-inch steel wheels and 205/65R16 tyres. However, it misses out on a full-size spare like petrol Kangoos, instead relying on a tyre inflation kit.
There’s also auto-door lock when driving, rain-sensing wipers, dusk-sensing headlights, reversing camera, rear parking sensors and audible alert for pedestrians.
Inside is a solid bulkhead separating the cabin and cargo bay and the driver gets a synthetic leather-feel steering wheel with height/reach adjustment and a colour 4.2-inch information display.
There’s also an electronic parking brake, two USB ports, two 12-volt sockets and a multimedia system controlled by an 8.0-inch central touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity and a smartphone dock.
Renault also offers numerous option packs including Business Pack, Trade Pack and Peace of Mind Pack (see Driving) plus numerous single options including different cargo bay sliding-door configurations, a 200kg GVM upgrade and more.
Under the bonnet
Volkswagen Caddy
Our test vehicle – the TDI320 variant of the new Caddy California – has a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine, producing 90kW at 2750-4250rpm and 320Nm at 1500-2500rpm, and a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox DSG.
This is a front-wheel drive van and it’s riding on 18-inch wheels and Bridgestone Turanza T005 (215/55 R17) tyres.
Renault Kangoo
The E-Tech’s single electric motor produces 90kW of power and 245Nm of torque and drives the front wheels through a single-speed transmission.
It offers an energy-saving ‘Eco’ mode plus three regenerative braking modes comprising low (B1), medium (B2) and high (B3). These are sequentially selected using the gearshift, with each mode shown on the driver’s information display.
Efficiency
Volkswagen Caddy
Volkswagen lists the official combination fuel consumption as 4.9L/100km, but during our four day test we only averaged 6.2L/100km.
This van has a 50-litre fuel tank and an AdBlue tank.
Renault Kangoo
Renault claims a WLTP-certified driving range of 286km from the E-Tech’s 45kWh lithium-ion battery mounted under the load floor.
We completed a total distance of 249km, part of which was hauling a near-maximum payload. We often switched between Normal and Eco modes.
At the completion of our test, the dash display was claiming average consumption of 15.1kWh/100km, so based on that figure the claimed driving range is credible in ‘real world’ usage.
We topped up the battery charge each night using a Renault-supplied portable charger, which plugged into a domestic wall socket and charged at a rate of around 1.7kWh per hour.
Renault claims charging times of around 2 hours 25 mins with a 22kW AC charger, which shortens to around 1 hour 25 mins for vehicles equipped with an optional 80kW DC on-board charger.
Driving
Volkswagen Caddy
The Caddy California is 4835mm long with a 2970mm-long wheel-base. It stands 1836mm high (including roof rails) and is 2100mm wide (including the wing mirrors). The TDI320 variant has an unladen mass of 1723kg.
This is not the biggest van around and it manages to feel quite manoeuvrable for something that’s fairly box-like.
Visibility is pretty good from the driver’s seat, with mostly clear vision in all directions.
Steering is suitably sharp and well weighted, which is handy for a camper, especially for one that tends to feel its size a bit through sections of the blacktop that involve lots of twists and turns.
The 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine offers reasonable punch – getting the front-wheel drive van off the mark with some pep – and it works well with the dual-clutch auto transmission, resulting in a mostly smooth and unfussed drive.
Ride is well sorted, albeit on the firm side of things and some of that characteristic can be attributed to the van’s dimensions, the fact it was unladen, and it’s shod with 18-inch wheels.
Something people who aren’t used to driving vans should keep in mind: a van’s sides and back-end tend to catch wind gusts in high-wind areas, and that sensation and impact on the van’s behaviour can be somewhat disconcerting if you’re not anticipating them.
This van’s Bridgestone Turanza T005 (215/55 R17) tyres cope adequately with rain-slick bitumen during the recent poor weather.
All-round, this van is well behaved on-road and yields a relaxed driving experience.
Renault Kangoo
The fabric-covered seats are comfortable, with side bolstering that provides good lateral support, but there’s no adjustable lumbar in the backrests.
The optional ‘smart’ digital rear-view mirror proves its worth by avoiding the thick panel between the two bulkhead windows which substantially blocks the view for a conventional mirror.
The ride quality feels typically European, with a nice balance between the firmness needed for responsive handling and suppleness needed to soak up the bumps. Steering feel is excellent and braking response is strong, particularly when high regenerative braking (B3) is selected requiring minimal use of the brake pedal.
The substantially higher tare weight of the E-Tech (almost 300kg), compared to its SWB Kangoo petrol sibling, is largely due to its battery pack. However, this big increase in sprung weight also contributes to a smoother unladen ride quality.
Acceleration from standing starts is deceptive, given the silence of the electric motor and its instant torque which gets this 1700kg van moving with considerable ease and faster than you initially appreciate.
Its response in energy-saving Eco mode is more subdued obviously, but performance with this reduced power output is still adequate for most driving tasks.
This included hauling a near-maximum payload on our congested 50km city and suburban test route, for which this vehicle would be best suited. We forklifted 325kg into the cargo bay, which with our crew of two equalled a total payload of just over half a tonne (505kg).
The stout rear coil springs only compressed 20mm under this loading, with minimal effect on steering or braking. Acceleration was not as brisk, as you’d expect, but remained more than adequate given the heavy payload it was carrying.
Fact is, few (if any) owners would load an E-Tech to its GVM limit, but it’s reassuring to know it can competently haul such a load if required.
Our only criticisms are that the driver’s left footrest is too narrow, as it only supports the outside half of a decent-sized Aussie boot.
The other is the absence of blind-spot monitoring as standard equipment (see Safety) in a solid-walled van like this, which has a huge blind-spot over the driver’s left shoulder.
Safety
Volkswagen Caddy
The VW Caddy California has the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing in 2021.
It has front, side, curtain and centre airbags for driver and front passenger, ISOFIX child seat anchors on the outboard second-row seats and top tether points on all second-row seats.
Driver-assist tech includes adaptive cruise control, driver fatigue detection, multi collision braking system, lane change system (including blindspot monitoring), side assist with rear traffic alert and more.
Renault Kangoo
The Kangoo doesn't have an ANCAP rating but it does come equipped with driver and passenger front and side airbags plus auto emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian, cyclist and junction detection, lane-keeping, rear parking sensors and reversing camera. Desirable active features like blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, front and side parking sensors etc are only available as part of optional packs.
Ownership
Volkswagen Caddy
The VW Caddy California Maxi is covered by a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, a choice of three- or five-year Care Plans (capped price servicing), and a free year of 24-hour roadside assist.
A Caddy’s five-year capped price servicing plan costs $1500 and includes two free services.
Renault Kangoo
The E-Tech is backed by a five-year/100,000km warranty, with five years complimentary roadside assist. The lithium-ion battery has its own eight-year/160,000km/minimum 70 per cent capacity warranty, whichever occurs first.
Scheduled servicing is every 12 months/30,000km. Renault does not publish service pricing for the E-Tech but claims that "average servicing costs for an EV are around 30 per cent lower than for a comparable combustion engine on the capped-price servicing program".