2007 Frankfurt Auto Show: Renault Kangoo Compact

Renault Kangoo Compact

You see Renault Kangoos everywhere in Europe. Mostly they're driven by small-business owners, but the Kangoo's low price and highly space-efficient design make it a draw for small families as well. The original Kangoo had been on sale since 1997, and Renault has just redesigned and enlarged it to help fend off the competitors it spawned (Citroen Berlingo, Peugeot Partner).

What you see here, though, is not a standard Kangoo, but the Kangoo Compact Concept... Renault has taken a page from the profitable Scion-Daihatsu playbook and attempted to tart up a delivery van to levels that will thrill 18-year-olds. Young people in continental Europe are evidently very much into inline skating, as this concept was codeveloped with Rollerblade -- and says Renault, "inspired by the shared values of mobility, togetherness and lust for life."

Naturally, there's ample interior room for exercising all those values, and a removable rear roof section enables spillage into the outdoors. The tailgate is comfortably scooped to provide secure seating whilst lacing up inline skates. The rear seat can swivel 180 degrees just like in some larger minivans.

Renault Kangoo Compact

Although Renault says the Kangoo Compact targets "city-dwellers," the company also claims to have raised the standard Kangoo's ride height 200mm (nearly 8 inches!) to enable off-road travel. Yet the car wears 19-inch wheels.

It's this bundle of contradictions that keep the Kangoo Compact concept from being just another active lifestyle vehicle. It's exactly that, of course, but left of center. "It is ideal for people with fast lifestyles who like having fun with friends and are always keen to try out new experiences."

With a 1.5-liter turbodiesel four, the Kangoo concept would ostensibly never be for American consumption. But if it were, say, rebadged as a Nissan, who among us wouldn't take one over a Versa? -- Erin Riches, Senior Content Editor