Eighty cars for the whole of Japan — and half of them pair a diesel with a proper manual. The Renault Kangoo Couleur is that rare limited run where the most interesting version isn’t the most expensive one, but the most old-fashioned. The diesel van with a six-speed stick costs 4.49 million yen ($27,400) — exactly what an ordinary diesel Kangoo asks.
Read that again: the exclusive paint, the black bumper trim and the extra traction electronics cost the diesel buyer nothing at all. The petrol Couleur with the seven-speed dual-clutch carries the same 4.49 million yen sticker, but for that car it means a premium of 200,000 yen ($1200) over the standard model, or roughly 4.7%.
And here comes the detail that makes the diesel genuinely special. The regular Kangoo lineup has no manual whatsoever — petrol and diesel alike come only with the 7EDC. Want to shift gears yourself? Then you have to chase down a limited edition. Japan gets 80 cars in total: 50 with the 1.5-litre diesel and six manual ratios, and another 30 with the turbocharged petrol and the 7EDC. The diesel makes 116 hp and 270 Nm, the 1.3 Turbo delivers 131 hp and 240 Nm. Both are front-wheel drive, but adaptive cruise control with the traffic-jam function went only to the petrol version with the automated transmission.
Outside, the giveaway is the Bleu Dragee paint — a nod to the French sugared almonds handed out to wish someone luck. With it come unpainted black bumpers, a privilege of special editions ever since last year’s update, 16-inch steel wheels on all-season tyres instead of the standard 17-inch alloys, and the Extended Grip system that retunes the traction electronics on slippery surfaces. No, it does not turn the van into an all-wheel-drive machine. And the roof rails? Those sit on the dealer option list.
At 4490 mm long the Kangoo out-measures a Toyota Sienta by 230 mm, and its 1860 mm width adds another 165 mm. In cramped Japanese parking spots that compromise is felt. In return the five-seat cabin keeps a 775-litre boot, up to 2800 litres with the rear seats folded, and the barn doors at the back swing open to 90 or almost 180 degrees.
The run is sold by ballot: applications are taken until 26 July, and if fewer people apply than there are cars, the remainder goes on general sale on a “first come, first served” basis. Japan also gets the seven-seat Grand Kangoo Couleur in the same shade of blue — 70 units at 4.82 million yen ($29,400), petrol only.
For anyone who genuinely wants a diesel and wants to change the gears personally, the Couleur is the better deal of the two specials: the colour, the rugged extras and the limited-edition status arrive with no premium at all over the ordinary diesel Kangoo. But the decision has to be quick. There are only fifty manuals.
