"THIS guy's ridin' kinda high" as the great John Wayne might have said when eyeing up a stranger heading into town. My words this time, but I was not referring to a cowboy but a Renault van.
The reason for my comment was that the van selected for testing was the Kangoo 4x4 which features 200mm ground clearance.
Kangoo 4x4 is the answer for businesses and private users who have to deliver and collect goods in relatively inaccessible places. I'm talking of properties down rutted tracks and rocky roads which would be the downfall of a conventional front-wheel-drive boxie.
Although the ground clearance figure is for an unladen vehicle, even fully loaded, with the vehicle dropping to 180mm clearance, it is possible to take a slope at a 27 degree approach angle, go over a 16 degree crest and depart at 28 degrees.
In other words it can reach places most vans can't. This is not the vehicle for dedicated off-roading, but for everyday extremes it fills the bill perfectly.
The SL 1.9 dCi 4x4 Plus version, powered by its 1,870cc engine costs a basic £13,000, a bit on the step side considering the lead-in Kangoo van tips the scales at £7,300, but you get what you pay for in terms of overall capability.
The Kangoo features the latest Renault styling upgrade, which makes it look very smart. But its big plus point is comfort and ease of driving. The 4x4 system is no drag on the engine and the Kangoo features a nippy performance.
In terms of access, the three-door van configuration is nothing short of excellent.
During the test I had the opportunity to test the Kangoo 4x4's capabilities in extreme on-road conditions when I ran into what was the most torrential downpour I have encountered in 40 years of motoring.
When other cars, including a number of sophisticated ones had to pull over, the Kangoo 4x4 ploughed on through heavily flooded roads to reach its destination unscathed and on time.
The specced-up plus version is really aimed at attracting one-person businesses and private owners who want saloon car comfort within a van body. It delivers well in this respect and remains the most capable light van to have passed through my hands.
FAST FACTS
Renault Kangoo Van 1.9 dCi 80 4x4 Plus
Price: £13,000
Mechanical: 80bhp, 1.9 four cylinder diesel engine with 4x4 drive
Load volume: 2.75 m3
Payload: 600kg
Insurance Group: 6