Renault Launches New Color 'Couleur' for Kangoo | Renault

Renault Kangoo Couleur | The Renault Kangoo Couleur

Renault Launches New 'Couleur' for Kangoo

Starting May 24, Renault Japon will release the "Kangoo Couleur" in two colors, with a total of 200 units available (100 of each color) as a limited edition. The price is ¥2,599,000.

Photographs by UCHIDA Shunichi / UCHIDA ChizukoText by UCHIDA Shunichi

This Year's Theme: The French Alps

"Couleur" is French for color. Renault Japon has released "Couleur" editions multiple times before. Each time, a theme was chosen, and colors matching that theme were painted at the Maubeuge factory in France for a limited release exclusive to Japan.

The theme for this eighth installment is the French Alps, envisioned as a summer vacation destination. Inspired by the greens and blue skies seen there, the two colors are "Vert Montagne" (Vert meaning green, Montagne meaning mountain) and "Bleu Ciel" (Ciel meaning sky).

Additionally, this limited edition features a front grille blade painted in the body color, a first for this model. Customers who place an order will also receive a UV care item from the French skincare brand La Roche-Posay as a gift.

The Couleur is based on the "Kangoo Zen EDC" model.

Vacation: Mountains or Sea?

"When you go to the French Alps, around Chamonix, in August, you see high mountains like Mont Blanc all around. There are many pine and fir trees, and the green is different from what you see in Japan. So, we chose those colors," says Frédéric Brien, Chief Product Manager of Marketing at Renault Japon.

He further explains, "Looking up at the sky from there, you can see a clear, cloudless sky, much like the one you see in Japan from January to February. Bleu Ciel is precisely inspired by that blue."

This time, the theme is mountains.

Regarding the reason, Brien states, "Last year, our theme was the sea in Marseille. In France, especially around Paris, the question of whether to go to the mountains or the sea always comes up during vacation time.

Since last year was the sea, we chose the mountains for this year."

Renault Kangoo Couleur | The Renault Kangoo Couleur

Renault Launches New 'Couleur' for Kangoo (2)

Kangoo Jamboree: A Treasure Trove of Ideas

As is typical for Kangoo limited editions, the black bumpers are a standard feature, also present in this "Couleur" model. This time, however, there's another new element: the lower blade of the front grille is painted in the body color.

This was specially developed for this limited edition with the aim of "making it clearly identifiable as a special model." Brien adds, "We were looking for something new beyond the usual features of past limited editions."

The announcement of the Kangoo Couleur took place at the Kangoo Jamboree 2018, a festival for Kangoo enthusiasts.

Brien reveals, "In fact, this feature was inspired by the Kangoo Jamboree."

"This event is also a place for interaction, where many ideas emerge. However, many of these are things that a regular importer cannot implement. But we judged that we could request this feature from headquarters. While modifications can be done after arrival in Japan, doing it at the factory ensures better consistency," he explained.

This year marked the 10th Kangoo Jamboree, and to match the event's vibrancy, Philippe Cayouette, Director of Program and Head of Development for Light Commercial Vehicles at Renault headquarters, visited Japan. He was impressed by the colorful spectacle.

He commented, "Seeing the various accessories and interior modifications has taught me a great deal. The Kangoo has sold 1.2 million units worldwide, but it still has significant potential for growth. I intend to take some of the ideas gained here back to France to develop an even more appealing Kangoo."