It cannot be an easy job being a sales person selling family oriented vehicles. Apart from practical, affordable and fuel efficiency requirements, the vehicle also needs approval of both parties in the relationship. Styling and interior craftsmanship may be important to one, whereas the areas under the skin (and especially bonnet) may be important to the other. The new Renault Kadjar may just have made the sales person’s job a whole lot easier…
Its roots
Kadjar is an amalgamation of two words. “Kad” relates to quad referring to the all-wheel drive system (only available in the 1,6-litre turbodiesel variant) and “jar” refers to agile. In short, an agile SUV.
It is actually based on another nimble SUV in the form of the highly regarded Nissan Qashqai. The strong Renault-Nissan alliance gave the French company the opportunity to fill the gap between the current Captur and the next-generation Koleos. Combining French flair with Japanese engineering is a smart move.
Styling
In a sea of SUVs, the Kadjar is strikingly styled and follows current Renault cues. This includes the diamond-shaped grille and curvy lines towards the rear enhanced by the swooping black inserts running across the bottom of the doors. The optional 19-inch alloys (R8 000) add sophistication and the optional panoramic glass roof (R8 000) allows a lot of natural light to enter the cabin.
Inside
The interior does not disappoint and even though the donor Qashqai’s interior is also well-built and striking, it feels a tad more upmarket in the Kadjar. Many soft surfaces surround the occupants and the digital instrument cluster really looks the part and is easy to read. Our test vehicle was fitted with optional, electrically adjustable leather seats (R12 000) which rounded off the classy cabin.
There is just about enough space for a small family, with the boot able to swallow everything needed for a weekend away. Lengthier trips would, however, require either a roof box or trailer.
Specification
The Renault is loaded with specification, including a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system, climate control, cruise control, keyless entry and even satellite navigation. The optional self-park system (with rear camera and blind-spot warning) can be included for an additional R10 000.
How does it go?
The Nissan-sourced 1,2-litre turbopetrol engine delivers slightly more power in Kadjar spec than in the Captur, claiming 96 kW and 205 N.m. The front wheels are powered via a six-speed manual transmission. In general driving, the engine performs well and many occupants would not believe it is only of 1,2-litre capacity. One downside of the new generation, downsized powertrains is that they have little inertia, which hampers the pull-away process. This makes clutch-control tricky and even an engine calibration trick, which raises the engine speed when the clutch is released, does not quite result in a smooth operation.
The other problem is that the claimed fuel consumption figure of 5,8 L/100 km is near impossible to achieve during normal, day-to-day driving. A weekend’s worth of mixed-cycle driving showed an average fuel consumption figure of 9,7 L/100 km…
Ride and handling?
True to the name, the Kadjar is easy to manoeuvre and feels surefooted around the bends for this type of vehicle. The ride is good but those optional 19-inch wheels do result in a slight jitter over imperfect road conditions.
Conclusion
The Kadjar is a well-sorted and stylish SUV that will meet most family needs, mostly in the urban environment. One problem is a limited range of only three variants (two 1,2-litre turbopetrol versions and a 1,6-litre turbodiesel option) with the pricing at the upper reaches of the segment. Sure, the Kadjar feels slightly more upmarket than the Qashqai it is based on, but it begs the question if it is worth the R50 000 premium over the top spec 1,2-litre Nissan? If the extra spend results in family peace after purchase, then it might be worth every cent.
