• P11D Value: £25,00
• BIK band 2018/19: 28%
• SUV
• 1.5-litre diesel 115hp/260Nm
• Performance: 11.2 secs/117mph
• Economy (On test) 54.7mpg
• CO2: 117g/km

What is it?

It’s our latest long termer and it’s now been with is for a month It’s an SUV based on the same platform as Alliance partner Nissan’s Qashqai’s and arguably the package is better looking with a touch of French flair. It’s pitched against the likes of SEAT’s Alteca, Ford Kuga, Kia Sportage and Peugeot 3008 as well as the Qashqai. The Renault was launched originally in 2015 and there’s a single bodystyle fitting into the Renault range above the Captur. There was a range of updates introduced towards the end of last year with further with some small styling changes, while inside there were some changes to climate controls and integrated infotainment system.

Why would you want to drive a Renault Kadjar?

• While feeling pretty much like the Qashqai on the road, the Kadjar is better looking, offers more space and costs less to buy.
• The Kadjar engine line-up has been overhauled with all versions gaining emissions-reducing exhaust particulate filters. Two new 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol engines – 138bhp and 158bhp – have replaced the old 1.2 and 1.6 units bringing improvements in performance and efficiency.
• The 1.5 dCi diesel which we tested gained a series of upgrades for 2018 with improvements in power, efficiency and refinement.
• The Kadjar is offered in a choice of four trim levels. The range kicks off with the Play, which gets 17-inch alloy wheels and rear parking sensors as standard.
• Next step up, the Iconic adding sat nav and 19-inch wheels; and above that are the S-Edition and the top spec GT Line.
• Chief among the Kadjar’s interior updates for 2019 is the seven-inch touchscreen, and its tile-based menu system that’s familiar from the current Megane. It’s less playschool-looking than the interface it replaces, but still not a patch on a VW Group system. Peugeot-Citroen’s touchscreens are easier to navigate too. But at least here, unlike in those cars, you still get physical climate control dials instead of infuriating sub menus buried in the bowels of the screen.
• The rear seats fold to reveal a flat-silled 1,478-litre boot – almost 1,000 litres bigger than that offered in five-seater mode. That’s par for this class.
• Great fuel economy from the 1.5 dCi.

What might put you off a Renault Kadjar?

• Not the most exciting of interiors but seats are comfortable and the driving position offers adequate adjustment.
• Chimes and beeps. What is supposed to be a musical notification that the key is ‘in contact’ with the vehicles, does become an annoyance as does the incessant beeping from the front and rear parking sensors.
• On the same theme, do you really want it to play you a few bars of music whenever you open the door?
• Some controls should be knobs – and that goes for volume controls on the sound system
• Wind noise from the door mirrors at motorway speeds 

The Verdict so far

We covered more than 600 miles in the first week and what was immediately impressive was the consistency of the fuel economy, averaging out at 52.3mph over a real mixed bag of town, country and motorway work. It cruises quite nicely although the long gearing was caught out by the hills around Dorset where the Kadjar struggled on the slopes in 5^th and 6^th gears. There’s no seven seat option, but this is still a very practical family car with plenty of space in the rear and a number of useful storage spaces. The boot, at 472 litres, it’s larger than the Qashqai and expands to 1,478 litres with the seats folded. Certainly plenty of room in there for the luggage when touring. There is a mix of hard and soft-touch plastics in the front while Carplay and Android have been integrated which rather rendered the built-in TomTom LVE sat nav redundant. Handling and ride quality remain much the same as before, there is more body roll when compared to a hatchback, for example, but certainly not excessive and there is decent feel through the steering wheel. On top of the £25,500 OTR price, our car came with metallic paint at an additional £650 plus a £150 emergency space wheel. For the SME, the Kadjar offers a really good amount of space and practicality in terms of carrying people and cargo. Better for the long haul rather than tootling around town and that fuel economy is particularly pleasing.