What’s hot?
- When we first met the Kadjar back in June, we were impressed by the silhouette and style of Renault’s new crossover estate/SUV. That still stands. Visually, the Kadjar packs a lot of flair.
- Bags of interior space, high-set driving position, comfortable seats: the Kajdar ticks all these mandatory crossover/SUV boxes.
- Underneath, sharing platform and other key parts with the rated Nissan Qashqai is probably no bad thing…
- Smooth, torquey 1.5-litre dCi diesel with 110 ps is a solid performer and doesn’t noticeably lag behind the bigger 1.6-litre, 130 ps unit.
- CO2 emissions of just 99 g/km with (no cost optional) 17-inch wheels puts the Kadjar into the lowest Band A tax bracket- currently £0 for VED.
- Impressive official economy on top– 74.3 mpg Combined (or 72.4 mpg), depending on tyre choice
- BIK of 17% or 18%. Company car tax of just £66/month for model tested for 20% tax payer.
- Good room for five in the Kajdar and well shaped boot space is also competitive – 472/1478 litres with rear seats up/folded.
- Choice of four trim levels and this Dynamique S Nav spec (one down from the top) includes dual zone, air con; Visio safety system (Lane Departure Warning, Traffic sign recognition, automatic high/low beam); leather/cloth upholstery; roof rails and R-Link 2 multimedia/satnav system with 7-inch TFT screen.
What’s not?
- What’s in a name? ‘Kadjar’ – a curious amalgamation of ‘quad’ and French verb ‘jaillir’ (to emerge quickly) looks and sounds bizarre…
- Strong and obvious competition from the (closely related) Qashqai in the very same crossover sector
- Four-wheel drive is available, but not with this 110 dCi engine spec…
- Some cabin plastics, especially in the back, have a cost cutting look/feel to them.
Business Car Manager verdict:
Renault has hit the ground running with the Kajar which successfully builds on the looks and formula of the Captur to give Renault a bold and interesting new player in crossover sector above.
The Kadjar, wincing name aside, is a newcomer expected to appeal to both business and retail buyers alike (50:50 anticipated split) and to draw in conquest sales from both the D sector, above, and B-sector, below.
