KADJ ME IF YOU CAN (some text hidden) SECTIONED_new_renaultkadjar_2019

By Jonathan Crouch

Introductionword count: 89

First launched in 2015, Renault's Kadjar mid-sized SUV got a substantial upgrade four years on that makes the post-facelift version worth seeking out if you're after this French family crossover. As part of the upgrade, this SUV became better primed for petrol power, plus it got smarter, both inside and out. It's certainly a more interesting family choice than that Focus-class hatch you might have been considering from the 2018-2021 period and there's the option of a 4WD version if you want some substance to go with the style.

Modelsword count: 12

5dr SUV (1.2 TCe petrol / 1.5 dCi / 1.7 dCi diesel)

Historyword count: 363

Renault's Kadjar was in first generation form a family-sized SUV that was smart, sensible and, in its way, quite aspirational. Mindful of the close competition in this segment, the French brand revised it significantly in late 2018 and it's that improved version we're going to look at here. It took Renault a long time to get on board with a properly class-competitive mid-sized family SUV. This Kadjar model, the brand's first such contender, was introduced in 2015, when it was launched as the family hatch-based big brother to the French maker's popular supermini-based Captur crossover. Prior to that, the French maker's attempts to make real inroads in the family section of the SUV segment had proved notably unsuccessful. We had various off road-orientated versions of the Scenic MPV, plus there was the unloved first generation Koleos SUV, launched in 2007, but soon withdrawn from sale. That year, 2007, was when Renault were shown what that Koleos model ought to have been. Their Alliance partner Nissan launched a Crossover called the Qashqai that quickly came to define family SUV motoring and when that car was re-designed in 2014, Renault had another go at creating their own version of it: the Kadjar was the result. This time, the Gallic maker managed to deliver a contender much closer to what the market wanted and as a result, over 450,000 Kadjars were sold in over 50 countries in this model's first four years on sale. Buyers were particularly taken by the smart looks, the comfort-orientated demeanour and the fact that a 4WD option was much more affordable than it was on a Qashqai. They weren't quite so enamoured by the relative inefficiency of the aging 1.2-litre TCe turbo unit provided to power petrol versions - which was a problem given the market's increasing militant preference against diesels. On top of that, by 2018 improvements were also needed to match more recently launched segment rivals in areas like cabin quality, media connectivity and safety provision. Renault claimed to have addressed all of these things with this much improved Kadjar model, plus there were upgraded diesel engines and smarter exterior looks. The car sold in this form until 2021.

What You Getword count: 439

So. What do we have here? A Nissan Qashqai with a Renault re-style? Or something more? This Kadjar certainly shared much with the MK2 version of its Japanese design stablemate, primarily its 'CMF' 'Common Module Family' platform and most of its engine technology. Renault admitted that 60% of this car's parts were shared with its Nissan cousin but claimed that 95% of what you saw and felt with this Kadjar was unique to this model. Visually, as you might expect, it shares quite a lot with the French brand's smaller Captur SUV, especially at the front where the two cars are very similar indeed. Changes were made here with this revised post-'18 Kadjar, though you'd probably have to be a sales person or a real brand enthusiast to notice them. The grille was slightly wider and could feature chrome slats on top variants, plus there were new cut-out sections for re-shaped fog lamps that could feature full-LED technology. All this meant the need for a re-styled bumper, which features a larger area of body-coloured paintwork. Behind the wheel, there's certainly a higher quality ambiance in this facelift version, thanks to a fascia re-design that brought us a smarter flush-fitting 7-inch infotainment screen and sophisticated circular climate control dials with incorporated digital read-outs. 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto' smartphone-mirroring became standard across the range, the seats offered greater support, the door panels were re-designed, a sliding centre armrest was added and the door bins were bigger. Otherwise, things were much as before, with a relatively commanding driving position and a configurable 7-inch TFT instrument display replacing conventional dials And the rear? Well as usual in a car of this kind, it's comfortable for two adults but a little bit of a squash for three. Headroom though, is fine, unless you've a top model fitted with Renault's fixed panoramic roof, in which case really tall folk might be a touch restricted. If you really do need to take three adults in the back, it's easier than is the case in some rivals, thanks to a low centre transmission tunnel and the fact that the middle part of the bench doesn't force you to sit on an uncomfortably raised section of foam. Compared to a MK2 Qashqai, you get a slightly longer body length with this Kadjar and that pays dividends when it comes to boot space, which is rated at 472-litres, 42-litres more than you'd get in that Nissan. Useful touches include a Multi-positional adjustable-height boot floor. And 'Easy Life' cargo sidewall catches that allow you to more easily retract the 60:40-split rear seatback to free up 1,478-litres of total space.

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