After finding a way to penetrate the SUV and crossover market with the sub-compact Captur, Renault is willing to give the compact category another go with the all-new Kadjar.
The C-segment crossover replaces the Koleos in Renault's range sharing its underpinnings (…and the Renault-Nissan alliance's fixation with hard to pronounce names) with the new Nissan Qasqhai aiming at the likes of the Ford Kuga, Honda CR-V, Hyundai ix35, Mazda CX-5 and Toyota RAV4.
While it's unmistakably a child of the same school of design thought as the Captur boasting a similar face and a heavily sculpted body, the new Kadjar isn't just a bigger clone of Renault's entry-level crossover featuring a more muscular profile with athletic shoulders and a more estate- instead of hatch-like shape.
The interior is less playful and more mature looking than the Captur with Renault stating that it offers a premium feel through the use of pleasant to the touch materials and an "immaculate finish", which of course, remains to be seen.
Another highlight is the new Renault R-Link 2 multimedia system featuring a seven-inch capacitive color touchscreen TFT display with voice recognition to control the navigation, telephone, apps and radio.
At 4,450mm long, 1,840mm wide and 1,600mm tall, the new Kadjar is bigger in every dimension than the Qashqai, while also offering 42 liters of extra boot space at 472 liters with a 60/40 split rear bench fitted as standard, along with 30 liters of practical stowage space in the cabin.
Renault is keeping the engine range under wraps, but we expect a similar, if not identical lineup to the Nissan Qashqai, including the 115PS (113hp) 1.2-liter DIG-T and 150PS (148hp) 1.6-liter DIG-T turbo'd petrol units, and the 110PS (108hp) 1.5-liter dCi and 130PS (128hp) 1.6 dCi diesels.
A start-and-stop system will be offered as standard, with the Kadjar being available with both front- and all-wheel drive, the latter allowing the driver to choose from three modes: Auto, Lock and 2WD. According to Renault, the Kadjar has 190mm (7.5 inches) of ground clearance and approach and departure angles of 18 and 25 degrees respectively.
The new Renault Kadjar will be unveiled to the public at 2015 Geneva Motor Show on March 5 and will go on sale in the summer in both Europe (right-hand drive versions of the UK will arrive this fall) and a number of countries in Africa and the Mediterranean Basin region.
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