Car review: Renault Kadjar
As a Renault driver I’ve heard all too many times opinions like ‘why on earth are you driving a Renault?’ and ‘Stay away from French cars!’ Granted, the Renault that I currently own is a much older model. Nevertheless owning a car with a bad reputation left me hoping that the Kadjar could salvage this and I’m happy to report that I’ve developed a soft spot for this SUV crossover.
Renault claim the Kadjar to be an integration of three vehicle categories: SUV + hatch + sportswagon. With an already overcrowded market place the Kadjar definitely has its work cut out for it, with competitors like the Hyundai Tucson and the Toyota Rav4, but perhaps with its striking look and appealing interior features it could do well for itself.
With my first car launch experience came my first ever dune drive.
We drove the Dynamique version, which offered various optional features like 19-inch alloys (R8 000), full LED headlights, leather seats (electric and heated: R12 000) and satin chrome roof rails among many other extra add-ons.
After driving through the bright white sand dunes of Atlantis where the midday heat had softened the sand so much so that getting stuck was not to be taken ‘lightly’, the Kadjar will forever stick out in my mind as the first car I ever went 4X4ing in the dunes with.
It took some getting used to (and various reminders to switch off the traction control) but once I’d gotten the hang of things-mostly thanks to the hill start assist- I found myself enjoying driving up and down the dunes, creating my own Kadjar mini ‘sandstorms’ behind me.
The new Renault Kadjar all mode 4X4-i Four Wheel Drive has three available modes: 2WD-where power is only transferred to the front wheels to optomise fuel consumption under normal driving conditions, Auto-which adapts the transmission ratio between each front and rear wheel and Lock: where a 50/50 distribution between the front and rear wheels is maintained on uneven surfaces (which in our case were sand dunes).
From the outside the Kadjar maintains certain typical Renault designs like its nose which reminded me of my Megane. Its roof rails, front and rear skid plates and the integrated roof spoiler give the Kadjar a bold look. I’ve never been a fan of the colour red, especially on a car – I once read some study which said that red cars tend to make other drivers angry and that’s the idea that I’ve had stuck in my head since. But being towards the front of the fleet along the sand dunes gave me several opportunities to look behind me and notice how striking the other red Kadjars contrasted so boldly against the white sand dunes. Compared to the blue Kadjar I think I might actually prefer the stylish and glossy red.
With a ground-clearance of 200 mm, C-shaped daytime headlights and 17 or 19-inch alloy wheels its sporty and punchy look certainly added to its slogan ‘dare to live’ while we were bouncing around and gliding over sand dunes.
On the road we tried out the Kadjar’s eco-scoring system on the car’s 7-inch multi-touch-customisable multimedia screen. My driving style, which was measured by acceleration, gear change and brake anticipation, gave me a total score out of 100. Well it started well as my driving partner and I managed to keep a score above 90 but once we were surrounded by trucks and various awkward turns on the road our scored dropped to 78.
A feature which I can’t think to be of any actual use but rather just something to observe out of curiosity was the Air Quality Controller. With its Take Care screen it allows you to check the quality of the air outside of the vehicle, but that’s about it. It’s more of an ‘out of interest’ than an actual ‘controller’, in my opinion.
Renault’s 96 kW 1.2 turbo petrol engine is standard in both the Kadjar Dynamique and Expression variants with maximum power output of 96 kW @ 5 500 rpm. Peak engine torque of 205 N.m is achieved at 2000 rpm.
Fuel consumption
The Renault Kadjar’s fuel consumption claims 5.7 – 5.8 litres /100km respectively while CO2 emissions are claimed at 127g/km and 131g/km respectively.
The Renault Kadjar’s Product Range
The new Renault Kadjar comes in three models which are all powered by forced induction turbo engines:
- The turbo diesel-powered Dynamique 96 kW 1.6 dCi (320 N.m) 4X4
- The turbo petrol-powered Dynamique 96 kW (205 N.m)
- The entry-level Expression variants
Recommending Retail Pricing
Renault Kadjar petrol Expression 96 kW Turbo: R359 900
Renault Kadjar petrol Dynamique 96 kW Turbo: R384 900
Renault Kadjar diesel Dynamique 96 kW dCi 4X4: R449 900
If you loved the Captur then you’ll probably love the Kadjar, many feel it’s essentially the same car but with a bigger price tag. But Renault describe it as the Captur’s big brother! A big plus is that it shares the same platform as its rival, the popular Nissan Qashqai. But the big question is whether or not the Kadjar will be yet another face in the crowd.
Favourite features
- Self-Parking System with rear camera and 360° Park Distance Control: 12 ultrasound sensors estimate the space available in which to park. The electric steering is automated depending on the type of parking manoeuvre and the parking information is centralised on the screen. When reverse gear is engaged, the driver only need control the speed while the system takes control of the trajectory. (Optional extra).
- Cornering fog lights (optional) provide better visibility when turning, illuminating on the side to which steering is turned.
- Exterior styling: I really enjoyed the Kadjar’s sporty and bold look. It looked superb against the white sand dunes.