Photo: Florin Profir
The last time Renault was involved in the SUV business it used to make the Koleos. Remember that car? Not really, right? Well, the French are promising that the new Kadjar is better and will be a lot more memorable. Is that so? We wrote a full review of the 2015 Renault Kadjar to see if that’s true.
The first thing that hits you the moment you drive the car is how comfortable the suspension is. If you’re used to driving sportier cars, you’ll feel weird as the setup will either annoy you or give you a sense of relief. That’s because this thing won’t be winning any track day competitions anytime soon, but it won’t break your back either.
Wonder why that is? Well, while the design might be fresh and all, the underpinnings are shared with the Nissan Qashqai, a proved recipe that is selling like hot cakes. Therefore, if you know how the Nissan drives, you can’t expect any significant differences here. There are a couple, however, the most important one being the lack of a CVT transmission on the French car.
Out on the highway, the Kadjar is exactly what you’d expect from a non-premium car. There is some tire noise making its way into the cabin while wind noise is also noticeable, especially at higher speeds. Their volume isn’t all that high but over longer stretches they do get tiring.
All of these complaints also apply to the Qashqai, but that’s no surprise. Inside the cabin, the differences are obvious, but in terms of space things are almost identical. The rear leg room and head room are almost the same, with a slight advantage for the Renault that has a slightly taller greenhouse.
The boot is also bigger than on the Nissan and you have clever modular dividers to stow your stuff. You can also get easy fold down release levers for the rear seats and the room in the back gets even bigger.
Overall, the Kadjar is a great car and every bit as good as the Qashqai it is based on. If you were to ask us, it’s even better than the Japanese, offering a bit more style, space and a more elegant design with basically the same underpinnings. Will it be a success? Our 2015 Renault Kadjar review should put that question to rest.
Wonder why that is? Well, while the design might be fresh and all, the underpinnings are shared with the Nissan Qashqai, a proved recipe that is selling like hot cakes. Therefore, if you know how the Nissan drives, you can’t expect any significant differences here. There are a couple, however, the most important one being the lack of a CVT transmission on the French car.
Out on the highway, the Kadjar is exactly what you’d expect from a non-premium car. There is some tire noise making its way into the cabin while wind noise is also noticeable, especially at higher speeds. Their volume isn’t all that high but over longer stretches they do get tiring.
All of these complaints also apply to the Qashqai, but that’s no surprise. Inside the cabin, the differences are obvious, but in terms of space things are almost identical. The rear leg room and head room are almost the same, with a slight advantage for the Renault that has a slightly taller greenhouse.
The boot is also bigger than on the Nissan and you have clever modular dividers to stow your stuff. You can also get easy fold down release levers for the rear seats and the room in the back gets even bigger.
Overall, the Kadjar is a great car and every bit as good as the Qashqai it is based on. If you were to ask us, it’s even better than the Japanese, offering a bit more style, space and a more elegant design with basically the same underpinnings. Will it be a success? Our 2015 Renault Kadjar review should put that question to rest.
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