Photo: CarPix
We love a good mystery car, especially when it's from a French automaker. Renault just started testing some new SUV, which was spotted on the road with a chopped up Kadjar body.
Even without looking too hard, it's easy to spot that the Kadjar's fenders have received plastic flares, suggesting the production model would be around 100mm wider than the 1,836mm crossover.
Of course, the car's track and wheel size don't match the body, but this is perfectly normal for a test mule. Renault already has a large SUV called the Koleos. It's brand-new and won't need replacing for a long time.
It's possible that the prototype is being used by a sister company that's going to use the Kadjar platform. But a quick look at the prototype's underside only deepens the mystery.
The exhaust from the engine is coming out from just in front of the left rear wheel, as a more complex suspension system has been fitted at the back.
The thing that looks like an odd steering rack is a 4Control system, Renault's all-wheel steering found on the Megane and Talisman already. It looks like there's also a power transfer case, which is unusual since most Kadjars are front-wheel-drive.
Renault previously declared that it would launch 21 new models by 2022. Of these, 12 will be hybridized and eight fully electric. The automaker plans to reduce its diesel range by half, so there's a good chance this is some kind of hybrid flagship SUV.
The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance also plans to develop an all-electric C-segment SUV for which it needs to develop a new platform. The whole incentive is costing them something close to 20 billion euros, and you can bet that whatever comes the other end will have a level of autonomy ranging from Level 2 and 4. Unfortunately, the mystery prototype doesn't have anything to show in this department.
Of course, the car's track and wheel size don't match the body, but this is perfectly normal for a test mule. Renault already has a large SUV called the Koleos. It's brand-new and won't need replacing for a long time.
It's possible that the prototype is being used by a sister company that's going to use the Kadjar platform. But a quick look at the prototype's underside only deepens the mystery.
The exhaust from the engine is coming out from just in front of the left rear wheel, as a more complex suspension system has been fitted at the back.
The thing that looks like an odd steering rack is a 4Control system, Renault's all-wheel steering found on the Megane and Talisman already. It looks like there's also a power transfer case, which is unusual since most Kadjars are front-wheel-drive.
Renault previously declared that it would launch 21 new models by 2022. Of these, 12 will be hybridized and eight fully electric. The automaker plans to reduce its diesel range by half, so there's a good chance this is some kind of hybrid flagship SUV.
The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance also plans to develop an all-electric C-segment SUV for which it needs to develop a new platform. The whole incentive is costing them something close to 20 billion euros, and you can bet that whatever comes the other end will have a level of autonomy ranging from Level 2 and 4. Unfortunately, the mystery prototype doesn't have anything to show in this department.
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