Between the Captur and its coupe-like sibling, the Arkana, one might think that Renault is topped up with subcompact crossovers. But they would be wrong, you see, because the French car manufacturer has just introduced a new one: the Kardian.
With a name that would probably remind some of a particular reality show, the Renault Kardian is a global product, though it won't be available in all markets. For one, Europe will not get it, and neither will North America, obviously.
Unveiled alongside the Niagara pickup, the Renault Kardian is 4,119 mm (162.2 in) long or 109 mm (4.3 in) shorter than the Captur. It measures 2,604 mm (102.5 in) between the axles, 35 mm (1.4 in) less than the Captur, and comes with a single powertrain.
The mill has no electrification because emerging markets don't demand hybridized assemblies, and it keeps the cost down. Working in concert with a dual-clutch automatic gearbox, it is a 1.0-liter turbocharged three-cylinder gasoline engine with direct injection that produces 125 ps (123 hp/92 kW) and 220 Nm (162 lb-ft) of torque.
Even if chances are you will never encounter one on the road if you live in a Western country, you won't mistake the Kardian for anything other than a Renault. It has the brand's typical design language at the front and rear, wrapped in a visually attractive (for a subcompact crossover) package.
Photo: Renault
The interior is very similar to that of Dacia Sandero, though you shouldn't mistake similar for identical. The dashboard panel is different, and so is the center console. The steering wheel has a three-spoke styling and integrated buttons, and there is an 8-inch infotainment system on deck. The Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration is included, and the vehicle features digital gauges, too.
Renault's Kardian also comes with a plethora of driver assistance features. The French automaker mentions the adaptive cruise control, hill-start assist, automatic emergency braking, safe distance alert, blind-spot monitoring, forward collision warning, and a multi-view camera system here, in addition to others, joined by six airbags.
Based on the Group's new modular platform, the Renault Kardian will soon enter production at the brand's Curitiba facility in Brazil. Subsequently, it will also be made in Morocco at the Casablanca facility, and even if bringing it to Europe would be very easy from the latter installment, the French car marque will keep it away from Western markets.
If you ask us, that is a good idea, and not from a financial standpoint (ahem, safety and emissions), but because the European car market is saturated with small crossovers. But would you have wanted Renault to sell the Kardian in the Old Continent, and would you have bought it over a similarly-sized Captur or Arkana?
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News