Renault Kadjar review

We drove the new popular SUV on Irish roads

Pros: Spacious interior/boot, plenty of standard equipment, cheap to run

Cons: Not as exciting to drive as alternatives, plain interior

First launched in 2015, the Renault Kadjar has been a popular car for Irish motorists in recent years, positioning itself in the competitive compact SUV segment with the likes of the Nissan Qashqai, Ford Kuga and Kia Sportage to name a few. For 2019, Renault has given the Kadjar a facelift. We spent a week with the stylish SUV to see how it drives on Irish roads.

On the outside, the new Kadjar isn’t all that different from the previous version. You will, however, notice changes to the front grille which appears a lot wider with chrome finishing connecting the C-shaped LED lights. The body-coloured area has also been increased on the front and rear bumpers which gives the Kadjar more of a premium feel.

The new Kadjar is now available with new 17-inch and 19-inch alloy wheels as well as three new colours: Oural Green, Highland Grey and Iron Blue which is the colour of the car we tested.

Inside the Kadjar is both spacious and comfortable. Redesigned seats with added dual-density foam give better support for the driver and passengers in the front and back. The panoramic glass sunroof which comes as standard in the S Edition and GT Line model offers passengers more of a sense of space with a full view of the sky.

At the centre of the dashboard, there is a new 7-inch touchscreen that displays Renaults R-Link 2 system. R-Link itself is easy to connect to and features its own maps and multimedia systems, but as we have noted in previous Renault reviews it can be quite tedious to work. The system is compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay through which we found a lot easier to operate.

Under the bonnet, the Kadjar is now available with a new 1.3Tce 140 GF petrol engine, which comes in both manual and automatic transmissions. There is also a more powerful TCe 160 petrol engine available which offers more output. In addition to the petrol models, there are two diesel engines, a 1.5 Blue dCi 115 and an all-new 1.7 Blue dCi diesel engine which comes in 4x2 and 4x4.

Pricing

The entry-level Play model starts at €26,995 and comes with 17-inch alloys, parking sensors, automatic lights and wipers and a 7-inch touchscreen that is compatible with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

The Iconic model starts at €29,695 and comes with cruise control, parking camera, keyless entry and privacy glass.

The sport S-Edition model starts at €31,395 and features additional half leather interior, panoramic roof and LED lights.

The top of the range GT-Line starts at €33,995 and comes with full leather seats, hands-free parking, 360-degree sensors, leather steering wheel 19-inch alloy wheels.

Verdict: 4/5

The Kadjar competes in a jam-packed segment alongside the likes of the popular Nissan Qashqai. It is a practical SUV with plenty of space for storage and passengers. Although it is not as exciting to drive as some of the other options out there, it comes with plenty of equipment as standard and is good value for money.

Test Car Details:

Model Driven: Renault Kadjar GT Line

Colour: Iron Blue

Price From: €26,995

Price of Test Car: €36,570

Annual Motor Tax: €200

Engine: Blue dCi 115

Transmission: Manual

CO2 Emissions: 117 g/km

Body Style: SUV

Boot Space: 472-Litres

Rivals:

Nissan Qashqai

Ford Kuga

Kia Sportage

Peugeot 3008

Honda HR-V

Skoda Karoq

SEAT Ateca

Opel Grandland X

Citreon C5 Aircross

Toyota CH-R

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