New Renault Kadjar crossover SUV: full details

Renault has released full details of its new crossover, the Renault Kadjar, following the car’s initial launch at the Geneva Motor Show this year.

The new crossover shares a lot of its mechanical parts with the popular Nissan Qashqai, as Renault has a partnership with the Japanese brand. Despite this, the Kadjar will compete directly against the Qashqai, as well as other rivals such as the Mazda CX-5 and Skoda Yeti.

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The Kadjar is the first Renault to be built in China. The European version of the crossover will be built at Renault’s Palencia plant in Spain.

Running costs, used values, warranty

Renault says it has put plenty on emphasis on ensuring the Kadjar's values remain strong, allowing buyers to recoup as much value as possible when they come to sell. According to pricing experts CAP, the Kadjar will retain 43% of its original purchase price after three years and 36,000 miles - 3% more than what Renault refers to as "its closest rivals from Europe and South Korea".

Like every other model in Renault's range, the Kadjar comes with a four-year, 100,000 mile warranty, four years of breakdown cover with three years of assistance should you break down in Europe.

Engines

The Kadjar’s initial engine line-up features two diesels and a turbocharged petrol – all borrowed from the Nissan Qashqai range. Four versions of the Kadjar emit less than 99g/km, meaning they're free from annual road tax.

The 1.5-litre diesel, named the dCi 110, is the most efficient engine in the range, as it’s capable of up to 74.3mpg, with CO2 emissions hitting just 99g/km. Those figures are hampered slightly by the added weight of higher-spec models, however. A dual-clutch automatic gearbox is available with this engine and Renault claims it has no effect on fuel economy.

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The more powerful 1.6-litre diesel (called the dCi 130) still returns up to 65.7mpg, but its CO2 emissions peak at 117g/km. Those figures are altered slightly by the optional four-wheel-drive system, which is exclusive to this engine.

The smallest engine in the range is also the least efficient. The 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol, known as the TCe 130, returns up to 50.4mpg. It also has the highest CO2 emissions in the range, peaking at 130g/km top-spec Signature Nav trim for £110-a- year road tax. The petrol engine is only available with two-wheel drive and a manual gearbox.

The four-wheel-drive system has three modes: ‘Auto’ adjusts the power going to each wheel to maximise grip on slippery surfaces, ‘Lock’ keeps four-wheel-drive on permanently and ‘2WD’ send power to the front wheels only to maximise fuel economy in normal driving.

New Renault Kadjar specifications

All Kadjar models have an electronic parking brake, LED daytime running lights, Bluetooth, USB and MP3 player connections and DAB digital radio.

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Dynamique Nav features dual-zone climate control, automatic headlights, rain-sensing windscreen wipers, keyless entry and a suite of safety technology named Visio. This includes lane-departure warning, automatic headlight beam adjustment and traffic-sign recognition. As the name suggests, Dynamique Nav trim and above comes with Renault’s R-LINK 2 multimedia system with satellite navigation.

Dynamique S Nav throws in 19-inch alloy wheels, all-round parking sensors and part-leather seats, while the top-of-the-range Signature Nav has a panoramic sunroof, full LED headlights and a BOSE stereo system.

The Kadjar’s extensive options list offers kit like hands-free parking or heated leather seats, which are available depending on what trim level you’ve already chosen.

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New Renault Kadjar price and release date

UK order books for the Kadjar will open in July and first deliveries are expected in late September.

Prices start from £17,995 for the entry-level 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol Expression+ and rise to around £26,000 for a four-wheel-drive top-spec model.

Full Kadjar price list and full running costs:

For more on Renault’s current range, including the smaller Renault Captur SUV review, visit Carbuyer’s reviews page.