According to Renault , the name Kadjar was arrived at thusly : ‘ Kad ’ is derived by the prefix ‘ quad ’, and is a tip of the hat to the four-wheel and all-wheel drive features . And ‘ jar ’ refs , not to the car ’ s ability to contain stuff , but by the French words ‘ agile ’ and ‘ jaillir ’, which I am reliably informed , respectively mean ‘ agile ’ ( no surprise there ) and ‘ suddenly appearing from somewhere ’ ( which would definitely be a surprise ).
So , does the Kadjar live up to its careful constructed appellation ? Well , yes it does !
The 2016 Kadjar is a sleek , shiny affair , with lots of sculpting and curves , giving it a sporty feeling from the outset . The lights front and rear fit smoothly into the bodywork with no hint of the bug-eyedness you get on some other offerings , making it seem handsome and rugged . I particularly appreciated the stylish black trim design on the bottom of the side panels , and the way these curve up into the bodywork .
Inside the cabin , you are treated to a good mix of rugged durability , comfort and style , but thankfully none of the ‘ space shuttle console ’ complexity I ’ ve seen in other cars of the same ilk . No-nonsense design means that everything necessary is placed sensibly and does what it says on the tin , giving a great ergonomic look and feel . I especially liked how the instruments are all displayed on non-glare digital screens , which make them very stylish , but also very usable . The touch-screen system for in-car entertainment , options and sat-nav is very well implemented as well .
There is plenty of room front and rear , and the seats are very comfy and easily adjusted for different driver sizes and preferences . Personally as a secret go-kart driver , I like to hug the steering column with my knees , but the seating can also be set up nicely for all you frustrated F1 drivers to virtually lie down in , and of course , all those in between .
There are lots of little storage containers strategically distributed all over the cabin – plenty of places for your cups , phones and other items that your kids will doubtlessly secrete in them ( in our house it ’ s Lego , lip balm and sweet wrappers usually …). And boot space , optionally aided also by one-touch folding seats and a false floor which divides the boot , is very generous – providing a good deal more storage room than the Nissan Qashqai or the Skoda Yeti .
141