Renault Kadjar 2018 first drive

You might have a hard time noticing it, but this is actually a new Renault Kadjar. So far as facelifts go, it’s definitely one of the harder-to-spot ones. At least from what you can see by standing a metre or two away.

But I don’t think Renault’s conservatism on this front should be battered too much. Next to the Nissan Qashqai, with which the Kadjar effectively shares everything, the Renault was always the more handsome of the two. The minor tweaks wrought upon its exterior - the new grille design, redone fog-light housings and altered front and rear skid plates, for example - simply ensure this remains the case. To my eyes, anyway.

Of more significance than those slight visual adjustments, though, is the reshuffling that’s occurred within the Kadjar’s powertrain department, where there are now two engines to choose from. Well, two engines and a handful of transmission and power output combinations, to be precise; but for simplicity’s sake, we’ll just go with two engines. 

The first of which is a 1.3-litre four-cylinder petrol that - surprise, surprise - is also available in the recently updated Qashqai. Here, it’ll make either 138bhp or 157bhp. And if that doesn’t float your boat, there’s a 1.5-litre diesel with 114bhp or 148bhp, too. And just when you think you couldn’t get any more spoilt for choice, you can also have four-wheel drive - but only if you opt for the top-spec diesel model.

Speaking of which, the Kadjar’s trim hierarchy has also been tweaked. As with the smaller Clio and Captur models, Play now represents the basic offering, Iconic the mid-grade and GT Line the flagship. Unlike those smaller models, there’s a fourth trim - S-Edition - which slots between Iconic and GT Line. 

And as for the cabin? Well that’s been treated to a much-needed overhaul as well, as the previous model was beginning to look especially tired on the inside. The main change is to the dash fascia, which now features three rotary dials for the HVAC system, each of which contains digital displays for things like temperature and fan speed à la the Jaguar I-Pace. Sort of. There’s a new 7.0in touchscreen too. While not exactly changing the game for Kadjar, it’s a welcome remodelling.

Credit to Renault, that 138bhp petrol is a smooth little motor. 

Impressively smooth, even. And it doesn’t feel like it’s wanting for performance, either, which is a bonus, as is the fact it delivers its acceleration in a progressive, no-nonsense fashion. You can tap into its 177lb ft well of torque from incredibly accessible crankspeeds, and if you decide to spin it all the way up towards the limiter, it’ll continue to pull with reasonable enthusiasm without getting too breathy. It’s certainly not an exciting or memorably effervescent powerplant, but it was never going to be given it’s under the bonnet of a car that’s not really supposed to be particularly exciting or characterful anyway.