Renault Kadjar SUV revealed

These are the first pictures of the Renault Kadjar, a mid-sized hatchback-SUV crossover that’ll rival the Nissan Qashqai and Skoda Yeti.

Under the skin, the Kadjar is closely related to the Qashqai, sharing many parts. As a result, it’s virtually the same size.

It’s positioned above the Renault Captur in the brand’s range and features styling that’ll be familiar to owners of the Captur and current Renault Clio. Its front and rear bumpers carry protective plates and the stainless-steel boot guard and 19-inch alloy wheels shown in these pictures will also be offered.

Renault says buyers upgrading from a Captur or a Renault Megane will be the Kadjar’s target audience, although it’s also looking to tempt owners of cars from other brands, such as the Kia Sportage – a model used as a styling benchmark for the Kadjar.

No mechanical details about the car have been revealed, but as it shares many components with the Nissan Qashqai, it’ll likely borrow that model’s petrol and diesel engines.

That means the Renault Kadjar could feature a 113bhp, 1.2-litre petrol engine as well as 108bhp 1.5-litre and 128bhp 1.6-litre diesels. Most Kadjars will be sold as front-wheel drive, although four-wheel-drive versions will be available.

The interior bears similarities to the Captur’s and has a wide range of soft-touch plastics, plus intricate stitching on the doors and other upholstered surfaces.

The crossover will feature a wide range of options, including a large fixed sunroof and Renault’s R-Link 2 multimedia system, which features voice recognition, sat nav, Bluetooth connectivity and a range of smartphone apps.

Safety kit includes a reversing camera, road-sign recognition and lane-departure warning.

The Renault Kadjar’s boot measures 472 litres, which is slightly more than you’ll find in a Qashqai. A rear seat that splits and folds is fitted as standard.

No official prices have been announced, but we’d expect a starting price of around £18,000, which is comparable to the Nissan Qashqai.

More information will be revealed closer to the Kadjar’s launch in the autumn.