The new Renault Kadjar fills the SUV-sized hole between the Captur and Koleos, and its name is an interesting mix of French, English and symbolism.
The Kadjar uses the Renault–Nissan Common Module Family flexible architecture and is closely related to the Nissan Qashqai, although the two small SUVs have completely different exterior and interior designs.
According to Renault, the Kadjar name came about thusly. “Kad” is inspired by the prefix “quad”, and is a nod to the car’s four-wheel drive styling and all-wheel drive drivetrain. “Jar” references the French words “agile” and “jaillir”, which mean, er, agile and “suddenly emerging from somewhere”, respectively.
Renault says that the Kadjar name “sound and spelling of the name have an exotic feel which suggests adventure and discovering new horizons”.
The hard “k” sound also ties the Kadjar to the Koleos and Captur SUVs.
Updated (February 6, 2016): Added more info regarding the car’s architecture and similarity to the Nissan Qashqai.
