Renault’s new Kadjar is expected to become a top-seller in Europe’s key compact SUV segment. Renault is forecasting to sell 118,000 units of the Kadjar in 2016, its first full year of sales, which would rank it 3rd in the segment behind the alliance partner Nissan’s Qashqai (X-Trail in Asia) and the Volkswagen Tiguan.
Renault revealed the car’s name on Monday but is withholding technical details and photos of the new model until a Feb. 2 press event. The SUV will make its public debut at the Geneva auto show in March.
‘The name Kadjar is built around Kad and Jar,’ says today’s statement. ‘Kad is inspired by “quad” – representing a go-anywhere four-wheeled vehicle and Jar recalls the French words “agile” and “jaillir,” representing agility and suddenly emerging from somewhere.
‘The sound and spelling of the name have an exotic feel which suggests adventure and discovering new horizons. The initial letter ‘K’ is indicative of the model’s robustness and the Kadjar fits seamlessly with Renault’s existing B-segment crossover , Captur.’
The Kadjar will share its underpinnings with the Qashqai, which continues to dominate its segment. Last year the Qashqai, which is now in its second generation, outsold the Tiguan 203,549 to 150,300 in Europe. The Kia Sportage rounded out the top three with sales of 96,333.
Renault’s entry in the segment, the Koleos, has been a disappointment. In 2014 the car accounted for 7,423 European sales, a year-on-year decrease of 12% that dropped the SUV to No. 18 in the segment’s rankings. The Koleos’ struggles are in wide contrast to the success Renault has in the subcompact SUV segment, where the Captur is the best-seller.
