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Renault Kadjar
Price: From R359 900
4/5
There are few professions more injected with wannabe heroes than the testosterone-driven motoring-journo industry.
Whereas the Argonauts set sail in ships, in search of the elusive Golden Fleece while fighting off screeching Sirens, today the car is the steed and the road is the hero’s challenge.
The ghostly white, almost otherworldly, Western Cape Atlantis dunes were the perfect setting for a group of modern-day Jasons to channel their lust for conquest at the launch of the Renault Kadjar, a compact SUV crossover hatch with serious off-road capability.
On the 90-minute drive to our destination, we were mightily impressed with our classy French wheels, which come in three derivatives, all powered by forced induction turbo engines.
Top of the range is the turbo diesel-powered Dynamique 1.6 dCi 4x4 with 96kW of power and 320Nm of impressive torque. While there are a number of entry-level Expression variants to choose from, our wheels for the day were the 1.2-litre turbo petrol-powered 96kW Dynamique with 205Nm.
Few contenders in the class, where the Nissan Qashqai has all but ruled the roost since 2014, will surpass the new Kadjar in the aesthetics stakes.
With muscular action-injected curves, Renault’s hallmark diamond-shaped centrepiece is hard to miss, aggressively dominating the new crossover’s front grille. The daytime running lights add panache with distinctive sexy C-shaped LEDs.
Out on the open road, the ride was impressively dynamic; Kadjar’s 96kW belies the power in its turbo-charged F1-inspired engine. The sharp steering and suspension hold well, and there’s plenty of grip on curves and bends, making it an awesome drive.
Safety, efficiency and performance come together seamlessly with high-tech Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, which include Self-Parking with Blind Spot Detection and 360° Park Distance Control with rear camera.
It was soon clear that while the Kadjar shares the same platform as the Japanese Qashqai, the French filly’s curvaceous body, bold styling, competitive pricing, and impressively dynamic and efficient engines, should give Nissan a few grey hairs in its fleece.
Kadjar’s wheelbase and ground-clearance dimensions equip it for some serious off-road conditions and the Atlantis dunes were the perfect challenge.
Before starting our drive, we were warned by The Messenger, off-road specialist “Fires”, that dune-driving can be tricky. In fact, in a classic Greek tragedy, Sand would definitely be the villain. Filled with trickery and deceit, the soft slippery stuff can throw even the most seasoned contender off track. Basically, if you’re not hypervigilant, you’re screwed.
Only moderately experienced on dunes, I realised I needed to tread carefully. I nabbed a driving partner who appeared to tick all the Hero boxes: tall, tattooed and with gleaming muscles. He assured me that if there was any Sand Siren to slay, he was the man to do it.
The thing with sand is, you have to humble yourself to a few basic rules: keep momentum while holding speed down, brake gently and, perhaps most important, don’t drive on side slopes.
Fast-forward six minutes and my eager Hercules decided to get creative and take a short cut off the track to side-sweep a ginormous dune. Within seconds the Kadjar’s gorgeous 17-inch alloys were locked into 30cm of sinking sand. While other heroes sailed over dunes, adhering to Fires’ sage advice, I crawled out of the now vertically challenged vehicle, trying to wipe sand from my eyes and not throttle Hero.
Far from blaming the capability of our wheels, it was evident that a little listening to The Messenger would have gone a long way. Next time, I’ll trust my own inner Kadjar.
