Renault Kadjar interior, tech and practicality

A conservative interior design meets Renault Kadjar buyers, with the upshot being that everything is easy to find and easy to use while you’re driving. We’d prefer the infotainment system to be a bit higher, so you don’t have to look down and away from the road to use it, but it’s a good size.

With small displays inside the climate control dials, that one part of the interior feels almost like an Audi. Material quality is less Audi-esque, however – there are a lot of hard plastics and even the softer materials are a little creaky. This makes the cabin feel a little cheap – something that’s highlighted by the plasticky gear lever.

Perhaps we’re being a little harsh, because the Kadjar’s interior design looks uncluttered and classy compared to the equivalent Nissan Qashqai’s dashboard. And, considering how inexpensive the Kadjar is on the used market, its interior is more than decent enough.

Officially kicking off the Kadjar range is the Play trim, but this is pretty rare. Even so, it gets 17-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, rear parking sensors, two-zone climate control, auto wipers and Bluetooth phone connectivity.

Iconic trim is far more popular, and it looks the part with 19-inch diamond-cut alloys and tinted rear windows. Keyless entry, auto high-beam assist, front parking sensors, a rear-view camera, lane-departure warning and folding mirrors are also included on this trim level.

S Edition mainly gets LED front lights and a fixed glass sunroof, while top-spec GT Line is marked out by exclusive alloys and a chrome-studded grille. Inside, there’s leather upholstery with heated front seats, extra seat adjustment and automatic parking capability. Auto emergency braking only available on this version and, disappointingly, isn’t standard on lower-spec cars.

When the Kadjar was facelifted in 2018, Renault introduced an updated infotainment system. It felt modern at the time but has since been superseded by newer, fresher rivals. It’s a little small by current standards at seven inches across, and it’s not the quickest to respond or load. The graphics are okay but a little simple-looking – it does, at least, look less busy than Nissan’s system.

Iconic, S Edition and GT Line trim levels come with built-in sat nav with TomTom live traffic updates and Western European mapping, plus upgraded speakers and rear USB sockets. For music fans, only GT Line will do, as this includes a seven-speaker Bose sound system with a subwoofer.

Rear seat space might be one of the Kadjar’s best features. Even with a tall adult driving, a similarly tall person can sit behind them comfortably. Leg and kneeroom are excellent, and there’s a good amount of space under the front seats for your feet. Tall people shouldn’t even find their hair brushing the headliner.

The space on offer means there’s also plenty of room for the bulkiest child seat, and hopefully forward-facing kids shouldn’t be able to kick the front seatbacks. Access to the rear seats is nice and easy, and the Isofix points are clearly located. The large windows should also make it easy for little’uns to see out.

It’s wide enough to sit three adults side-by-side on occasion, but a large transmission tunnel and the way the central armrest protrudes into the back will make it uncomfortable for the middle-seat occupant.

While the door bins are on the small side, there are rear air vents, seatback pockets and USB and 12V sockets, plus a pair of cupholders in the fold-down rear armrest – even if these are small and square.

Compare the Kadjar’s boot space figures against its rivals and you’ll see that the 472-litre space is a little less than what you get in a SEAT Ateca, Peugeot 3008 and Hyundai Tucson – although slightly more than the MG HS. So it’s not the biggest, but family buyers are still well served by the space on offer – it’s more than large enough for several pushchairs, an over-eager flatpack furniture store trip or several big suitcases.

Handily, the part of the boot floor closest to the tailgate folds up to create a divider, in order to stop items flying around the boot when it’s not fully loaded. There are deep side pockets and a couple of hooks, and you can flip the rear seats down using buttons in the boot. Do that and you’ll free up 1,478 litres of space (measured to the roof).

With no load lip and a huge boot opening, it’s really easy to chuck in bulky items.