Renault Kadjar Signature S TCe 130 EDC review

The Kadjar is a solid choice as your next company car. It’s generally cheaper than the Nissan Qashqai, a car it shares 60% of its components with, and is a better-value offering overall thanks to its generous equipment levels.

The range is very much weighted in diesel’s favour. The TCe 130 petrol tested here accounts for around 20% of sales, while pairing it with an automatic gearbox is predicted to represent just 3% of total sales.

But with the tide turning against diesel, could now be the time for the TCe 130 to shine? New for 2017 is this engine and seven-speed auto combination and, when spec’d in range-topping Signature S Nav trim, makes a compelling case for itself.

To drive, the Kadjar is as accomplished as ever. It’s no sports car, of course, but with 130hp and 205Nm of torque, there’s enough pull at lower speeds to make decent progress. The ride, although compromised slightly due to our test car’s large 19-inch alloys, is comfortable overall, making easy work of potholes and bumps in the road.

Running costs-wise, 132g/km for our test car is a little on the high side, although opting for the ease of an automatic gearbox means just a 2g/km CO2 penalty versus the manual. On the fuel economy front our car is quoted at 49.6mpg – a little better than the manual too.

The seven-speed automatic box is well-matched to the engine, and only occasionally can it be hesitant to react when accelerating hard. However, it’s probably worth mentioning that the auto adds around £1,300 to the price of the car and cannot compare with the 1.5-litre diesel’s 103g/km and 72mpg in this spec too, although the 1.2-litre petrol tested here  is over a second quicker and more refined.

Despite the car’s rugged appearance, the Kadjar is very much meant for the road and is a hugely practical family car that boasts a 472-litre boot that comes with a handy variable floor. Space is generous throughout and there are plenty of useful cubbies littered around the cabin too.

An excellent all-round family car choice, the Kadjar continues to impress. We’re not convinced this new engine and gearbox has the figures or performance to tempt fleet drivers away from diesel, though. For us, the 1.6-litre dCi still reigns supreme.