Renault Kadjar 2020 review: Zen snapshot

The Zen is the mid-grade in Renault's Kadjar small SUV range, which wears an MSRP of $32,990.

The Kadjar is on the larger side for what's generally considered a small SUV, larger than something like a Mitsubishi ASX, but also much smaller than a mid-sizer like a Toyota RAV4.

The Kadjar exists in the same bracket as the Nissan Qashqai with which it shares a chassis. Unlike the Qashqai though, the Kadjar is powered by a 1.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine (117kW/260Nm) mated to a seven-speed dual clutch automatic.

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Explore the 2020 Renault Kadjar Range

Renault Kadjar 2021 review: Intens Renault Kadjar 2020 review: Intens snapshot Renault Kadjar 2020 review: Zen snapshot Renault Kadjar 2020 review: Life snapshot

The Kadjar is front-wheel drive only, and an all-wheel drive diesel available in Europe will not make it to Australia. There is no manual Kadjar available in Australia.

The Kadjar is manufactured in Spain and has a timing chain rather than a belt.

Standard equipment on the Zen includes 17-inch two-tone alloy wheels, a 7.0-inch multimedia touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a 7.0-inch digital dashboard with dot-matrix gauges, leather steering wheel, seven-speaker audio system, dual-zone climate control with dot-matrix displays in the dials, cloth seat trim with lumbar support and manual adjust, ambient cabin lighting, keyless entry with push-start ignition, front and rear fog lights with front cornering function, side parking sensors (for 360-degree sensor coverage), sun visors with mirrors and lights, roof rails, one-touch folding rear seats, rear armrest with two cupholders, rear air vents, false boot floor, as well as heated and auto-folding wing mirrors.

Active safety on the Zen is increased from the base model Life to include blind spot monitoring (BSM), and lane departure warning (LDW) as well as the standard city-speed auto emergency braking (AEB - no pedestrian or cyclist detection). The Kadjar has six airbags and the expected stability and brake controls.

The Kadjar launches with an improved Renault ownership promise which consists of a five-year warranty, five years of roadside assist and five years of capped price servicing.

Service interval is 12months/30,000km and pricing for the Kadjar range comes in at $399 for the first three services, $789 for the fourth (due to the replacement of spark plugs and other essential items), then $399 for the fifth.