Renault Kadjar vs Fiat 500X
What's the difference?

Renault Kadjar

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2021 price

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Fiat 500X

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2019 price

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Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

Summary

2021 Renault Kadjar

2019 Fiat 500X

By Laura Berry

By Peter Anderson

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Inline 4, 1.3L

Turbo 4, 1.4L

Fuel Type

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Fuel Efficiency

6.3L/100km (combined)

5.7L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Cool styling inside and out
Bose stereo
Leather seats

Fun looks
Good interior
Great safety package

Dislikes

Jerky dual-clutch auto at low speeds
Falling behind in advanced safety tech
Pricey

Iffy transmission
Oddball ride
Slow

2021 Renault Kadjar Summary

Don’t let people talk you into buying a tiny car just because you live in the city. That’s what I’ve learnt from being a car reviewer and living about eight kilometres from the CBD.

Yes, car spaces are small, or almost non existent, but the people that live there are as full-sized as people elsewhere and they often carry around just as much gear. What you need is a big, little car and the Renault Kadjar is that – a small SUV which is actually bigger than most.

The Kadjar is also French, and that’s appealing to us city folk because even though there are millions of us living in one square metre we like to think of ourselves as different, as individuals, cosmopolitan, metropolitan.

So the Kadjar looks perfect then, right?

Well, it’s good yes… in some ways, but after reading this you might prefer its Japanese cousin, the Nissan Qashqai. Let me explain...

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2019 Fiat 500X Summary

Fiat's indomitable 500 is one of the great survivors - not even VW's recently deceased New Beetle could keep riding the nostalgia wave, partly because it made itself just that little bit out-of-touch by not being a car anyone can buy. The 500 avoided that, particularly in its home market, and is still going strong.

Fiat added the 500X compact SUV a few years ago and at first I thought it was a daft idea. It's a polarising car, partly because some people complain it's capitalising on the 500's history. Well, duh. It's worked out well for Mini, so why not?

I've driven one every year for the last couple so I was keen to see what's up and whether it's still one of the weirdest cars on the road.

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Deep dive comparison

2021 Renault Kadjar 2019 Fiat 500X

Verdict

The Renault Kadjar Intens ticks a lot of the urban boxes. It’s small, which is good for navigating narrow city streets and parking in tight spaces, but it’s also spacious and practical. The Kadjar is fuel efficient for a four-cylinder petrol engine and it has that sophisticated French styling.

The Intens is expensive, though, and unless you absolutely have to have leather seats, a glass roof, and the Bose stereo I’d go for the mid-range Zen grade and save yourself $5K but still have all the same safety tech. That said the Intens has auto parking as standard which is a nice convenience for the city.

Safety could be better. The AEB system doesn’t have pedestrian and cyclist detection, rear cross traffic alert, or reverse emergency braking.

Finally, the dual-clutch automatic and 1.3-litre turbo-petrol engine while a fuel efficient combination, isn’t all that easy to live with and can make driving a less-than-smooth experience. The Nissan Qashqai’s combination of CVT auto and four-cylinder naturally aspirated engine is better suited to the urban jungle - something to think about there.

Now the scores, the Kadjar Intens gets the same mark for daily driving and its urban talents – it could be smoother to drive, but there’s still lots to like.

Verdict

The 500X is a fun-looking alternative to the various options available from everyone else and is - overall - better to drive than its Renegade twin.

It packs a very good safety package which you can't ignore but does lose points on the warranty and servicing regime. But it's also built to take four adults in comfort, which not every car in the segment can boast.

Renault Kadjar vs Fiat 500X What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Renault Kadjar vs Fiat 500X
What's the difference?