Next Renault Kadjar will switch to EV
Renault Kadjar replacement to follow in tyre tracks of Megane E-Tech Electric by adopting all-electric powertrainsThe short-lived Renault Kadjar will be replaced by an all-new pure-electric SUV that will share much with the upcoming Megane E-Tech Electric and will be officially revealed at the Paris motor show in October 2022.
Confirming the Kadjar's switch to all-electric power, Renault engineering boss Gilles Le Borgne told Auto Express that his team was "already working on a new car in between the Megane [E-Tech Electric] and the Nissan Ariya for the year to come”.
Set to sit on the same dedicated CMF-EV platform as the Megane and Ariya, Le Borgne said the unnamed Kadjar replacement will measure in at around 4.7 metres long and ride on a generous wheelbase of up to 2780mm.
Those dimensions dwarf the current Kadjar, which meaures 4489mm long and has a less accommodating 2646mm wheelbase.
This bodes well for cabin space and could allow the mid-size Renault SUV to offer seven seats across three rows for the first time plus a big boot.
Helping headroom, the new SUV will get the same slimline battery pack that sits below the floor and boosts headroom compared to rival layouts.
The Kadjar-replacing SUV will come equipped with similar battery options to the Megane E-Tech Electric. "The line-up could easily fit our 60 [kWh battery]," confirmed Le Borgne, who added: “The maximum energy on board will be 87kWh”.
Expect a 500km range from the latter and, like the small Megane SUV, for the next Kadjar to offer 130kW DC fast-charging capable of topping up the power pack from 10 to 80 per cent in around 35 minutes.
As far as power goes, there will be a single-motor version that should deliver 160kW/300Nm – enough to enable the front-drive SUV to accelerate to 0-100km/h in less than eight seconds. Top speed is expected to be limited to 180km/h.
A more powerful (but still front-drive) 178kW version will also be offered, but all-wheel drive will be reserved for the hot 'Alpine' model that's set for a dual-motor set-up with 290kW/600Nm, borrowing from the closely related (but bigger) Nissan Ariya that sits on the same platform.
Inside, there will be Renault's Android Automotive-powered OpenR infotainment system that displays on a large 12-inch portrait-mounted touch-screen. Ahead of the driver will be a large 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. Over-the-air updates will keep the system relevant in future.
It's been tipped that the Renault Kadjar will be renamed when the next generation mid-size SUV goes on sale in late 2022 or early 2023.
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