Kadjar’s adrift in a sea of Qashqais

Sardinia swung it for me. That’s where Renault decided to hold the test drives of its facelifted Kadjar SUV, a car that you’re probably only familiar with if you a) work at a Renault dealership, or b) have one on your drive.

It is essentially Renault’s version of alliance partner Nissan’s Qashqai – same platform and mechanicals, different styling.

This new facelift is pretty subtle, just the usual front-end job and rear light tweak. However, the new car does look fresher and more distinctive. That said, a visit to the stunning Italian island was a bigger draw than driving a slightly modified SUV.

My biking mates over on the left, Geoff and Fraser, will be familiar with the 1970s motorcycling acronym UJM. It stood for Universal Japanese Motorcycle and was a slightly derogatory term used to describe a four-cylinder bike from the land of the rising sun.

The Kadjar is a UAC, which stands for Universal Average Crossover. I just made this term up and I think it works for many of the SUVS and crossovers on sale Renault Kadjar GT Line fivedoor SUV

1.3-litre today – competent and effective but they could have been built by any manufacturer. In fact, there are 40 different models in the class that the Kadjar sits in.

Anyway, we have two engines to choose from and they’re both new: a 1.3-litre petrol with either 138bhp or 157bhp, and a 1.5-litre diesel with 114bhp or 157bhp. If you want a four-wheel-drive Kadjar then you’ll get the more