Practicality 4.5/ 5

THERE’S a 485-litre boot in the Ateca, which is more than in the Kadjar, plus the tailgate opening is wide. There’s no underfloor storage in the 4WD SEAT, but you can add it to the front-drive car for £115.

The back seats fold using levers in the boot, and the maximum volume of 1,604 litres is well ahead of the Renault’s. When upright, the rear seats offer head and legroom that’s on par with its rival, and there’s plenty of wheel and seat adjustment for the driver to get comfortable. You sit a little lower in the Ateca, but there’s still a good view ahead.

Storage includes good door bins, a slot ahead of the gearlever where the optional phone charging pad sits, and a useful cubby by the steering wheel.

SO far, the Renault Kadjar has beaten all class rivals to secure a string of road test victories, thanks to its mix of style, practicality, refinement and low running costs. Renault used the Nissan Qashqai as the basis for its crossover, but the French firm has added enough individual touches to make it stand out.

Power comes from a 1.2 turbo petrol engine, or 1.5 and 1.6 dci diesels, while four-wheel drive is offered on top-spec models. Here we test the 1.6 dci Signature S Nav 4WD, which weighs in at £28,195.

Styling 3.9/ 5

WHILE Renault started with the Qashqai, the Kadjar has a look that bears no resemblance to its Japanese cousin. You can see that the door handles are the same as the Qashqai’s, but every exterior panel is unique, and the rounded design holds plenty of appeal.

The Kadjar is longer and fractionally taller than its Ateca rival and you can notice the size difference. Renault’s current corporate identity sets the nose apart; it’s dominated by a vast diamond badge and a curved grille that flows to a pair of sharp LED headlamps. The eye-catching effect is completed by elongated, C-shaped daytime running lights.

Lower down, there’s black plastic trim on the bumpers, while the grey cladding on the doors is broken up by a flash of chrome. Stylish creases follow the curved wheelarches around the body, while the smart 19-inch two-tone alloys are standard – the same size wheels on the Ateca are a £670 option.

At the back, the rounded tailgate is a little awkward, with a hump under the glass. This shape does provide a decent boot, though, and rear visibility is good. Overall, the Kadjar is an appealing looking crossover, and while our car’s white paint doesn’t stand out as much as the Ateca’s orange, Renault’s optional metallic red can turn heads just as effectively.

The slick design continues inside, with one highlight being the easy-to-use TFT dash layout that looks bright and modern compared to the SEAT’S familiar dials. The air vents in our car felt a little flimsy, but plenty of soft-touch plastics are used throughout and, overall, the Kadjar appears solidly built, with flashes of gloss-black plastic and matt silver creating an upmarket ambience.

Driving 3.9/ 5

THE Renault’s Nissan roots extend to the engine line-up, and the 128bhp 1.6-litre diesel is shared with the Qashqai. That means it’s smaller and less powerful than the Ateca’s 2.0 TDI, although a 320Nm torque figure is only 20Nm down on the SEAT.

Unlike other versions of the Kadjar, the fourwheel-drive model has a switch on the dash that allows you to deactivate the traction control in slippery conditions. However, even with the system switched off, we could only manage 0-60mph in 10.6 seconds, which was seven tenths slower than Renault’s claimed time, and 1.6 seconds slower than the Ateca. Whatever you do, the engine limits revs to 3,000rpm, restricting your ability to get the car off the line. The traction control re-engages at 30mph, too.

Still, the Kadjar was faster than the Ateca in gear, covering 50-70mph in sixth in 9.8 seconds, which was 1.7 seconds up on the SEAT. This is explained by the Renault’s shorter gearing, as the engine turns at 2,200rpm at 70mph, whereas its rival registers 1,800rpm at the same speed. It’s responsive enough, and picks up from 1,500rpm, but the Ateca is faster to react to throttle inputs. The Renault’s six-speed box has a smooth action, although it’s not as precise and satisfying to use as its rival’s set-up. But while the Kadjar’s handling isn’t the most involving, it always feels secure and composed on the road.

Renault uses a system called Understeer Logic Control that applies the brakes to help the car hold its line in corners, but the system doesn’t feel as natural as the SEAT’S standard XDS electronic diff.

On the plus side, the Kadjar scores strongly for refinement, even though the 19-inch wheel and tyre combination delivered more road noise than the SEAT’S identical set-up. The suspension also struggled with poor surfaces; the car fidgeted and crashed around more than the Ateca. Still, the interior is well insulated from wind noise.

Ownership 4.2/ 5

. IN recent years, Renault has been striving to improve its image. The brand ranked eighth in Driver Power 2016, 10 places ahead of SEAT. Its garages couldn’t match that result in our most recent dealer poll, but 12th place is respectable, especially as SEAT’S garages were left floundering in 27th.

The Renault uses tried-and-tested mechanicals, so it’s likely to be reliable, plus its four-year/100,000mile warranty is a year more than SEAT’S. It’s backed up by breakdown recovery for the same period.

Euro NCAP gave the Kadjar a five-star crash test rating, thanks to its six airbags, side impact bars and emergency brake assist. Signature models add traffic sign recognition and lane departure warning, which emits a bassy rumble through the speakers to warn you of any transgression. However, autonomous braking is a £200 option; it’s standard on the SEAT.

Running costs 4.4/ 5

GO for a Kadjar Signature S 4WD, and it carries a £770 premium over the top-spec Ateca. Sat-nav, leather, DAB radio, keyless go, an upgraded Bose stereo and LED headlamps all feature, although the SEAT is similarly equipped. If you can forego heated leather seats, self-parking and blind spot warning, the non-s version is £630 less than the Ateca.

The Renault’s emissions of 129g/km are slightly higher than the 4WD SEAT’S, so company car costs are marginally higher, but both have annual tax of £110.

We managed 46.4mpg on test, which was around 3mpg ahead of the SEAT, while Renault’s threeyear/60,000-mile service plan costs £399. Neither car has spectacular residuals, but the Renault is slightly ahead, at 41.4 per cent.

Practicality 4.3/ 5

THERE’S a 472-litre boot in the Kadjar, which is only 13 litres behind the Ateca, plus you can remove the false floor to create 527 litres of space. Unfortunately, you can’t opt for a space-saver spare wheel as the room is taken up by a subwoofer for the Bose stereo.

The load area is well shaped, and you get a roll-out load cover instead of a parcel shelf. As in the SEAT, there are levers in the boot to fold the back seats and create 1,478 litres of space, and a flat load area, although it’s 126 litres smaller than in the Ateca.

Rear space is similar to its rival, while the standard panoramic glass makes it feel very spacious, but the transmission tunnel eats into foot space. Cabin storage is well thought out, with a decent glovebox, two-level centre armrest bin and a 12V socket in the rear.