Silly SUV names
Kadjar! Bentayga! F-Pace! Why has crossover christening gone so strange?
Meet the Fif Trixibelles and the Brooklyns of the automotive world. Cover your ears
What’s that big-badged Renault?
That big-badged Renault is France’s new Qashqai-based Qashqai rival, the Kadjar.
Bless you.
Thank you. The Kadjar is not alone in the Weird SUV Names department. Last month, Bentley announced its longawaited, £140,000-plus SUV will be called Bentayga: named for, we’re told, a rock formation in the Canary Isles, not a wonky big cat. And Jag’s crossover – previewed by last year’s C-X17 – will wear the nameplate ‘F-Pace’, apparently referencing Jag’s motto of ‘grace, pace and space’.
Why the spate of silly names?
Facetious it might sound, but most of the good words have already been nabbed, or trademarked for future nameplates. Truth is, the English language’s stock of inspiring animals, meteorological events and otherworldly spirits has been pretty much extinguished.
It’s a particular problem for SUVs, because manufacturers don’t seem to be prepared to grace their rufty-tufty crossovers with anything so simple as a letters ’n’ numbers combo, instead wishing their nameplates to evolve lusty notions of adventure and freedom. Renault’s explanation for Kadjar? “KAD- is inspired by ‘quad’, representing a go-anywhere, four-wheeled vehicle, and -JAR recalls the French words ‘agile’ and ‘jaillir’. The sound and spelling of the name have an exotic feel, [and] the initial letter ‘K’ is indicative of the model’s robustness.”
So not an accident in a Scrabble factory?
Renault is no doubt delighted to have happed upon a combination of letters that shouldn’t cause offence in any language. The Pajero – known as the Shogun over here – famously meant ‘onanist’ in Spanish, while the Greeks found the Koleos – the precursor to the Kadjar – off-puttingly close to their word for ‘balls’. Consider, too, that English-speaking markets are no longer necessarily the heartland of SUV sales, with manufacturers lasering in on China and Russia. Those without English as a frst language are likely less struck by the linguistic oddity of Kadjars and Bentaygas.
Lucky for them.
Remember, time heals all wounds. ‘Qashqai’ sounded pretty damn odd back in 2006, and we’ve all just about got used to that. Perhaps, a decade from now, you’ll be able to say, “I’ve just bought a… Kadjar!” without bystanders assuming you’ve caught your leg in a bear trap.