Renault says upcoming crossover SUV will be called the Kadjar, means ‘agile quad’

By Andrew Hard January 26, 2015

In the world of odd car names, Renault throws down with the best of ‘em.

Twizy? Twingo? Kangoo? Are we sure these aren’t children’s cartoon characters?

Joking aside, quirkiness is one of the French brand’s biggest selling points, as we wouldn’t have it any other way.

To continue that theme, Renault has announced the name of its upcoming crossover SUV, which will be called the Kadjar.

It’s “a new name for a new crossover,” the automaker says, and the Kadjar will be the manufacturer’s first foray into the C-segment.

What does Kadjar mean? Well, nothing really, it’s an amalgamation of different references and roots. ‘Kad’ is inspired by the world ‘quad,’ the casual term for a four-wheeled all-terrain vehicle. ‘Jar’ is a throwback to the French words ‘agile’ and ‘jaillir,’ which means to emerge quickly.

If we’re to take the vehicle’s moniker as a clue, the crossover should be sporty, off-road capable, and adventurous. Unfortunately, it’s all guesswork for now, because Renault hasn’t released any official details of the car.

All we know is that it will “fit seamlessly with Renault’s existing B-segment crossover,” the Captur (pictured). The Kadjar will likely inherit design cues from the smaller Captur, and may ride on the CMF platform that’s been co-developed with Nissan. It will still compete with the Nissan Qashqai overseas, though, and the Skoda Yeti could also be in the Kadjar’s sights.

A social media campaign, beginning today, will slowly reveal the Kadjar through teaser pictures and videos over the next week.

The SUV will make its online debut on February 2nd, and is scheduled for an in-the-metal unveiling at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show in March.

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Andrew first started writing in middle school and hasn't put the pen down since. Whether it's technology, music, sports, or…

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