Renault Kardian Unveiled: Here Are 5 Things You Should Know

The Renault Kardian marks the debut of the carmaker’s new modular platform as well as a freshly developed 1-litre, 3-cylinder turbo-petrol engine with a 6-speed DCT

The Renault Kardian is the newest SUV from the French marque for certain markets outside of Europe, including Latin America. It was unveiled at Renault’s recently held press conference in Rio de Janeiro, as part of its global plan till 2027. Here’re 5 things you should know about the Renault SUV:

Based On New Modular Platform

At the event, Renault announced a new modular platform for 4 different global markets, including Latin America and India. The Renault Kardian is the first model based on this freshly developed architecture, which supports cars measuring between 4 and 5 metres in length. Renault’s new compact SUV is 4120mm long, 2025mm wide (including ORVMs), 1596mm tall (including roof rails), and has a 2604mm long wheelbase. Its ground clearance stands at 209mm.

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Design Details Inside And Out

The Renault Kardian has a sharp fascia, sporting an all-LED headlight setup and a gloss-black panel insert in the grille which sports multiple rhombuses resembling the Renault badge. Those LED DRLs are reminiscent of the Hammer-style Volvo headlights. Its bumper houses a big air dam, a silver skid plate, front parking sensors and fog lamps, and the radar for the advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).

Its profile is highlighted by the pronounced functional roof rails (capable of carrying loads of up to 80kg), 17-inch dual-tone alloy wheels, and the floating roof-like effect. At the back, the SUV has a simpler look, which is dominated by the Renault Kiger-like C-shaped LED taillights, and a chunky bumper featuring a silver skid plate as well.

Renault has opted for an all-black cabin theme for the Kardian, with silver accents on the steering wheel, AC vents, and the centre console. There’s also a gloss-black insert on the dashboard, which runs the width of the dashboard and houses all the AC vents. The SUV gets fabric upholstery and contrast orange stitching on the door pads, front centre armrest, and even on the seats, with the Renault logo embossed on them. Renault has also equipped it with a more modern joystick-styled gear selector, similar to the one seen on the Citroen eC3 and C5 Aircross.

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Could Inspire The Renault Kiger Facelift

These design changes could inspire the look of the facelifted Renault Kiger, which we believe might be introduced sometime in 2024. Like the exterior, we feel Renault could take design cues from the Kardian’s cabin as well while updating the Kiger’s interior.

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Features And Safety

The Renault Kardian gets a 7-inch digital driver’s display, an 8-inch touchscreen system (with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay), 8-colour ambient lighting, paddle shifters, wireless phone charging, and auto AC. It also gets a total of 4 USB ports (2 at the front and 2 at the rear).

Its safety kit includes a total of 6 airbags, electronic stability control (ESC), an electronic parking brake, and a 360-degree camera. It also has 13 ADAS features, consisting of adaptive cruise control, autonomous-emergency braking, and front collision warning.

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A Brand New Powertrain

The Renault Kardian will also mark the debut of a new powertrain in the French carmaker’s lineup. It features a new 1-litre, 3-cylinder turbo-petrol engine with direct injection, rated at 120PS and 220Nm. It will come coupled with a 6-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT), a first for Renault’s offerings in Latin America. The Kardian has 3 driving modes: Eco, Sport and MySense.

Although the Kardian isn’t likely to make its way here, Renault will bring the third-generation Duster to India in a couple of years, which is set to break cover soon. Till then, let us know what you make of the Renault Kardian and whether you would want to see it in India.