Renault Kardian: half a class above expectations
After a detailed acquaintance with the new Renault Taliant and Renault Duster, it's time for the third new product - the Renault Kardian, which seems to occupy an intermediate position between the two aforementioned models. After all, the new Renault Kardian is built on a passenger car platform, but it has the features of a crossover; the car offers a lot of modern equipment that would be the envy of models in a class above; and it can also offer a miracle suspension. So, let's get into the details!
Design: crossover? A hatchback? All together?
These are the questions that arise at the first quick look at the exterior design of the Renault Kardian. At first glance, it seems that we are just looking at a passenger Taliant hatchback: the side panels and door shapes are unmistakably recognizable. But the front part is completely different: the fully LED headlights (not only the Taliant, but also the Duster will envy here ) are made in straight lines and with sharp corners, above them are thin strips of daytime running lights and turn signals. The rear part also attracts with its original optics: the C-shaped shape of the lights seems familiar, but the lights themselves are translucent and have black elements – it looks interesting, original, and youthful.
And also add the obligatory features of a crossover: increased ground clearance, numerous plastic protective pads, roof rails with the possibility of installing them as crossbars (although, for this you need to unscrew and tighten screws; but the key is included). And also add contrasting black elements: wheel rims, mirror housings; and also a black roof with a continuation in the form of a trunk lid spoiler. Once again: it looks interesting, original, in a youthful way.
The Renault Kardian car can best be described as a “cross-hatchback”: its body is undoubtedly defined as a 5-door B-class hatchback, but it is raised above the ground like that crossover. The dimensions of the car correspond to the segment: length – 4.12 meters; width – 1.76 meters; height (excluding roof rails) – 1.49 meters; wheelbase – 2.6 meters. Ground clearance is declared at 201 mm.
Similarly, the first glance at the interior of the Renault Kardian immediately reminds us of the Renault Taliant: the general shapes of the front panel, numerous horizontal lines and a black glossy insert, a center console with a large niche (however, there is no wireless charging at its base), a convenient climate control unit with three rings, and a multimedia system that we also encountered. Everything seems familiar; however, do not rush to conclusions.
Upon closer inspection, you notice a new steering wheel and a digital instrument panel (even if it is an option), which is already reminiscent of the Renault Duster - it looks modern. The seat trim is made with blue inserts; similar elements have found their place on the front panel - it looks nice. Even in small elements, the Renault Kardian car has found opportunities for improvement compared to the Taliant . I am talking about the door armrests being trimmed with eco-leather instead of fabric, as well as the reliable and firmly installed central armrest. True, the latter somewhat interferes with operating the handbrake lever; but it offers an additional niche.
As for the rear seats, they simply exist. There is more or less enough space (measurements are given below), there are headrests and pockets for small items, there are no ventilation deflectors and an armrest. There is nothing extraordinary in the trunk either: a volume of 398 liters, a two-story floor, a normal spare wheel and hooks for bags (this is a plus); at the same time, there is a minimal plastic panel on the inside of the trunk lid and a lot of metal (which is a minus).
The front of the Renault Kardian offers the familiar general outlines of the Renault Taliant, but in many small details it clearly stands out positively: the latest steering wheel and pleasant blue trim, better-finished door panels and armrest area. In addition, I must note that the landing is higher and more comfortable, the knee no longer rests on the armrest on the door, the roof pillars do not press above the head. Although there is nothing special behind: just seats and a trunk at the level of a budget B-class model.
Finally, I'll add a few of my own measurements of the interior. So, the length of the driver's seat cushion is 50 cm; the distance from the edge of the cushion to the accelerator pedal can vary in the range of 41-65 cm depending on the position of the seat. The height from the base of the driver's seat to the ceiling (measured along the backrest/headrest with the seat lowered as much as possible and with the backrest angle of about 110 degrees) is 98 cm.
As for the rear seat, the length of the space is 58-81 cm (from the base of the rear sofa to the back of the front seat, depending on the position of the front seat). The height of the space in the rear sofa is 93 cm.
Moving on to the trunk: the internal width of the trunk is slightly more than 100 cm, but take into account the large protrusions-locks for the 2-level trunk floor: they protrude by about 7.5 cm on the right/left. The depth of the trunk is 68-77 cm depending on the raised or lowered floor panel; after all, if this panel is lowered, additional space opens up to the rear sofa. And if you fold the rear sofa, you can transport long items up to 126 cm (length to the edge of the back of the folded back sofa of the rear row) or even up to 137 cm (up to the back of the front passenger seat).
In short, the dimensions of the cabin meet the expectations of the class of car; no more, but no less. On the positive side, even with the front seat pushed back as much as possible, there is still some space for the rear passengers. On the negative side, the floor panel retainers in the trunk protrude quite a bit.
Technology: familiar hardware, excellent details
We recall the Renault Taliant sedan again : a similar CMF - B platform, a similar independent front suspension and a semi-independent rear, a similar front-wheel drive only, a similar 3-cylinder 1-liter TCe 100 gasoline turbo engine, a similar choice between “mechanics” and “automatic” in the form of a CVT variator. Even the exhaust pipe is led out similarly – not back towards the rear bumper, but to the side behind the driver under the door of the second row of seats.
What Renault Kardian offers specifically is the M-mode of the variator: that is, the ability to manually shift "virtual" gears using paddles under the steering wheel. In addition, Renault Kardian unexpectedly offers several interesting systems in the list of equipment: the already familiar LED headlights and digital instrument panel, mirror "blind spot" control, comfortable interior lighting, Multi - Sense driving mode settings system, all-round visibility - and this is the level of Renault Duster and even a little higher!
Unfortunately, we offer the Renault Kardian with only one engine (no turbodiesel) – a 1-liter 3-cylinder petrol turbo engine. It develops 100 hp at 5000 rpm and 160 Nm of torque at 2000-3750 rpm (for the manual transmission version) or 142 Nm at 1750-4500 rpm (for the CVT version). The test car was provided in the CVT version; in this case, the following is promised: acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h – in 12.5 seconds; maximum speed – 169 km/h; fuel consumption in the urban cycle – 7.8 l per 100 km; fuel consumption in the extra-urban cycle – 5.3 l per 100 km. So…
Behind the wheel: a combination of Taliant and Duster
The impression of the engine and CVT gearbox is as close as possible to the Renault Taliant: also a leisurely start from a standstill, but then the smoothest possible acceleration and speed increase. When you press the accelerator pedal sharply, you can notice pauses in the variator, which takes a long time to select the necessary gear ratios and is in no hurry to change them. Therefore, for fans of dynamic driving (as far as this is possible for a liter engine), I recommend the version with a manual transmission. However, if you like leisurely movement, you will quickly find a common language with the Renault Kardian and its CVT variator. In the end, during the dynamics measurements, the car fulfilled the passport standard without any problems, steadily “leaving” the promised 12.5 seconds. At the same time, the noise level during maximum dynamic acceleration was within a maximum of 69-70 dB (measurement was performed with a Benetech GM 1352 device, placed between the driver and front passenger, microphone at the level of the driver's head) - and this is less than in some crossovers that are 1.5 times more expensive.
However, this result is fully and completely deserved by a fairly quiet engine, which is not very loud even at high (5-5.5 thousand) revolutions. However, if we talk about sound insulation in general, then both the sound of rolling tires and aerodynamic noise are clearly noticeable. In addition, next to the car you can constantly hear “boo-boo-boo” due to the special location of the exhaust system. If for the driver and front passenger these sounds are barely noticeable, then behind the rumbling is more noticeable. Similarly, as are the somewhat noticeable vibrations of the suspension on bumps. After all, the driver and front passenger, who are seated in the center of the wheelbase, expect good comfort and energy efficiency of the suspension – this is what makes the Renault Kardian so similar to the Renault Duster.
You can race like in that rally car: we jump on the next ledge, fly through the next pothole – and we race on without slowing down! Of course, with such a suspension and a high body, the car has quite noticeable rolls. But taking into account the emphasized non-sharp steering wheel (more than three turns from lock to lock), we can’t talk about perfect steering clarity: we turned right and drove right – that’s already good. However, an unexpected plus is that you don’t have to think about the bumps in the turn that can knock the car off course: the energy-intensive miracle suspension will work everything out, gently rocking the body, but in the end it will allow you to rush through another portion of bumps on the way to the intended goal. Well, I admit: it is the suspension of the Renault Kardian that really reminds us of a crossover, and this is what can attract fans of trips on forest dirt roads. Or novice drivers who will make mistakes over and over again and end up in another pothole. To which the Renault Kardian will simply say: "it's okay, let's go on."
The engine and CVT are able to be smooth, although not very dynamic: the “hundred” is achieved in 12+ seconds – this is faster than promised by the passport, but a little slower compared to the Renault Taliant. Fuel consumption also more or less corresponds to the passport figures: in the city, on average, it turns out 7-7.5-8 liters, the minimum I got was 5.3 liters, the maximum was 9+ liters. On the highway at a speed of 100 km/h, fuel consumption was 5.5-6 liters per 100 km of the road. It does not leave the impression that the Renault Taliant with a similar engine and CVT variator was not only a little more dynamic, but also a little more economical. However, this is if we speak in the language of numbers; but if we speak in the language of emotions and impressions, then it was the Renault Kardian that turned out to be more pleasant in terms of overall driving character. Choosing between these two cars, I would take the Renault Kardian without hesitation.
Price: how much does Renault Kardian cost and who are the competitors
The Renault Kardian is available in Ukraine with only one engine, but offers a choice of two gearboxes and three trim levels; plus you can add various options. It is also worth noting that the Renault Kardian has a branded credit program, Renault Bonus, under the terms of which the car can be purchased on credit with a benefit of 90 thousand hryvnias.
The starting version of the Renault Kardian Evolution offers: front airbags, stabilization system, Full LED headlights , analog instrument panel and 3.5-inch on-board computer display, cruise control and speed limiter, air conditioning, power windows, Display Link multimedia system with 8-inch touch screen display, roof rails, steel wheels with hubcaps, etc. The standard price of the Renault Kardian 1.0 TCe 100 MKP-5 Evolution is from 813 thousand UAH ($19.8 thousand); the price of the Renault Kardian 1.0 TCe 100 CVT Evolution is from 867 thousand UAH ($21.1 thousand); under the Renault Bonus program, the price is 90 thousand UAH less.
The Renault Kardian Techno version is located one level higher , where the following is added: side airbags, light and rain sensor, hands-free key card (keyless access and engine start with a button), climate control, rear parking sensors and a rearview camera, modulated roof rails (can be reinstalled as crossbars), 16-inch alloy wheels, black roof, etc. The standard price of the Renault Kardian 1.0 TCe 100 MKP-5 Techno is from 867 thousand UAH ($21.1 thousand); the price of the Renault Kardian 1.0 TCe 100 CVT Techno is from 921.5 thousand UAH ($22.5 thousand); under the Renault Bonus program, the price is 90 thousand UAH less.
The maximum option is the Renault Kardian Iconic , which is distinguished by the following: blind spot mirror control, LED fog lights, a 7-inch digital instrument panel, a Multi - Sense driving mode selection system , all-round view cameras, a combined interior trim with fabric and eco-leather, alloy wheels with diamond grinding, etc. The standard price of the Renault Kardian Iconic 1.0 TCe 100 CVT Techno is from 962 thousand UAH ($23.5 thousand); under the Renault Bonus program, the price is 90 thousand UAH less.
The test car was presented in the Techno trim level, which already means a good list of equipment: black alloy 16-inch wheels, roof rails and a black roof, a hands-free key card (keyless access), climate control, a rearview camera. Plus, additional options were installed in the form of a digital instrument panel and LED fog lights. By the way, all this is already included in the Iconic trim level, which also offers control of the “blind spots” of the mirrors, a choice of driving modes, a surround view system: great! But the Renault Kardian Iconic car costs a lot - at a price of under 1 million UAH, you can already look towards the Renault Duster.
Who are the competitors? The answer to this question depends on the perception of the car. If you perceive the Renault Kardian as a traditional 5-door hatchback, then the competitors can be Citroen C 3 and Suzuki Swift. In this case, Renault Kardian wins due to its larger overall dimensions, high ground clearance and cross-hinges. If you perceive Renault Kardian as a compact crossover, then the competitors can be Skoda Kamiq, Toyota Yaris Cross, Hyundai Venue, SEAT Arona and numerous other models. In this case, Renault Kardian wins due to its lower price (also taking into account the Renault Bonus loan offer on special terms). So, the results regarding competitors - they are present, there are a lot of them; but the car itself has several "trump cards" to fight for buyers' wallets. And now the results in general.