Renault's 7-seat SUV set to rival X-Trail: more details

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Captur, Kadjar and one other: growing Renault crossover range to get a seven-seat flagship rivalling Nissan’s X-Trail

Renault is on the crossover offensive. Following the unveiling of the brand’s new Nissan Qashqai rival, the Kadjar, bosses have announced that an even larger seven-seater designed to take on the X-Trail is currently under development.

Expected to appear in 2017, the new Renault will also have to fend off the likes of the Hyundai Santa Fe and Skoda’s forthcoming SUV for sales. At Geneva Motor Show 2015, we learned further details of how Renault's family-sized SUV will take shape.

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Designed to sit above the Kadjar in the range, the forthcoming D-segment crossover will retain familiar Renault styling cues, design boss Laurens van den Acker told us: “It’s much more than just a big Kadjar – the proportions are slightly different, the positioning is more high end. We are going for a different type of customer. It will sit just underneath the Espace, which for me remains the flagship of the brand.” Our exclusive images show how the newcomer could look. 

• Read the full story on the new Renault Kadjar here

And he allayed fears that the new model will take sales away from the Espace, which is also a seven-seater. “Not many markets will take the D-crossover [the big SUV] and the Espace. The D crossover is mainly for Asia, where it will replace the Koleos, and there is no Espace in Asia. It will be sportier, it will be younger than the Espace.”

Meanwhile, senior vice president, marketing, Michael Van Der Sande said the new car will probably continue the naming strategy established on the Captur and Kadjar. “There is a fairly high chance the name wiil start with a C or a K,” he said.

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As with the Kadjar, when it comes to developing the new crossover, Renault will take advantage of its alliance with Nissan. The recently introduced X-Trail is not only expected to be a main rival, but it’ll also provide a large portion of the newcomer’s mechanical underpinnings. 

The CMF platform produced by the Renault-Nissan alliance already underpins a range of crossover models such as the Qashqai, Kadjar and X-Trail, and is expected to serve as a basis for Renault’s seven-seater, too. That means the 130bhp 1.6-litre diesel offered in the X-Trail would fit nicely into place. As with its Japanese cousin, the seven-seat configuration is expected to be a cost option. 

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Although the likely 2017 launch for the crossover is some time away, Renault has several new models in the pipeline that’ll keep it busy in the meantime. A hotter version of the quirky rear-engined Twingo city car is expected soon, along with a pick-up truck and a replacement for the Laguna saloon that will rival the Ford Mondeo and VW Passat.

What it has to beat

Here are the SUV class leaders that Renault faces…

Hyundai Santa Fe

Auto Express’ reigning SUV of the year, the Santa Fe offers outstanding value for money wrapped in a stylish and premium package.

Kia Sorento

The Sorento shares a large proportion of its DNA with the Santa Fe - and the new-generation model looks and drives better than ever.

Land Rover Discovery Sport

At the more premium end of the market sits the new Discovery Sport, with great off-road ability and advanced tech.

Nissan X-Trail

The X-Trail will donate much of its DNA to Renault’s crossover. It looks good and drives well, and all for a competitive price, too. 

Skoda SUV 

Our exclusive image shows an all-new Skoda SUV which is due next year. The seven-seater will be the brand’s first foray into this end of the SUV market.