THE Captur has helped Renault stamp its mark on the crossover market and now the French car maker is going for the big time with a larger model called the Kadjar.

It's being pitched against the likes of the Ford Kuga and Hyundai's new Tucson as well as the top selling Nissan Qashqai with which the Kadjar has a fair bit in common.

As part of the Renault-Nissan alliance the Kadjar and the Qashqai share much of their underpinnings although from the outside they are significantly different.

When it comes to styling the Kadjar is very much the Captur's bigger brother and as such looks bang on trend.

It is also competitively priced with the 18 model range running from £17,995 to £26,295.

There are three engines available - a 1.2-litre turbo petrol boosted to 130ps and two diesels, Renault's capable 1.5-litre block which develops 110ps and the higher powered 1.6-litre dCi which produces 130ps.

With the 1.6-litre onboard that Kadjar can be had as a 4x4 although the bulk will be front wheel drive.

In top specification Signature Nav trim the Kadjar dCi 130 is priced from £24,795 and comes dressed to impress with the likes of LED headlamps, lane departure warning and a multimedia system operated from a seven-inch touchscreen which includes a TomTom sat nav.

There is also a panoramic sunroof, skid plates front and rear and a Bose hi-fi complete with badging on the front kickplates and the wings.

Decked out with leather upholstery and carbon-effect inserts flanking the instruments this particular Kadjar cost £27,470 but like for like is still good value.

As a two wheel drive, six speed manual with stop/start it is nicely economical with Renault claiming an official fuel return of 62.8mpg and emissions of 117g/km.

An eco mode can be engaged for added fuel efficiency and on our run the Kadjar managed to average 42.4mpg which is more than acceptable for a vehicle of such proportions.

On the road it handles without drama and the power from the engine is adequate under all circumstances.

Inside, the Kadjar is roomy all round with a good amount of space in the rear. Luggage space ranges from 472 to 1,478 litres with a quick release function for the back seats making conversion easy. Additional underfloor storage is also available.

An electric parking brake is standard which makes for a clutter-free centre console that incorporates a deep storage area beneath the armrest.

The front seat passenger also has a grab handle to the side of the gear lever although that is a feature which would normally only come into play on the four-wheel-drive versions.

Among the £3,000 worth of options on the car were automatic parking, a reversing camera, blind spot warning, emergency braking and heated front seats which made it as complete as most would need.

From a peace of mind perspective the Kadjar comes with a four year/100,000 mile warranty with unlimited mileage for the first two years and service intervals are at 18,000 miles.

And for anyone wondering where the name comes from Renault says it is an amalgam of the French pronunciation of quad and of jaillir, which means to emerge quickly - so Kadjar is an agile SUV.

Whatever the reasoning the Kadjar is a car which is capable on all fronts and one which will appeal especially to those who want a vehicle which is stylish and contemporary. It works with the Captur and there's no reason to suspect anything different with the bigger version.