A mysterious Renault prototype was spotted in a frozen car park wearing the bodyshell of the Kadjar SUV, inviting a fairly obvious question: what is Renault working on?

The most obvious answer to this question is that this is a testbed for the next-generation Kadjar but something tells us that it might not be the case.

The test mule appears to have wider tracks than the current Kadjar, making use of plastic fenders on the huge wheel wells.

The lack of an exhaust coming out from the back might lead some people into assuming that this is an electric prototype, but look closely on the image showing the rear floor and you’ll see that the car does have an exhaust fitted just in front of the rear axle.

The same shot reveals that the test mule was equipped with a rear-wheel steering system, a feature that Renault is using in current models like the Talisman and the Megane RS.

The French automaker is planning to use the feature on more models in the future, which makes sense as it will give them an advantage in terms of handling and maneuverability.

Whatever Renault’s plan with this mule is, we’ll be following them closely to find out more information so stay tuned.

Image Credits: CarPix for CarScoops