Compact SUV segment has grown exponentially in India over the past few years. People, these days, tend to prefer compact SUVs over the premium hatchbacks and compact sedans. Now almost every car manufacturer has its offering in the segment. And Renault Kiger is the latest offering from Renault’s stable to the growing compact SUV market. We tell you in this article how does the Kiger compares to its rivals? And more importantly should you consider buying one?
Let us first see how the Renault Kiger looks from outside as well as from inside.
Table of Contents
Exterior
Take a glance at the Renault Kiger and you will be reminded of the Renault Kwid. But once you move closer or pay attention, you will realise how big the Kiger is as compared to Kwid. The front sports the dual layers for the lights. The above layer houses DRLs and the lower layer houses the elegant looking LED headlights. In the middle of the front grill sits a big Renault logo with two chrome lines. Overall the front end looks bold and muscular and has plenty of road presence.
As you move to the side, the Renault Kiger does not disappoint you either. The chunky wheel arches cladding give it a SUVish look. The 16 inches tyres get diamond cut alloys. They fit nicely with the design and also look quite sporty. As move slight backwards you will notice the slopping roof line that give the Kiger a coupe like look.
Come to back side and the good story continues. The back of the Kiger sports a C-shaped LED tail lights that look decent enough. Overall the back of the Renault Kiger looks bold and muscular too. And the split rear spoiler also gives it a sporty look as well.
Interior
Step inside in the driver seat and you will find a nicely designed and built steering wheel. It looks quite premium and also the control buttons on the steering wheel are of good quality. Next thing you will notice is the well designed digital instrument cluster. That offers various information and also changes the theme according to the drive mode selected.
Next to the instrument console is the 8 inch floating touch screen infotainment system. It is quite responsive and the touch feedback is also quite impressive. Below the touch screen are good quality buttons for door lock, front defogger etc. And below the buttons are AC controls that have built in displays and offer a good feedback. The overall layout of the touch screen and AC controls look good.
One thing that we like the most about the Renault Kwid is small and practical storage spaces that are provided in the car. You get bottle holders on all four doors. There are two glove boxes. You also get 2 mobile holders below the AC controls. One of them also acts as wireless mobile charger. Then you get plenty of storage spaces around the gear lever as well. You also get the armrest at the rear seat which also has cup and mobile holder as well. Overall there is plenty of space available to keep all your nick knacks.
Space
Renault Kiger is the sub four meters compact SUV but it amazes you with the kind of space that it provides.
You will never find an issue of space at front seats of any car. So is the case with the Kiger. But it also does not disappoint you at the rear and you get lots of knee and leg space to stretch your legs.
Now in a normal car if you get good front and rear seat space it is quite obvious to get lower boot space. But it is not the case with Renault Kiger. In fact you get a class leading boot space of 405 liters. However, there is a catch. It is class leading but it is also quite deep. And putting in and taking out those heavy luggage will take a toll on you back.
Safety and Features
On the features front the Renault Kiger also scores good with almost all necessary features. The feature list includes:
- 8 inch touch screen infotainment system
- Navigation system
- Android auto and Apple car play
- Arkamys 3D surround sound
- Keyless entry and go
- Ambient lighting
- Automatic climate control
- Rear AC vents
- Cooled glove box
- Wireless charges
- ABS with EBD
- ISOFIX child seat mounts
- Rear parking sensors
- Front parking sensors
- Rear view camera
- 4 Airbags
- 3 Drive modes
However the Renault Kiger misses out on the cruise control and Sunroof.
Engine
Renault Kiger comes with two engine options. Both are 1.0 litre three cylinder engines. One is naturally aspirated and other is turbo-petrol engine.
The 1.0 litre naturally aspirated engine produces maximum power of 72bhp and maximum torque of 96Nm. It comes with two transmission options. One option is with 5-speed manual transmission and another option is with 5-speed AMT transmission.
The 1.0 litre turbo petrol engine produces maximum power of 100bhp and maximum torque of 160Nm. It also comes with two transmission options. One option is with 5-speed manual transmission and another option is with CVT automatic transmission.
Renault Kiger does not come with a diesel engine option.
Drive and Handling
Both the engines do the job perfectly in the city and on the highway too. But the 1.0 litre naturally aspirated engine feels underpowered on the highways. It is not as quick as its turbo-petrol counterpart.
If you are a car enthusiast then you should definitely opt for the turbo-petrol engine. It is much quicker and responsive. But if you are someone who is just want a family car and wants to save money upfront and does not care much about the acceleration. Then you should definitely go for the naturally aspirated engine, it gets the job done.
There are 3 different ride modes on offer (Eco, Normal and Sport). The accelerator response as well as the steering response is altered according to the mode selected.
The difference is less noticeable in the 1.0litre naturally aspirated engine. But you can surely notice it much in the turbo-petrol engine option.
Renault Kiger has light clutch as well as the steering is also on the lighter side. The gearbox is also crisp. All these factors make the car a good handler and it feels sure footed around the corners as well as on the highways.
Cost
The cost of Renault Kiger starts from 5.45 lakhs ex-showroom Delhi for the base model. And goes all the way up to 9.72 lakhs ex-showroom Delhi for the top model. At this price point it is the cheapest compact SUV available in India right now.
Color Options
Verdict
Now comes the most important question. Should you buy one?
Definitely yes, you should consider and buy one.
At the price point that it is launched, it is the most affordable compact SUV available in India right now. It offers a decent amount of features, which are more than enough for everyday use. Sure it does misses out on certain features but they are not deal breaker.
It also gets a good 1.0 litre turbo-petrol engine that is powerful enough and offers a fun driving experience.
And space is one area where the Renault has given a good emphasis and has provided ample amount of space everywhere in the car.
Overall the value for money that the Renault Kiger is offering is very hard to match. And you should definitely try and buy one if you are looking for a compact SUV.
If you want to check other options, you can also check Best SUVs in 2021 in India right now.
If you still have some doubts or questions or have a valuable suggestion for us, please feel free to comment below.
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