Renault Kiger

Renault Kiger

The Renault Kiger is a stunner and it has been a good competitor in the sub-compact SUV space in recent times. It is distinctly different from its sibling, the Nissan Magnite, and offers good features as well. 

How is the design? 

The Renault Kiger was already a handsome compact SUV and the new version takes it further with the neat body creases and good proportions. The car now gets turbo decals for its door panels along with the red Renault badging for the central portion of its stylish 16-inch machined alloy wheels and the brand new stealth black color. The Kiger also has a front skid plate along with the tailgate chrome strip and the ORVMs and door handles are also blacked out for a premium touch. There is no denying that the Renault Kiger is one of the most striking lookers in this segment. 

How does it perform? 

The Kiger comes with a 1.0 litre three cylinder petrol engine in various tune states, including two turbocharged avatars while the top-end version comes with a CVT unit as well. The Kiger also offers manual transmission and Easy-R AMT options. There is also the X-TRONIC CVT unit with the 1.0L Turbo (this also gets a manual transmission option). The turbocharged engine is sporty and punchy, while it does not feel underpowered in most scenarios. Yet, there is a certain dullness of the CVT unit that is a sore point. The Kiger offers eco, sport, and normal driving modes while the sport mode helps the car offer more lively performance with improved gearbox responses alongside. The regular petrol engine is par for the course with its performance nothing to write home about. However, it does well on city roads for the most part. 

How’s the mileage?

• Petrol Manual- 20.5 kmpl
• Petrol Automatic- 19.03 kmpl 

How’s the driving experience? 

The Renault Kiger can take rough roads and potholes with relative ease due to its compact dimensions and the McPherson strut front suspension setup. Yet, it does make some noise over potholes and bad roads. This is one issue that Renault should smoothen out for future variants. The Kiger is overall fun to drive and this mainly comes from the turbocharged engine and its light weight. There are some initial engine vibrations which ease out as you drive the vehicle for longer durations. The suspension system can take bumps but does not absorb them in a comfortable manner in several cases. The ride is more comfortable at times when you are driving at higher speeds with lower vibrations. The suspension is slightly stiffer although there is better stability at higher speeds. Another aspect is the lack of responses from the steering wheel, which curbs the driving experience. The brakes are also unresponsive in many cases. 

What’s the interior like?

The Renault Kiger gets more equipment including a wireless charger as a standard feature throughout its variants. The interior has a red and vibrant theme now with blacked-out fabric seats and red stitching along with a quilted feel. The cruise control feature is another helpful addition. The interior theme is easy to maintain and clean and looks smart alongside. The digital instrument console changes as per your chosen driving mode and is easy to use, as is the 8 inch touch screen infotainment unit. There is also a good sound system with eight speakers, although audio quality is not that great. The wireless charger is a handy feature while there are 405 litres of boot space available. The rear is best recommended for two adults instead of three people. Fit and finish is also not that good. The overall space at the rear is decent through. 

Tech and infotainment

The Renault Kiger now has a wireless charger as a standard feature throughout its variants. There is also cruise control along with an 8 inch touch screen infotainment unit with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and an Arkamys eight-speaker audio system. There is also a digital instrument console along with eco, sport and normal driving modes. There is also a PM 2.5 atmospheric filter, electrically-folding ORVMs, a cooled glove box, automatic air conditioning, ambient lighting, and many other features. 

Safety equipment

Some of the Renault Kiger’s top safety features include four airbags, ISOFIX child seat anchor points, seat belt warnings, speed-sensing door locks, over-speed warnings, anti-theft engine immobilizer, and central locking. 

Which variant to buy? 

The Renault Kiger offers good value for money with the mid-range RXT variant. The 1.0 litre turbo-petrol engine is a better option for buyers as well. The RXE variant only gets the regular engine and manual transmission, although it comes with decent features including dual airbags, EBD, ABS, rear parking sensors, LED tail lamps and DRLs, roof rails, an LED instrument cluster, manual AC and front power windows. The RXL is ideal for budget buyers since it gets a Bluetooth and USB audio unit, four speakers, rear AC, power adjustable ORVMs, rear power windows, tilt-adjust steering and some other kit. The extra premium is not as much as you would imagine in this case. The best value for money comes from the RXT variant that gets the rear camera, side airbags, all powertrain choices, rear wiper, ISOFIX anchors, the 8 inch infotainment system, connectivity features, 60:40 split folding rear seats, and more. It is not as costly over the RXT. The RXZ has all the bells and whistles including the 7 inch digital instrument console, Arkamys audio system, rear defogger, and more. However, it is quite expensive in comparison to the RXT. 

Which cars compete in this segment? 

The Renault Kiger takes on the Hyundai Venue, Kia Sonet, Tata Nexon, Mahindra XUV300, Ford EcoSport, Nissan Magnite, Toyota Urban Cruiser, and the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza in its segment. It is one of the smallest cars in the category and is somewhere in the middle in terms of its height. The Kiger has a 2,500 mm wheelbase like many of its rivals as well. It has the highest boot space in this category though. However, it also has the smallest fuel tank in this category with its sibling, the Magnite. The Kiger offers segment-est cabin space as claimed by Renault. The Kiger’s regular petrol engine has the lowest output in the segment along with the Magnite. The turbo petrol engine is also underpowered in comparison to the Kia Sonet and Hyundai Venue and even the XUV300. However, low kerb weight may enable sportier performance in case of the Renault Kiger. The Kiger is priced quite aggressively though and this could be a win-win for several buyers in this segment. 

Verdict (Value for Money) 

The Renault Kiger offers an aggressive and attractive price tag along with good features, safety equipment, a turbo petrol engine and a stylish design. While it has its fair share of handling and driving issues, the overall proposition is still enticing for any buyer in the segment, particularly for the price tag and overall value for money.