Renault Kiger Overview
This new compact SUV is the Renault Kiger, and it’s the French carmakers. A cool, new entry into the hot segment. Where does it fit? And what does it stand out for? These are questions we’ll be answering throughout this article. To understand where the Renault Kiger fits in. It is essential to talk of the range first.
Specification & Engine Options
The Renault Kiger 1.0 lineup comprises:-
A 72 horsepower & 96 NM of torque. It’s a three-cylinder one-liter naturally aspirated petrol engine. That’s available with a five-speed manual and five-speed amt gearboxes.
The Renault Kiger 1.0 Turbo
There’s also the option of a 100 horsepower & 160 NM of Torque one-liter turbo petrol engine. That can be had with a five-speed manual or a CVT auto.
There’s no diesel engine option, and the petrol engines might not stand out for power and torque.
Renault Kiger Prices
But bring prices into the equation, and you’ll find the Kiger undercuts like to like engine gearbox versions. Of almost all other compact SUVs by tens of thousands of rupees, if not a whole lot more.
In fact, on price, at least the Kiger and its fraternal twin from Nissan the magnite. That’s built alongside almost sit in a sub-segment of their own like other models from the compact SUV.
Renault Kiger Dimensions
The Kiger measures just under 4 meters in length. And its 2500 millimeter wheelbase is also at the power with most rivals. However, the Kiger is narrower than all others. And its 1605 millimeter height measured at the roof rails in the middle of the road too.
In the metal, the Renault Kiger looks fairly substantial if also like an XXL-sized Renault Kwid from some angles. The split headlamp looks like the chunky wheel arch cladding and the basic Coupeish roof visually linked the two Renaults. And that might not be an association potential Kiger buyers would like.
Styling
That said, the Kiger has its share of interesting details. The bonnet features volume-enhancing scoops. The main, headlight cluster comprising LEDs on top-spec variants looks sophisticated.
And all versions right from the base can be had with a black roof. The roof rails are functional as well and can take a load of up to 50 kgs.
To my eyes, the Kiger looks its best when viewed from the rear. The split roof spoiler the c-shape tail lights with their cutouts. And the meaty rear bumper gives the tiger some personality. Meteor rubber for the stylish 16-inch wheels would do wonders for Kiger’s stunts. Which is the best-looking compact SUV? Drop your opinion in the comment section below.
Renault Kiger Interiors
The Renault Kiger is built on the CMFA plus platform. And there are certain elements shared with these platform mates inside the cabin. Inside the Renault Kiger, you’ll find some elements that are from the Renault Triber. Some like the climate control knobs from the Nissan magnet but view this cabin in isolation. And you’ll find it stylish and what it stands out for is how thoughtfully it’s been designed.
There are loads and loads and loads of space for storing small items. I’ll run you through the list, there are two glove boxes, the larger one being down. There are one-liter bottle holders on each of the four doors. There’s a huge bay with cup holders at the center armrest. There’s a nice recess for your phone on top. And there’s also a wireless charging bay lower down on the center console. So one thing so sure your car won’t be messing with things just thrown around here and there.
There are wireless apple car play and android auto support for the nice 8-inch touchscreen. There won’t be any dangling wires either.
So the cabin’s neat and practical. But how’s it on that feel-good factor? There are no soft-touch materials inside the Renault Kiger. But the plastic quality is more than acceptable for this price of the car.
I like this vinyl surround for the top air convents. And if you zoom out and see you’ll find a fair few nice details inside the cabin. The wide center console that also houses a drive mode selector gets a nice gloss black finish. The chrome highlights around the gear lever help the look. And the climate control knobs with integrated readouts look quite premium. What greatly uplifts the look is the well-executed configurable TFT instrument readout. That is detailed I’ll get to it in a bit.
On the whole panel, the fit is also decent. But some elements tell you the Kiger is built to a cost. The upper glove boxes non-damped opening. The basic roof lining and the rather flimsy interior mirror are some of those elements. For their part, the front seats are quite nice. And drivers will like the elevated seating position.
Renault Kiger RTX Features
The Kiger is available in four trim levels and the top-spec RXT version packs in quite a bit for the money. There’s no sunroof or cruise control, but you can add in items like a
- wireless phone charger
- front parking sensors
- ambient lighting
and more from the Kigers accessories menu.
Safety
In terms of safety features
- ABS with EBD,
- Rear parking sensors
- And dual airbags are standard.
While second from top RXT variants add inside airbags, adjustable rear headrests. And Isofix child seat mounts as well before you ask the Kiger hasn’t been tested by Global NCAP as yet. Shifting the focus to the seat the news is good.
Rear Seat
We said this about the Nissan magnet, and we’ll say it about the Renault Kiger as well. This is a surprisingly roomy compact SUV. Now I’m just under six feet tall the front seat is set to my driving position and the knee room superb. There’s no shortage of headroom either.
There’s also sufficient room for three average-sized adults to sit at the back. The flat floor that maximizes the foot room helps. And when the rear seat isn’t occupied you can fold down this armrest. It’s nicely positioned and also gets a nifty holder for your phone.
They’re also rear aircon vents and a 12-volt charging socket. The seat is largely comfortable some might find the cushioning on the back a bit firm. But I would have preferred larger windows at the back, but on the whole, the experience is rather nice.
Renault Kiger Boot
What’s also impressive is the luggage space that stands at a class-leading 405 liters. You can fit in plenty of luggage here but the high lip and low boot flow mean loading heavy bags will require effort.
Though boot compartments are also on the accessories list. Should you need more room for the rear seats split 40-60 and fold down? Sadly there’s no internal handle for the tailgate, so you’ll have to touch the bodywork to shut it. Not ideal on a rainy day. No such problems on a bright and sunny day.
Renault Kiger Driving Experience 1-liter Turbo Petrol
The one-liter turbo petrol engines 100 horsepower and 160-newton meter aren’t standout figures. But then the Kiger is also quite a lightweight. Tipping the scales at just over 1 ton. Performance is quite likable you can describe the Kiger’s one-liter engine power delivery as cool and calm.
Now it starts confidently enough, and when the turbo does kick in, you don’t get this kickback into your seat. Rather, it’s a smooth build of power and what you get is a very wide powerband. Keep the engine above 1500 or 1700 rpm, and you’ll be good to go. Throughout, you can alter the driving experience to your liking.
Renault Kiger Drive Modes
The Kiger comes with drive modes which is a fairly unique feature in this class of the car. Now the drive modes not only alter throttle responses but also have a bearing on the steering weight.
On offer are eco, normal, and sport. And you can feel an impact on performance when you shuffle through the modes. In eco-mode, the Kiger does feel quite restricted but then again, the whole point of eco-mode is to get the most out of every liter of petrol. Things improve noticeably when you switch to normal mode. Throttle responses become faster the engine feels freer. And in general, the Kiger suddenly feels like it’s got a spring in its step.
And shifting to sport mode does grant you access to the best the Kigers engine has to offer. It feels the most alert the most responsive and is quite a lot of fun in sport mode. What’s cool is that each of the drive modes also has a unique skin on the digital instrument display.
Eco-mode will show you the most efficient driving range move to normal and the emphasis is on-road speed. And shift to sport mode and the tachometer takes pride of place.
There are readings for power and torque. And a G-meter is included too. The taco on the sport mode screen will tell you that you can wind this engine to 6500 rpm. We haven’t timed the Kigers yet. But going by the equivalent magnetized figures expect a 0-100 kph time in the region of 11 seconds. You don’t have to work the engine hard in normal driving scenarios.
Hill Climbs & Highway Ride
Though as with all other cars with small-capacity turbo petrol engines you’ll need to be mindful of the gear you’re in on climbs. Now, this gearbox is a bit long in throw, so you have to reach out a bit. It’s also not the smoothest, so there’s a bit of effort involved in going through the gears. There’s no sixth gear, but it’s not all that big a deal.
The smartly chosen gear ratios also help the Kiger gets up to cruising speed with ease. And you’ll like how the Kiger feels on the highway. For a car that’s light and also relatively small. The Kiger feels pretty short-footed at highway speeds. Body movements are well contained and your passengers won’t be thrown around on wavy surfaces.
The stable implanted Kiger drives like a bigger car. But all are not perfect ambient noise levels are quite high in the tiger. There’s a lot of road noise and a surprising amount of wind noise that creeps into the cabin as well. The engine also has typical three-cylinder characteristics with a thumb as well as a few vibrations at idle.
As for ride quality in town, there is a firmness to the right, but again it’s not to the extent of being jarring. It does smoothen out bad patches of road well enough and the suspension is quite absorbent.
On terrible roads, you can hear the suspension at work but on the whole, the Kiger feels quite tough. And almost like a mini duster.
Renault Kiger Ride & Handling
The Kiger’s 205-millimeter unladen ground clearance also comes in handy over big speed breakers. And the like to add in a light and easy to twirl steering even if there are too many turns lock to lock.
You have a car that’s easy to live within the town but does it offer enough for the keen driver satisfactory here too. The Kiger turns in neatly feels poised, and offers good grip. The steering isn’t pin-sharp, but a sport mode that adds in noticeable weight does help the experience. Unlike, the duster and more recently, the Renault Triber that were mold-breaking products from Renault.
Conclusion
The tiger enters a well-established arena with intense competition. Even so, the Kiger has the potential to shake up the segment. It’s stylish practical and well-equipped and by extension a compact SUV with big appeal sure. It’s not the most premium inside and the refinement level suggests it’s been built to a price. But then again what a price it is with the range starting at just 5.45 lakh rupees.
The Kiger not only undercuts segment rivals. But also sits in a sweet spot that opens it up to buyers considering hatchbacks or compact sedans. All said the Kiger could just give Renault its first big SUV hit after the duster.
