2019 Renault Kwid Facelift Review
Car Tested: 2019 Renault Kwid Facelift Climber 1.0 MT; Road Test No. 1153; Test Location: Mumbai
Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 3.48 – 5.88 lakhs
With some major cosmetic changes and a revised interior, the Kwid offers first-time car buyers a more complete package
When Renault launched the Kwid in India, this hatchback with SUV-inspired styling created quite a stir in the entry-level segment giving enough reasons to the Maruti Alto and Hyundai Eon to worry. The Kwid turned out to be a fairly successful car for the French automaker. Last year, the company gave it a minor update but now this small car has got a big update, with a new chiselled face and a better cabin. What else is new? Time to find out.
With the facelift, the Kwid looks quite trendy and stylish
Exteriors – Changes on the outside are instantly noticeable. The Renault Kwid facelift now gets new bumpers, an all-new headlamp set up which is placed in the front bumper while at the top you get LED DRLs on all variants. The headlamps get chunky housings and the Climber variant comes with orange accents. The grille also gets a mild tweak in the design and overall the face of the car looks so much more mature now.
Changes at the rear aren’t very extensive
The profile remains mostly unchanged but the Kwid now gets 14-inch wheels as standard across the variant line-up. Alloys aren’t standard but you get grey-coloured wheel covers. The Kwid also gets roof rails with orange inserts while at the rear, the lights have been slightly tweaked. The design also complies with the new pedestrian safety norms now. With these changes, the Kwid is 52 mm longer now and also weighs around 40 kgs more. No doubt, this small car looks quite snazzy and is the best looker in its segment.
The facelifted Kwid gets a new dashboard and steering wheel
Interiors – Renault has made quite a lot of improvements in the cabin. The design of the dashboard has been changed and the Kwid now gets a new leather-wrapped steering wheel too. It also gets a digital instrument cluster. The earlier Kwid used to come with 2 gloveboxes but the updated one here comes with a single glove box which has become a bit larger, while you also get an optional passenger airbag now, even on the top variant. The cabin of the Kwid Climber also gets orange accents. The Kwid gets a new touchscreen infotainment system. The new screen is very crisp when it comes to resolution & responsiveness and even comes with a reverse parking camera.
While the front seats are comfortable, the rear seats feel tight and stiff
The Kwid misses out on adjustable headrests both at the front and rear
The Renault Kwid misses out on internally adjustable ORVMs and you need to open the window and adjust them with your hands. We would have loved it if Renault would have offered a passenger-side airbag as standard on the top variant at least. It also gets other mandatory safety features like seat-belt reminders, high-speed alerts and reverse parking sensors. The seats feel a bit stiff. The front seats are decently comfortable while the rear seats could have done with a bit more support. Legroom and headspace are just about average and knee room becomes almost negligible with the front seats pushed all the way back. The boot capacity has been reduced from 300-litres to 279-litres because the larger wheels require bigger wheel wells.
The 800cc engine is very frugal but struggles on the highways
Performance – Renault hasn’t made any mechanical changes to the Kwid facelift. It continues to be offered with the same 800cc and 1.0-litre petrol engines, both 3-cylinder units. The 800cc engine is just about average for city usage but feels seriously underpowered when you take it out on the highways. We had the Climber variant which gets the bigger engine, with a 5-speed MT. The 1.0-litre unit is way better than the smaller engine and the power delivery feels spiky in comparison but again it is no power machine. It offers better power delivery in the city and works satisfactorily on the highways but you can’t really push the car hard at high speeds. The engine has decent grunt in the lower end and mid-range but there’s not much juice available towards the higher RPM spectrum.
The Kwid’s AMT works well and the MT comes mated to a light clutch
The 1.0-litre engine offers way better performance as compared to the 800cc engine which feels underpowered
The engine noise is heard inside the cabin because the Kwid’s NVH levels aren’t really great. The hatchback is available with either a 5-speed MT or AMT. The MT has a very light clutch and the clutch pedal doesn’t have a very long travel so it is fairly easy to drive around, but the gear shifts do have hints of notchiness. The AMT works well if convenience is what you’re looking for, but otherwise, it does feel very jerky especially when you intend to go a bit hard on the throttle. With mild throttle inputs, it feels smoother but still, you get the push-ahead feeling with every gearshift. On the fuel efficiency front, expect the Kwid to deliver around 15-17 km/l.
While the ride is decent, one can hear the suspension on bad roads
Driving Dynamics – The Kwid already had a very good ground clearance of 180 mm which has now been increased to 184 mm. The hatchback offers a comfy ride over most road surfaces but you can always hear the suspension working when you pass over bad patches. There’s a fair amount of vertical movement too. Still, the Kwid can’t be termed uncomfortable by any means. The steering is quite light, which again hints towards the car’s easy to drive nature but even when you gather speeds on the highways, the wheel provides next to zero feedback and doesn’t weigh up effectively either. The brakes do a fine job of bringing the car to a halt.
The Kwid is the most practical and attractive car in its segment
Verdict – With all these updates, a good car has become even better now. The Renault Kwid looks absolutely dashing, the interior is quite pleasing and the 1.0-litre engine makes for a good commuter. This vehicle won’t disappoint when it comes to fuel economy and apart from the lack of rear-seat space, there’s barely anything to not like about this car. Yes, Renault doesn’t have as many service stations as Maruti does, so first-time car buyers might be wondering whether to pick the Kwid or something else. But, if the French automaker has a dealership network in your city, there’s no reason to keep the Kwid out of your contention list.
The Kwid also gets a new all-digital instrument cluster
What’s Cool
* Attractive and sophisticated looks
* Modern and feature-loaded interior
* Frugal petrol engines apt for city duties
* Easy to drive nature and comes with good ground clearance
What’s Not So Cool
* Doesn’t get internally adjustable ORVMs
* Could have done with better NVH levels
* Steering could have done with a lot more feel and feedback
* Rear seats feel tight and firm
Alternatives: – Maruti Suzuki S-Presso, Datsun redi-GO, Maruti Suzuki Alto K10
Due to the larger tyres, the boot space has been reduced by 21-litres
Further Reading –
2019 Renault Kwid Video Review – Hindi
Maruti S-Presso vs Renault Kwid – Shootout
Maruti S-Presso vs Renault Kwid – [Video]
Renault Kwid – Pros & Cons In Hindi [Video]
Renault Kwid Pros & Cons [Video]
2018 Renault Kwid Review
2018 Renault Kwid Video Review
Renault Kwid 1.0-Litre AMT Video Review
2017 Renault Kwid AMT Review
Renault Kwid 1.0-Litre Video Review
2016 Renault Kwid 1.0-Litre Review
Testers’ Note:
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